WMT: the Dems new friend
[the handprints of Leslie Dach are all over this…]
Washington Post - April 3, 2007
Wal-Mart, the Democrats’ New Friend By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Last Tuesday evening, the world’s largest retailer sponsored a fancy
reception in the Capitol’s LBJ Room off the Senate floor to celebrate
a yet-to-be-completed documentary about female members of the chamber
called “14 Women.” The film’s three producers include Mary Lambert,
the older sister of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), and Nicole Boxer,
the daughter of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Paul Kane of
washingtonpost.com reports that the “Wal-Mart” on the name tags was
larger than the names of the guests.
The event was a big hit. Wal-Mart said that 12 of the now-16 women in
the Senate (11 D’s and five R’s) showed up — including Sens. Lincoln
and Boxer, of course. One of the senators who did not attend was
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Clinton is a former Wal-Mart
director (something some of her campaign aides would like the public
to forget) whose younger brother, Tony Rodham, was once married to
Nicole Boxer (something Clinton probably would like to forget).
But Wal-Mart did more to assist the project than pass out canapes and
drinks. Last year the company became the movie’s corporate sponsor
when it handed the producers $150,000 to help complete the film.
“Mary Lambert contacted Wal-Mart and wanted to know if we might be
interested in helping to underwrite the documentary,” said company
spokesman Robert Traynham. “We thought it would be a great
opportunity to help highlight the contributions that women have made
in U.S. history and particularly in the U.S. Senate.”
Traynham added that the reception and grant were not forms of
backdoor lobbying and had nothing to do with trying to improve Wal-
Mart’s standing with senators, especially Democratic senators.
Oh.