SENDS LETTER TO DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ABOUT WAL-MART’S “SWIFT BOAT” STYLE ATTACKS

Washington D.C. - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, launched a new website and political outreach campaign in response to Wal-Mart’s vicious “swift-boat” style attack website, paidcritics.com. WakeUpWalMart.com’s new website, www.ABunchOfGreedyRightWingLiarsWhoWorkForWalMart.com, outlines the deep and disturbing right-wing connections behind Wal-Mart’s attack machine and links some of Wal-Mart’s newly hired right-wing operatives to some of the most vicious political smear campaigns in American political history, including attacks on John Kerry in the 2004 election, CBS News, and attacks on Democrats in the 2000 Florida Recount.

Wal-Mart’s attack website, paidcritics.com, is an unprecedented and dangerous decision by a $300 billion dollar corporation. It is the first time in history that a corporation has set up, directly funded and openly managed a website whose sole purpose is to attack Democrats, WakeUpWalMart.com staff personally, and all parties who want Wal-Mart to become a better employer.

“Wal-Mart’s decision to spend millions of dollars hiring right-wing political operatives to attack Democrats and personally smear people who want health care for its workers is a shameful act of desperation. At the same time Wal-Mart is publicly trying to put a smiley face on its company, Wal-Mart has decided to unleash a ‘swift boat’ style attack on all of those people who want Wal-Mart to change for the better,” stated Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

The website, www.ABunchOfGreedyRightWingLiarsWhoWorkForWalMart.com will provide a detailed account of Wal-Mart’s right-wing conspiracy including ties to the most extreme element of the Republican Party, Tom Delay, George W. Bush, Karl Rove and John Ashcroft, a biographic summary of the key right-wing operatives involved in the Wal-Mart war room, and an accounting of Wal-Mart’s extensive political contributions to Republicans. In addition, the website will give the American people the opportunity to vote for their favorite Wal-Mart right-wing liar and view our latest TV ads on “Right Wing” TV - a new channel dedicated to exposing Wal-Mart’s right wing connections.

“If Wal-Mart thinks they can intimidate us with right-wing operatives who are willing to defend child labor abuses and oppose universal health care, Wal-Mart is sorely mistaken. We are not critics. We are a movement of Americans who are fighting for living wages, affordable health care, protecting U.S. jobs and holding corporations accountable for their behavior,” added Blank.

As part of the new counteroffensive, WakeUpWalMart.com also sent all of the Democratic Members of Congress a personal letter outlining Wal-Mart’s vicious attack campaign being run by the public relations firm Edelman. The letter highlights just how desperate Wal-Mart has become to attack Democrats, our campaign staff, progressive groups, and all those who strive to make Wal-Mart a more responsible company. A copy of the letter is attached below.

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WakeUpWalMart.com is a grassroots movement of over 246,000 Americans who have joined together to fight for a better Wal-Mart and a better America.

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear Member of Congress,

The campaign to change Wal-Mart is quickly becoming one of the most important political issues in America. Because, whether you are discussing affordable health care, living wages, economic security, port security, protecting U.S. jobs, child labor or gender discrimination, Wal-Mart is the poster child for corporate policies that have taken America in the wrong direction.

There is no doubt, the debate over Wal-Mart is critical to our nation’s future, and we expect it to be tough and hard fought. But, recently, Wal-Mart’s right wing war room, run by the public relations firm Edelman, has gotten out of control. Under Leslie Dach, a former Democratic operative, Edelman has slammed a Democratic gubernatorial candidate for promoting universal health care, attacked reporters at major newspapers for reporting the facts, personally smeared our campaign workers, and attacked the very unions that fight every day to help millions of working families negotiate a better life.

The sad truth is that Wal-Mart and Edelman’s ‘swift-boat’ style tactics are right out of Karl Rove’s playbook: don’t tell the truth, hire attack dogs, fund front groups to deceive the American people, and hide the facts. Wal-Mart and Edelman’s desire to play gutter-style politics, to ignore their responsibility to our citizens, and to disregard the hopes and dreams of millions of working Americans who deserve a better life is a tragic statement on how base American politics has become.

In fact, Wal-Mart’s public relations team resembles the vast right wing conspiracy Democrats have been searching for. The ‘Wal-Mart War Room’ includes: Bob McAdam, a former Tobacco Institute executive; Terry Nelson, the former national political director for Bush/Cheney 2004; Mike Krempasky, the founder of RedState.org; Lee Culpepper, a conservative lobbyist and well-known opponent of raising the minimum wage; Kevin Sheridan, a former RNC spokesperson; and Rick Berman, who runs an outside group but is working with Wal-Mart and has a long record of defending mercury poisoning, Big Tobacco, and even attacking Mothers Against Drunk Driving. As if that wasn’t enough, according to the FEC and IRS reports, Wal-Mart’s commitment to the Republican vision for America is so strong that the company gave 81% of its political contributions to Republicans over the last 7 years.

The truth is Wal-Mart, Edelman, and Leslie Dach ought to be ashamed and we call on them to apologize to every proud Democrat and the American people for their conduct.

Unlike Wal-Mart’s efforts, our campaign, WakeUpWalMart.com, is about positive change. We are a grassroots campaign of more than 245,000 Americans who are fighting for a better America where corporations, like Wal-Mart, reflect the best of American values. Just like every poll shows, an overwhelming majority of the American people want corporations, like Wal-Mart, to be held accountable, to provide better health care, to pay a living wage, to protect American jobs, to provide a fair and just work place, and to help make America better for all of us.

Unfortunately, despite $11.2 billion in annual profit and a founding family whose net worth is $78 billion, Wal-Mart has failed to explain to you and the American people why it does not want to become a responsible and moral employer. Instead, Wal-Mart’s only answer is to unleash right-wing attack dogs against anyone who dares to question them. Well, America deserves better from Wal-Mart.

In the end, contrary to what Wal-Mart says, we do not want to destroy Wal-Mart. What we want is to work with Wal-Mart and take advantage of the enormous opportunity this company has to become a model corporate citizen. We know, by working with us, Wal-Mart will not only be a better and more profitable company, it will help us build a better America as well. Above all, we hope Wal-Mart will choose to exercise the power that it has to change for the better and to help lead this nation in a direction that is good for all Americans - no matter what party they are from.

I hope you will join with us in calling for Wal-Mart to change and I would welcome the opportunity to discuss our campaign with you at any time.

Sincerely,

Paul Blank

Campaign Director

WakeUpWalMart.com

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