You're currently reading an archived version of Jim Hightower's work.
The latest (and greatest?) observations from Jim Hightower are only now available at our Substack website. Join us there!
Ah, it’s springtime in Washington… and corporate lobbyists are swarming everywhere!
In fact, it seems that there are more lobbyists than cherry blossoms this year, and, indeed, it’s expected that spending on influence peddlers will top last year’s record of $2.6 billion. About the only real change is that corporate lobbyists – ever fickle – have found a new love for Democrats.
Enjoying Hightower's work? Join us over at our new home on Substack:
Take Wal-Mart. In last year’s Congressional elections, several successful Democratic candidates made the tactics of this retail bully a campaign issue. But is Wal-Mart holding a grudge? Far from it! Instead, it’s wooing the new majority as hard as it can, now putting half of its campaign funds into Democrats, up from only a third last year.
To show even more love, Wal-Mart is reaching out to offer personal help to the families of some Democrats. For example, Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas has a sister who is a co-producer of a new documentary about women serving in the Senate. Guess who is helping to underwrite the film? Yes, the big Wally, which gave the producers $150,000!
Also, when the producers wanted to have a Capital bash to show off the film, guess what sweetheart stepped in to sponsor the reception? It was that rascal, Wally, again. Held in an ornate room just off the senate floor, the party was a great success, with 12 women senators showing up and putting on their name tags, which had a big “Wal-Mart” printed on them.
Lest you think that Wal-Mart’s generous support was a way of gaining new friends that can do legislative favors, a spokesman assures us rubes that the corporation simply thought the film and party would be “a great opportunity to help highlight the contributions that women have made in U.S. history.”
This is Jim Hightower saying… If Wal-Mart really wants to show its appreciation for women, how about settling the sex-discrimination lawsuit brought against it by a million women who’ve worked there?
“Wal-mart, the Democrats’New Friend, ” WashingtonPost.com, April 3, 2007