Hillary snubs Wal-Mart donations

[The Straight Story]

Hillary snubs Wal-Mart donations


BY GLENN THRUSH
NEWSDAY WASHINGTON BUREAU

February 3, 2006, 9:54 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won't touch Wal-Mart's money -- but Jerry Springer's checks are money in the bank.

Clinton, who served as a paid member of Arkansas-based Wal-Mart's board in the 1980s, last week blasted the company for failing to provide health benefits to workers. But Clinton's most recent federal campaign filings -- 3,000 pages worth -- show that she began distancing herself from the company months earlier, returning $5,000 in political action committee cash from the world's largest retailer Nov. 4.

The senator returned the money because of "serious differences with current company practices," Clinton campaign guru Ann Lewis said on Friday.

In all, Clinton raised almost $6 million during the last three months of 2005, a bushel of it from A-to-Z-list celeb donors. On the list were Reese Witherspoon ($1,000), Danny DeVito ($1,000), Edie Falco ($1,000), Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward ($2,000 apiece), Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica ($4,200), Marisa Tomei ($2,000) and $4,200 from "Gerald N. Springer, TV Personality."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-ushill0204,0,7025281.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines

[AndyA]

1. Regardless of how you feel about Hillary

I've had a love/hate opinion about Hillary for a long time, but in this particular instance, at least she does put her money where her mouth is.

She doesn't agree with their company practices, so she returns the donation. That is integrity.

Now who was going to return integrity to the White House?

[mtnsnake]

2. Big kudos to Hillary to snub the giant for the reason her office mentioned

"serious differences with current company practices"

[robbedvoter]

3. Check out the snarky tone - good for her!

And the celebrity donors are supposed to be a bad thing how?

[jillan]

4. Good for her!

She is not my favorite, but she
has finally started to show the stuff that she is made of.

[JudyM]

14. What a great cartoon - picture paints a thousand words... n/t

[twenty4blackbirds]

24. good cartoon

[0007]

25. Great toon!

[Dr Fate]

5. Thanks for doing the right thing- good for her. n/t

n/t

[patricia92243]

6. "Jerry Springer's checks are money in the bank." What's wrong with that?

They seem to think it is a bad thing to accept money from Springer. His TV show is silly, but other than that he is o.k. and his money to Hillary's camp should be welcome.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dr Fate]

8. And he is nice enough to let those Republicans vent on his TV show.

n/t

[tavery]

9. WALMART

Did she mention returning the money she was paid for being a
member of the board of directors?

[Dr Fate]

10. Makes returning the money remarkable.

That was in the late 1980s- now she seems to be making an
effort to break her ties.

Why do we pile on even when they do somthing right for once?

[oasis]

15. Walmart has its roots in Arkansas. Hill was the Arkansas governor's wife

and a damn good lawyer. What's the problem?

[newyawker99]

20. Hi tavery!!

Welcome to DU!!  :toast:

[PA Democrat]

21. WalMart's policies have changed significantly in the past 20 plus years

Remember, at one time WalMart claimed to sell only goods
"made in America".

[flashdebadge]

11. She only "snubbed" them because she can raise the balance easy enough.

If she were hurting for campaign contributers I believe both of her hands would be out.

[oasis]

16. Welcome to DU, Dick Morris. We could use more of your insider's knowledge.

:hi:

[flashdebadge]

18. Oh he's a piece of work now isn't he?

[ncteechur]

12. Kudos to Hillary for this one.

[AtomicKitten]

13. agreed

With some people, Hillary is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

[tavery]

17. The problem, as I see it is that Walmart had the exact same policys

then 1986 thru 1992 as they do now.
What is different now?

[mtnsnake]

19. The difference between then and now is FOURTEEN YEARS

Fourteen years ago, she disassociated herself with them. Is that alright by you?

[formercia]

22. Give her credit

regardless of motive, it's a very symbolic gesture to working people.

[Vidar]

23. Thank you for this, Hillary.