Left and Right Coast Liberal Papers Ignore John Edwards PlayStation 3 Wal-Mart Story

NewsBusters ^ | November 19, 2006 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

One of the big stories of last week was the buying frenzy over the limited number of the new PlayStation 3 consoles that were put on sale. There was a humorous political angle in this as well which was widely covered with the notable exceptions of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. An unpaid volunteer for John Edwards contacted a Wal-Mart store in Raleigh, NC and invoked the name of his boss in order to get first dibs on a PlayStation 3. Since Edwards has been in the forefront of slamming Wal-Mart recently his hypocrisy was especially glaring and resulted in this press release from that retailer:

"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Senator Edwards wants to cut to the front."

This apparent hypocrisy on the part of Edwards (who claims that the volunteer was acting on his own) has been the source of a great deal of commentary and mirth in most of the media and in the blogosphere with the notable exception of the two coastal liberal newspapers mentioned previously. An example of the humor that this story has inspired is a parody song by Charles Henrickson of the Free Republic who has a reputation for being a prolific songwriter. His latest song parody is called It's Got To Be Secretly Bought based on the tune You've Got To Be Carefully Taught from the musical play, South Pacific:

You've got to be taught to use your fame
Your wealth and your power to get a game
But it's got to be done without harming your name--
It's got to be secretly bought.

You've got to be taught to scorn and scold
Those people whose shoes are cheaply sold
At Wal-Mart, whose heart is so corporate cold--
You've got to be duly distraught.

You've got to be taught to not stand in line
Before you are six or seven or nine
To act like John Edwards and think you're so fine--
You've got to get more than you ought!
You've got to be carefully taught.

The usual leftwing suspects are upset about this incident. Not at John Edwards, of course, but at Wal-Mart for pointing out the ex-senator's hypocrisy in a press release. This is what Dave Johnson at the Huffington Post had to say in his blog edition titled, Wal-Mart Engineers a Smear of Edwards:

Wal-Mart has a smear out on John Edwards. What is striking about the smear is the way a corporation feels free to publicize something that a customer did, and to use it as a flat-out, blatant, organized smear campaign. It is starting to appear on all the usual right-wing outlets, and may soon be as widespread as the pre-election Kerry "insulted the troops" smear.

From the story, Edwards acknowledges staff asked Wal-Mart for Playstation 3,

"Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards acknowledged Thursday that amid his criticism of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a volunteer member of his staff asked the world's largest retailer for help obtaining a hot new Sony Playstation 3 for Edwards' family."

According to the article, a volunteer called a local Wal-Mart, on his own, and used Edwards' name. Wal-Mart takes this information and turns it into a national smear, right out of its corporate headquarters.

"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Sen. Edwards wants to cut to the front," the Wal-Mart statement said."

That is an official Wal-Mart statement! Have you ever heard anything like that from a company? Is this the business Wal-Mart is in? What right does a corporation have to issue a statement like that about any citizen?

Is this a company that ought to have its right to operate examined, or what?

So Dave Johnson believes that Wal-Mart should just idly stand by while John Edwards criticizes that retailer at the same time one of his volunteers invokes Edwards name in order to buy a PlayStation 3 at that store. Johnson might call this a smear but most folks would say that Wal-Mart is accurately pointing out the high level of hypocrisy emanating from the Edwards camp. You can read a selection of many of the amusing Huffington Post readers responses to Johnson's outrage over Wal-Mart defending itself at the DUmmie FUnnies.

[PJ-Comix]

If there is justice in the world, that parody song by Charles Henrickson should be sung on the radio talk shows. Calling Rush! Calling Laura Ingraham! Calling Sean Hannity!

[hnj_00]

of course the lib/dem msm ignores the story.....they never print negative stories against their own!!!!

bet the msm will find some other crap to print against republicans.....just like they did during the elections....

no wonder the circulation numbers for the print is in free fall and the viewing public is down on the airwaves...just ask katie couric!!!!

[PJ-Comix]

Almost all newspapers mentioned in at least somewhere in their stories about the buying frenzy over the PlayStation 3 but the NY Times and L.A. Times ignored it completely. I guess anything that puts Wal-Mart in a good light doesn't deserve their attention. BTW, I would LOVE if Wal-Mart produced that song written by our own Charles Henrickson and played it over the PA for their customers. I predict it would be an INSTANT hit.

[Howlin]

Everybody who this surprises, raise your hand.

Anybody?

Somebody?

He's going to be here today, signing books.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

The media won't embarass this rich valueless leftist.
It means that nothing in the media can be trusted.

[elli1]

What right does a corporation have to issue a statement like that about any citizen?

Reminding Dave Johnson that Edwards is not just any citizen. Edwards is an anti-WalMart activist and a lawyer, to boot. That is, he can file suit vs WMT &, if he wins, he gets to keep all the booty since he doesn't have to give his stinking lawyer half the take. PLUS, he apparently has a covey of 'unpaid' staffers, so he won't be out of pocket on wages for the Help.

[the invisib1e hand]

is that little faggot from north carolina (or wherever) really worth the aggravation? he's a gnat.

[PJ-Comix]

He's going to be here today, signing books.

Print out a copy of Henrickson's song parody and ask him to autograph it.

[missnry]

Ok.... while we are at it:
Let's see how many times the media brings up the fact that HILLARY CLINTON served actively on the board of directors for Wal Mart.
This is like shooting fish in a barrel on this one. Here is just one example of the hypocritical Hillary.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0207-34.htm

[Howlin]

[Howlin]

***Note to self: don't forget his home(town) didn't even support him in 2004.

[Dixie Yooper]

PLUS, he apparently has a covey of 'unpaid' staffers

This part of his excuse that an unpaid volunteer was using his name to buy a PS3 for himself is what the MSM has no problem claiming they believe. This volunteer makes less than the WalMart employee who he tried to coheres into giving him a break.

[Lee'sGhost]

Amazingly Gladnick leaves out the "best" part of the story. The part where Edwards relates how is 6-year-old accousted a school mate for buying tennis shoes at Wal-Mart. The proud papa even brags about how if even a 6-year-old "gets" what's wrong about Wal-Mart so should the rest of the country.

Being a hypocrit is not that unusal for a pol, and even expected of Edwards. What is more noteworthy is that he has brainwashed his kid and then used him to make a political point that basically bashes an example of corporate success and American free enterprise.

Shameless. THAT's the part of the story news reports should be focused on.

[PJ-Comix]

Amazingly Gladnick leaves out the "best" part of the story.

I hate that Gladnick guy for overlooking this!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

What right does a corporation have to issue a statement like that about any citizen?

Right. What right does the New York Times Company, Incorporated, have to issue a statement like that about any citizen? </sarcasm>

[bondjamesbond]

I was talking about this story with My Favorite Liberal (Mrs. Bond), and even she was annoyed with Edwards over this, and took the Democrats as well as the Republicans to task over the culture of priviledge that grows up around Washington DC.

It may seem trivial, but people really understand this stuff, and it annoys them.

[bondjamesbond]

That is an official Wal-Mart statement! Have you ever heard anything like that from a company? Is this the business Wal-Mart is in? What right does a corporation have to issue a statement like that about any citizen?... Is this a company that ought to have its right to operate examined, or what?

A little glimpse into the Liberal mindset, there.

Corporations don't have a right to issue statements...

Corporations have a revokable "right to operate". Maybe WalMart should have to get a permit, or something...

If the Democrats are going to run a vicious multi-year smear campaign over WalMart, it is about time WalMart started hitting back.

[moonman]

Thanks for the post.

I don't understand " "Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards acknowledged Thursday that amid his criticism of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a volunteer member of his staff..."

If this is a 'private citizen', what's a 'volunteer member' doing? He's no longer a Senator or any other government official that I know of. For a guy who bashes Walmart for low wages and little benefit packages, does this 'volunteer' get ANY kind of wage or benefits, or, just his personal lackey sent to do errands from the ex-Senator's Carolina plantation. Maybe Edwards has a non-profit work-for-chitlins program.

It seems to me that this 'volunteer', and the rest of the 'staff' could be a BIG story in itself, in that, defining exactly they do and who gets a paycheck and benefit package.

[PJ-Comix]

Correct. As of right now, John Edwards is NOT a candidate. Just a private citizen. So how does a private citizen rate "volunteers" (no-wage slaves) to do his chores for him? Meanwhile Edwards feels free to criticize the wages paid by Wal-Mart. Hey John! At least they are PAID unlike your no-pay "volunteers."

[Lee'sGhost]

"The Blueprints of Our Lives"

What the hell does that mean? Is he telling us how to run our lives or is this a "How to Sue and Make Millions" book?

The level of disgust I have for this empty suit knows no bounds.