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and we needed to engage at this level" by donating to candidates who share the company's priorities.

And what would inspire a politician to share a company's priorities???

. Mr. Lott arrived in Bentonville in late 1999 with a simple message, according to a congressman who attended the meeting: Increase your profile and open your wallet.,/i>

Wal-Mart responded by pouring millions of dollars into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, which presses for limits on awards in class-action suits.

Wal-Mart also urged policy makers to make immigration reform a bigger part of the national debate.

It doesn't get much clearer than this...Congress not only is for sale, it's already bought and paid for...We just have the wrong approach...We need an American People lobbyiest...For example, over 70% of the people are against Bush's new illegal alien anmensty plan...If those 70% give 10 bucks apiece to congress, we could defeat this immigration plan...What we need is a price list...What will all this stuff cost us???

when you or a member of your family has a complicated medical problem, does the doctor explain everything or do you need other sources of information? when you remodel your house, do you use a single contractor, do the work yourself or seek many sources for information? now multiply those two situations times 1000 and you have what happens in congress each term. of course a lobby has to work to explain what they want and why it is important.

It doesn't get much clearer than this...Congress not only is for sale, it's already bought and paid for...We just have the wrong approach...We need an American People lobbyiest...

And who do you think WalMart is if not the American people? True, it is only one group of American people but it is a large group.

And, further, you are correct about the American people lobbying. But great many of our fellow citizens not only do not know who Cheney is, but are surpised to find out that New Mexico does not require a visa for entry --- is that not a foreign country, they ask. After Sep 11, for fear of flying, great many people called travel agents in California and reqyuested that a flight from California to Hawaii be substituted by a bus trip. Most people think that algebra is higher mathematics and no nothing about history of their own country.

We have indeed a big problem with our culture: most people do not care. We should work towards changing that. But your criticisms is misplaced: just because most Americans do not give a d-mn, it does not follow that one group of Americans --- owners and employees of WalMart --- should not care either. They do. They make themselves heard. Good for them.

And, by the way the measures WalMart supports are of crucial importance to us all: to stop shipment of jobs overseas, for instance, tort reform is crucially needed. Say thank you to them.

Sure, such a PAC is wal-mart's or any company's legal right. And they found they were fools for not lobbying earlier

But the story brings these points to mind:

-- 1 in 5 managers voluntarily(?) contribute non-deductable contributions to this fund. Sounds like volunteering for something in the Army.

-- These contributions average $8.60/month or $103/yr per donor. I wonder what these same people contribute to the local United Way or Boy Scouts (in some cases maybe not even this much). Would they otherwise be giving this money to such a charity?

-- Why aren't PAC donations among those hyped in big banners over the doors at WMs and Sam's Clubs? You know, the ones that boast "this store has contributed xxx toward xxxx charity"