Hillary silent during Walmart anti-union board meetings

I know it is popular amongst the left to hate on Walmart - it seems almost reflexive, and fashionable. It seems even trite sometimes, because those of us who live in big cities with our lattes and our Volvos can afford to hate on Walmart, with other options such as Trader Joes and Whole Foods nearby, and farmer's markets for the localvores.

But the reality is that Walmart depresses the economy everywhere it goes, and that their employees don't even make enough to have health insurance, placing them amongst the working poor.

So this well-timed piece of oppo research (found on ABC by way of dkos) was conveniently leaked the day after Edwards, the populist crusader, dropped out of the race. Hillary Clinton, in her years on the Walmart Board of Directors, was silent on the issue of taking down unions.

In six years as a member of the Wal-Mart board of directors, between 1986 and 1992, Hillary Clinton remained silent as the world's largest retailer waged a major campaign against labor unions seeking to represent store workers.

. . .The tapes show Clinton in the role of a loyal company woman. "I'm always proud of Wal-Mart and what we do and the way we do it better than anybody else," she said at a June 1990 stockholders meeting.

This is going to hurt her big time with the California-New York elite axis of liberals who were formerly for Edwards, and also with the mainstream blogosphere.

And Bill's not really helping here:

President Clinton defended his wife's role on the Wal-Mart board last week after the issue was raised by Sen. Barack Obama in a CNN debate.

His wife did not try to change the company's minds about unions, the former Arkansas governor said.

"We lived in a state that had a very weak labor movement, where I always had the endorsement of the labor movement because I did what I could do to make it stronger. She knew there was no way she could change that, not with it headquartered in Arkansas, and she agreed to serve," President Clinton said.

At the end of the day, Barack's comment about Hillary serving on the Board of Walmart during the SC debate was intentional - it was meant to highlight that she can't be trusted. And this isn't really new news - we already know about Mark Penn and his work for crappy businesses, and it's not really new that Clinton was on the board. But I think it brings all of this up in a very visual light, one that strikes people hard.

I feel like Obama's got the mo back heading into Super Tuesday. He's got Teddy and the Kennedy imprimatur, and the blowout win in South Carolina. He's got over $32 million raised, JUST IN THIS MONTH. That's a pretty crazy number - most people would consider that a deliriously good haul for the QUARTER. He has, for better or worse, the endorsement of Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, which Hill and Bill have spent the past 6 years cozying up to. So what does that say?!?

On where Edwards voters go, Chris Bowers and Joe Trippi both offer their takes. I do think it will make it harder for Obama to take Feb 5th overall, but I feel . . . hopeful.

Huckabeez Last Dayz?

Well, if Mitt Romney had anything to say about it, this would be one killer Roundhouse Kick:



Plus Huckabee is a picket-crossing scab despite having received the endorsements of some unions and having said he supports the writers. Don't go on Leno and say you support labor. Do as you say, not as you do, Mr. Preacher Man. Also check the writer-creator of Brothers & Sisters on his thoughts about Huckabee as a smoove-talkin' devil.

Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows to my suprise

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man (azlyrics.com)

Rachel Sklar has an analysis of the (aw) sHuckster's media gambit of putting together a massive press conference to announce that you are NOT running a negative ad that is dominating the news, much like his earned media coverage of the infamous cross ad. That's a hell of a way to get your ad aired all over without paying for the media time, which is the REAL expense - not the creation of the ad. I have to agree with Sklar and say, "New York Times and the mainstream media, you got pwned. Damn your confusion, the Huckster played y'alls like a fool."

And this is why in the previous McCain vacuum, I have been hyperventilating over Huckabee as a stealth killer GOP candidate. He's damn smart, and this idea plus the cross ad (which is probably the modern day equivalent of the Daisy ad) is probably a son of the gun genuine Dick Morris special. I'd lay $50 on it, but the preacher probably wouldn't approve of me betting. But he'd sure as hell take mah moneez.

Letterman reaches deal with Writers Guild

This is pretty cool and HUGE, because this way the writers can hope to fragment the media companies (not a huge chance but good luck and a step forward.)

It sucks that they haven't been able to do the same with with Colbert, who I am still on record as supporting for President, and with Jon Stewart, because we kinda NEED their rapier wits to skewer the GOP over this next year. (Please please please let's get this thing settled by the start of GOP convention - there's so much material there, especially since Larry Craig hoisted his infamous petard in the Minneapolis airport!!! We could say that the GOP candidate has a wide stance on [pick your issue cos they all flip-flop routinely.])

Of course, neither Colbert nor Stewart own their own production companies, and are being forced to return to work, without their writers. So maybe this will push them in that direction, as they are mightier than most real pundits, as voted by the Associated Press. (Read the AP story for a damn fine tribute to Colberto, the anti-Alberto.)

But I'm enthused because it shows that the Guild is willing and able to make deals and also play hardball. I buy blue, and I try my darnedest to vote with my cash and to take my business to progressive companies that honor my business. As the United Hollywood blog says:

Like the waiver for the SAG awards, it lets people know that, when we are able to, we honor those who honor us.

(Trust me, I have been in both airline and wireless provider hell for the past few weeks. I will GLADLY pay extra to find companies in both fields that meet my needs and provide ACTUAL customer service without screwing their workers. Strangely the two often coincide - for some reason companies that think it's worthwhile to treat their employees right get employees who are willing and able to treat the customers right. Full circle, you know? Southwest is one that does it right, and American Airlines is currently on my shit list.)

So I'm glad to see that Letterman and Ferguson, both of whom are more on the progressive side of things, are getting a decided market advantage, and that it's one which honors the writers. Imagine that the writers actually got a friggin' voice in all this, that they might be able to use this power to divide and conquer versus being divided and conquered, which is usually what happens.

Because at some point, all the media companies who need to shill their movie stars and the conglomerates who need to promote their books and gadgets and gizmos aplenty are going to be burning up the lines to place their clients on TV. And since most stars are unwilling to cross the picket lines, but are willing to elbow out their competition, producer's lines for these two talk shows are going to start burning up, right about now. Laeta over at United Hollywood says it all better than I ever could, including these key grafs:

Leno, Conan, Kimmel and others have been staunch supporters of the writers, even digging into their own pockets to pay their non-writing crews. The sacrifice they’ve made by staying out this long in support of writers is an incredible thing. But unlike Letterman, who can thumb his nose at CBS because he owns his own company, the other late-night hosts are effectively hostage to the position of their employers, like NBC and ABC.

And since all the hosts are being forced to go back in January anyway, the income stream they provide to the conglomerates will come back no matter what, albeit (we hope) reduced by advertisers rebelling.

So denying Letterman a deal wouldn’t actually have deprived CBS of a revenue stream. At best, it would have reduced the revenue stream. And again, tremendous advertiser pressure will now be put on NBC and ABC to settle this.

. . . This is the kind of behavior that Wall Street often rewards. But that doesn’t make it actually good for business, much less for the people who make the product the business relies on for its profits.

We want to go back to work, and we want the town back to work – with a fair deal for everyone. Personally, although I know there will be frustration for some members that we made this deal, I think it was the right thing to do.

When one of the majors comes to the table and makes a deal – and I hope they will – odds are that I won’t be one of the writers who gets to go back to work. I won’t like it, because I have a movie in preproduction right now that I've had to walk off of. But I’ll live with it, if it serves the larger good of all of us getting coverage.

I'll just add that Letterman is really pissed at CBS because they want to replace him in 2009 with Conan, so he has lots of impetus to screw the eye. (Sounds nasty, I apologize.) But also that his added cachet what with being able to draw higher ratings with his writing staff in place might change that game plan as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't consider that factor.

But this is excellent news, a nice way to start the New Year and it gives me hope. Plus it gives me some light at the end of this very long and depressing tunnel called the winter doldrums. Please for the love of god, don't make me face the bizarre global warming storms that keep me indoors without SOME kind of quality entertainment!!! Apart from re-watching Arrested Development, I just don't know what I am going to do. Maybe I'll brave the long lines, stand outside, and buy a Wii if I can get one. Am desperate for entertainment and means of procrastination!!! So desperate I started blogging regularly again . . .

Writers Strike Comedy Gold

So as a devout consumer of television, I am very depressed that there is no new good tv programming apart from Reality TV. And as much as I love my Top Chef and Project Runway, I crave and need Heroes, Grey's and Ugly Betty. Not to mention the IV drip straight into my brain of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. (Sorry about South Carolina, better luck next time!)

I mean, come on. I can't get through the holidays and family drama without having my TV to tune out to!!! I know I make fun of Americans who do just turn on and tune out, but please don't deprive me. Santa, all I want is my pop culture fix. Please?!?

But the one bright shining silver lining to this whole mess? The writers of all my favorite shows have gone gangbusters on youtube, creating hilarious hits like The Office is Closed, WGA Strike Rally Day 5 (for fans of Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy and American Dad), and Not the Daily Show. All these videos lampooning the evil and greedy studio moguls. Plus the hilarious spoof of the movie moguls' website, www.amptp.org. It is pretty spot on down to the logo and the FAQ.

So the writers are at last able to strike comedic gold on many counts. Just sucks for you, media mogul, that it's all directed at you. But then you decided to mess with the most creative minds in America, who have no shame mocking you for all you're worth (which is probably a cool billion combined.)

Give em what they want - which is a fair deal. Even the quality of your advertisements is starting to suck cos no companies are willing to pay eye-gouging prices for no viewers. I can only stomach so many repeated Taco Bell commercials. At this rate, the ads are gonna make me puke before their food does. (Since I would never eat there anyway.)

Love,
P & P