Think Progress has a story up about Target, the department store. It seems they contributed "$150,000 to MN Forward, a 'Republican-friendly political fund staffed by insiders from departing GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s administration.'" And what is that money being used for?
MN Forward is running ads supporting Tom Emmer, the presumptive GOP nominee for Minnesota governor. Target spokeswoman Lena Michaud said the company gives money to candidates who are focused on making "economic growth a priority."
Emmer’s — and, apparently, Target’s — idea of "economic growth" involves slashing the wages of working Americans. This month, Emmer proposed cutting the minimum wage for service workers who receive tips, such as bartenders and waiters.
Target Donates $150K To Group Supporting Candidate Who Wants To Cut Waiters’ Minimum Wage
Attempting to justify these cuts, Emmer claimed that some of these employees earn "over $100,000 a year" and often make more than the people who employ them:
"With the tips that they get to take home, they are some people earning over $100,000 a year. More than the very people providing the jobs and investing not only their life savings but their families’ future," Emmer said. [...]
Target Donates $150K To Group Supporting Candidate Who Wants To Cut Waiters’ Minimum Wage
All those rich workers while CEOs slave for mere millions! It's enough to make one cry a river of tears.
About Emmer:
The Republican Party today blessed the more inflammatory of its two leading candidates and, swayed by a last-minute personal appeal from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, endorsed state representative Tom Emmer as the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Emmer made news last week when he joined other Republican legislators in proposing a state constitutional amendment that would let a legislative minority block federal legislation in Minnesota. He made news this week when he embraced immigration proposals that even staunch conservatives say go too far. And while he was grandstanding for his Tea Party base about wedge issues, Minnesotans continue to struggle with economic hardships amidst historic job losses.
Minnesota DFL
Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, speaking Saturday afternoon at Fergus Falls N.P. Park during a combination Tea Party event and Republican Party rally, offered a way to partially solve Minnesota’s budget crisis without raising taxes and cutting vital services.
snip
As with Tea Party activists all across the nation, Emmer emphasizes reduced taxes and less government regulation.
Emmer offers common sense during Tea Party
Emmer, of course, is a homophobe, which troubles many people, especially since Target has a reputation of being gay-friendly.
LGBT and progressive groups are upset that Target Corp. made a donation to produce an ad backing Republican Tom Emmer for governor. Target gave $150,000 to MN Forward, a pro-business and largely Republican political action commitee that made an independent ad urging voters to support Emmer. OutFront Minnesota, Alliance for a Better Minnesota and a handful of other groups have begun to push back against the retailer, which is often seen as a huge backer of LGBT causes.
snip
"Because of this, OutFront Minnesota is disappointed and appalled to learn that Target’s political action committee recently contributed $150,000 to a right-wing political group called Minnesota Forward, which is working to elect State Representative Tom Emmer – a candidate with a long history of attacks against GLBT Minnesotans and their families for his own political gain."
Target targeted over pro-Emmer ad
Target claims that they just support candidates "based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives":
Target spokeswoman said the company supports causes and candidates "based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives." Spokeswoman Lena Michaud said Target has a history of giving in state and local races where allowed, but wouldn’t provide detail on those donations.
Target Donates $150K To Group Supporting Candidate Who Wants To Cut Waiters’ Minimum Wage
Seems like a terrible admission to me. Emmer's screw the waiters and waitresses policy, therefore, must be an "issue[] that affect[s] our retail and business objectives."
The problem here is in treating the Tea Party as part of legitimate discourse.
Looks like a Tea Party to me down at Target.
Update I: From Scarce in the comments:
Target is headquartered in Minneapolis (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:TomP, bgblcklab1
The CEO and President is Gregg Steinhafel, who is also the largest individual shareholder with about about 417,000 shares. (Capital Research 33mil, Vanguard 26mil, FMR 23mil are among the largest institutional shareholders). Anyway, back to Steinhafel. Who does he personally contribute to among political candidates?
Michele Bachmann $10,000 in 2010
Norm Coleman $20,000 in 08/09
Eric Cantor max
Lisa Murkowski max
John McCain max
...and many others, all Republicans.
http://www.newsmeat.com/...
It's simple: don't shop at Target. They're run by shitheads.
Here we are now Entertain us I feel stupid and contagious
by Scarce on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 09:05:58 AM PDT
Scarce
Does not seem different from Wal-Mart to me!
Update II: Effy in the comments suggested that I post the link to make comments to Target. Be polite, but let them know what you think about supporting Tea Partiers.
Contact Target Corporation
You know, Target can give money to right wing, Tea Party candidates or any others to whom they want to give money [through front groups like the Chamber or MN Forward]. Their right under the law as a corporation under current Supreme Court rulings.
But consumers who do not share their political views can choose where they want to shop also. Our right under current Supreme Court rulings.
Update III; H/t to Julie Gulden in the comments. Emmer's not just right wing; he's nuts. Seems he sees himself as the reincarnation of John Calhoun, the South Carolina nullificationist in the 1830s:
TPM: GOP's Candidate for Gov In Minnesota Wants To Nullify All Federal Laws
The Minnesota Republican Party's official candidate to succeed Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is looking ahead to a 2012 run for President, is a staunch conservative well to Pawlenty's right who has a long history of "Tentherism," the attempts by the far right-wing to invoke the Tenth Amendment and nullify federal laws on various liberal initiatives. He has even proposed a state constitutional amendment that would allow federal laws to operate in Minnesota only if they were consented to by super-majorities of the state legislature.
snip
Just this past March, he was a co-author of a proposed state constitutional amendment that would, to borrow the words of Nigel Tufnel, turn the Tenth Amendment all the way up to 11, with Minnesota preemptively nullifying all federal laws unless a state supermajority consents to them. Here is the key quote from the amendment's text: "A federal law does not apply in Minnesota unless that law is approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house of the legislature and is signed by the governor. Before voting to approve a federal law, each legislator must individually affirm that the legislator has read the federal law and understands it."
Last September, Emmer proposed another state constitutional amendment that would prohibit any individual or employer mandate to carry health insurance in the state of Minnesota, if one were to eventually pass at the federal or state level (as it did eventually pass at the federal level).
The history of nullification leads to a nasty place:
In his anonymous Exposition Calhoun laid out an argument for action to be taken by the state. He argued that the Union was a compact between states. The states had the power to nullify a federal law that exceeded powers given to Congress in the constitution. The law could then be declared null and void in that state. Congress could repeal the law or could pass a constitutional amendment giving it the powers in question. If the amendment passed the state could accept the law or secede from the Union. The state legislature adopted the Ordinance of Nullification in 1833 and declared both tariffs null and void. In the text of the ordinance they also made clear "that we are determined to maintain this, our ordinance and Declaration, at every hazard..."
snip
Jackson’s Response
A much stronger reply was from Andrew Jackson himself. Jackson was intent on preserving the Union and putting an end to the crisis. In his Proclamation on Nullification he argued that the Union was perpetual, there was no right to secession, adding that "disunion by armed force is treason.".
John C. Calhoun's Theory of Nullification:
The issue of succession (and nullification) was decisively decided in a war in which many Minnesotans gave their lives for the United States against the treasonous Confederacy.
Update IV: From OffTheHill, a response from Target to his email. It's the same everyone is getting:
Dear xxxx,
Target has long believed that engaging in civic activities is an important and necessary element of operating a national retail business. What's more important than any one candidate's stance on a particular issue is how we nurture thoughtful, long-term growth in the state of Minnesota.
Our support of causes and candidates is based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business interests, To continue to grow and create jobs and opportunity in our home state, we believe it is imperative to be engaged in public policy and the political process. That is why we are members of organizations like the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Chamber of Commerce and many others. And that is why we decided to contribute to MN Forward.
MN Forward's objective is to elect candidates from both parties who will make job creation and economic growth a top priority. We operate best when working collaboratively with legislators on both sides of the aisle. In fact, if you look at our Federal PAC contributions year to date, you will see that they are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats. For more information please visit www.target.com/company, and view the Civic Activity page.
Target has a large stake in Minnesota's future, which is why it is so important to be able to provide jobs, serve guests, support communities and deliver on our commitment to shareholders. As an international business that is proud to call Minnesota home, it is critical that we have a business environment that allows us to be competitive. Our guests, team members, communities and shareholders depend on Target to remain competitive.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hanson
Target Executive Offices
So nullification is needed for a "business environment that allows us to be competitive."
I've got something to say to Target: Fuck You!
Such PR bs while they support an extremist with a big, big contribution, almost as much in one contribution as all the rest this year!
Target's donations to MN Forward - $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in brand consulting - slightly exceeds the total amount the company has given this year to all campaigns and causes at the federal level.
APNewsBreak: Target CEO defends Minn. donations
Target is Emmer and Emmer is Target in my mind. Nullification, Target? Gay-baiting? Emmer favors the terrible "law" ("Papers, please") in Arizona. Your Hispanic customers are not very important for your "competive" position, I guess. If you want to maekt to dittoheads only, well, I guess you playing it right for your new competive position.
We hear you LOUD AND CLEAR, Target. You don't want our business.