When a group of labor activists demanded in 2014 that Hillary Clinton use her influence with Wal-Mart — where she sat on the board of directors for six years — to raise workers’ wages, Clinton’s top aides turned to Wal-Mart’s former top lobbyist for advice on how to respond.
And in a series of highly paid appearances after leaving the State Department, Clinton praised the company’s practices and spoke fondly of its founder in speeches that were kept secret from the public.
Wal-Mart, America’s largest private employer, has become a top target of progressives because of its aggressive union-busting and notoriously low wages and lack of benefits. But emails documenting a continued warm relationship between Clinton and the massive retailer are among thousands posted by Wikileaks over the past week from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s gmail account.
One emailed document is an 80-page list prepared by Clinton’s own research department, detailing the most potentially damaging quotes from the secret speeches. The last four pages are devoted to Wal-Mart.
During a November 2013 speech at an event sponsored by the Canadian pharmacy firm London Drugs, Clinton seemed to suggest that Wal-Mart stores were particularly good for people who lived in the nation’s less cosmopolitan areas. “Those stores — you know, you don’t have to agree with everything Wal-Mart does, I don’t — but those stores served a real purpose, not only for employment and low cost goods, but they did become a way for people who wanted to see what else was available to them could go and look, products that never were readily available in a lot of those places before.”
She continued: “So this spirit of community that I think is absolutely essential to the maintenance of our democracy, our freedom, our strength, is alive and well across North America, particularly among young people.”
Clinton’s suggestion that Wal-Mart is somehow helping foster community stands in contrast with how the retail giant has devastated local and family businesses as it has expanded across the country. The chain’s use of cheap Chinese-produced products has also sucked money out of local communities and helped expand the U.S. trade deficit. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the “Wal-Mart-based trade deficit with China alone eliminated or displaced over 400,000 U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2013.”
The one group that has really benefited from Wal-Mart is the heirs of its late founder, Sam Walton. Today, the Walton family is worth $130 billion. Altogether, they are wealthier than the bottom 40 percent of Americans combined.
Sam Walton’s daughter, Alice Walton, as well as a grandson, Sam Rawlings Walton, gave $353,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund.
Clinton repeatedly told audiences at her speeches the same story about being appointed to Wal-Mart’s Board of Directors by founder Sam Walton. She told the November 2013 pharmaceutical event that “in the late 1980s, probably about ‘86, he called me one day and he goes, Hillary Clinton, my wife and my daughter think I need a woman on the Board and I can’t think of anybody else. I said, Well, you sure know how to flatter me, don’t you.”
She also expressed disappointment that Wal-Mart abandoned its plans to build retail stores throughout India because it wouldn’t be able to meet an Indian government requirement that it buy 30 percent of its products from small and medium-sized Indian businesses.
“I think that if India can ever get its regulatory system straightened out, you know, we have gone back and forth on opening up to retailers, large, multinational retailers. Wal-Mart just withdrew and it is a real shame and because one of the things Wal-Mart promised to do was to help set up the supply chain for agricultural products to actually get to the end user consumer,” she said.
The hacked emails include a fairly extensive back-and forth about the request Clinton got to pressure Wal-Mart to raise wages.
In the spring of 2014, a group of activists, led by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and political scientist Adolph Reed, called on Clinton to ask Wal-Mart to raise wages. The activists pointed to both Clinton’s time on Wal-Mart’s board as well as her history of advocacy for women, and called on her to use her voice for female Wal-Mart employees, whom they noted held the majority of low-wage positions at the chain.
Unsure of how to respond, Clinton’s aides reached out to Leslie Dach, who until 2013 was Wal-Mart’s top lobbyist. He counseled them to marginalize Nader:
The Intercept reached out to some of the signatories of Nader’s letter to ask if they ever heard back from Clinton’s team. “Nope,” Reed responded in an email. Dach continues to be a close confidant; in 2016, the Clinton campaign tapped him for the role of recruiting Republican support for the campaign.
Top photo: Protesters in November 2012 calling on Wal-Mart to improve working conditions and stop cracking down on unions in Seaucus, New Jersey.
“And in a series of highly paid appearances after leaving the State Department, Clinton praised the company’s practices and spoke fondly of its founder in speeches that were kept secret from the public.
Wal-Mart, America’s largest private employer, has become a top target of progressives because of its aggressive union-busting and notoriously low wages and lack of benefits. But emails documenting a continued warm relationship between Clinton and the massive retailer are among thousands posted by Wikileaks over the past week from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s gmail account.”
Makes sense. She’s a clinton.
“Clinton’s suggestion that Wal-Mart is somehow helping foster community stands in contrast with how the retail giant has devastated local and family businesses as it has expanded across the country. The chain’s use of cheap Chinese-produced products has also sucked money out of local communities and helped expand the U.S. trade deficit.”
Moral of this story-don’t murder children so they grow up fulfilled and healthy or rape women to prevent anxiety about being raped. But again, she’s a clinton.
“In the spring of 2014, a group of activists, led by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and political scientist Adolph Reed, called on Clinton to ask Wal-Mart to raise wages. The activists pointed to both Clinton’s time on Wal-Mart’s board as well as her history of advocacy for women, and called on her to use her voice for female Wal-Mart employees, whom they noted held the majority of low-wage positions at the chain.
Unsure of how to respond, Clinton’s aides reached out to Leslie Dach, who until 2013 was Wal-Mart’s top lobbyist”. The correct response is to unionize and give full benefits, as well as up the minimum wage for any employee to twenty dollars an hour to stay ahead of the curve. But, clintons…
I seriously hope somebody reads this and laughs about it somehow.
Thank you Wikileaks. Knowing in your bones is one thing. Proof is quite another.
No wonder the lady and her supporters are discrediting you as either commie spies or commie dupes.
It maybe sour grapes because she couldn’t get permission to kill Assange with a drone strike, too.
The American people had a chance to vote for Ralph Nader who has saved 3.5 million American lives & is on your side and is as incorruptible as almost anyone alive; they chose the scum bags Bush II and Slick Willie. You do get the government you deserve and if you prefer bread and circuses and not very good of either over a little research and an informed decision you should not be surprised the rich take advantage of you. I find it so humorous watching the media deconstruct Trump over his sexism while the scum bag Bill accompanies his wife and gets good press and women like him; what am I missing??
I love how the defence mechanism sets in. Ignore the speeches of Walmart praising. Ignore the speech placing blame on India for wanting to have their small/medium sized businesses products included… “If India can ever get it’s regulatory system straightened out”. No, just jump straight to the part where she is asked to pressure Walmart. A little easier to deal with. Or even better, just lash out at the authors, and ignore it all! Lol
1. Maybe if women weren’t so marginalized at work, they could advocate for better wages for everyone. Note that no women seem to comment on any of your articles.
2. Maybe Clinton didn’t say anything to Wal Mart because she hasn’t worked with them in decades. They’re a giant organization that she is not involved in, and she’s busy.
The logical leaps made in this and many of your articles seem to support an agenda. They do not tell a compelling story. These emails come off as innocuous. I’m sorry if that doesn’t get you more page views.
1. Are you arguing that the marginalization of the female worker is the reason women don’t comment on The Intercept’s articles?
2. Isn’t the point of the article Hillary’s duplicity on issues like labor and globalization? She claims to fight for the middle class, but when you get her in private with big wigs she sucks up to them and takes their money.
3. You accuse The Intercept of making logical leaps. See Point 1.
4. How much are you getting paid to comment on these articles because whatever it is, its too much.
Michelle, in regards to point 1, I’d comment if I had something valuable to say. But that doesn’t mean I, as a female & former WalMart employee, don’t appreciate the information I have received from The Intercept’s reporters. Coming from the eyes of a reader & the hand of a writer, you don’t take the floor when you have nothing to contribute to the conversation. Those “comments” are of little worth.
Hillary Clinton, Champion of the rich and powerful.
Leader of the stupid and gullible.
If we knew during the primaries what we know now, she wouldn’t have gotten this far. We’re in too deep now though. Nothing short of a Watergate scandal can derail this train.
This is only reasonable, right? The oligarchs (in this case the Walton heirs) who own these vast transnational corporations are notorious for lobbying in a verity of forms to get what they want, it has gone on for many years. Would you expect the Waltons to invite someone who is going to rag on them, or even someone other than the influential?
Still, her duplicity knows no bounds.
If your are part of a corrupt system it is difficult if not impossible to be corrupt yourself. Editors here at the Intercept should take that to mind.
Just cos your insinuation at the end there caught my attention… In these articles, I see fairness, facts and with regards to the editorial bias, I know upfront what it is – the intersection of money and politics should be transparent, and reporters should challenge the claims of our elites and ruling classes, not parrot their press releases. Seems patronizing to casually drop in and chide the site’s overall mission when it’s clearly stated.
When you have to choose the president of the US between Trump and Clinton is because something is very wrong in that rotten country. I can’t imagine the confusion on the people’s faces thinking for whom to vote knowing that any of these two, and once again, will represent them honestly in the White House. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
While some here may argue, I personally believe Glenn Greenwald is objective with respect to Trump and Clinton, does not (publicly) favor either one, exposes both of their follies while trying to stay as much issue-based as possible. It’s been his history. BUT, don’t argue that here – it’s not the point.
I’d like to see Glenn get on one of the MSM shows. I suggest Chris Hayes and/or Anderson Cooper (and not because I think they are a bird of feather to Glenn) – and have an extended discussion about the “double standard” being shown every day in the leaked excerpts from Clinton’s paid speeches.
I choose them instead of, say FOX, because MSNBC/CNN are where the Clinton diehards are.
“We” need to get beyond that “these emails were hacked (possibly a legal issue)” and released (perfectly normal journalism), and get the CONTENT discussed.
Pete
Glenn was just on Chris Hayes’ program on MSNBC last night, which he’s been on a lot over the last couple of years. Check Glenn’s Twitter feed if you’re interested for relevant links..
Thanks. I do follow Glenn on Twitter and I see that a new top post by Glenn has a link to last night’s session.
I’ve kind of tuned out ALL of TV-based “journalism” – perhaps a mistake – and instead am finding solace in the multiple Velocity channel classic car rebuilds. Might be a whiff of “the good ole daze” in me ;-)
Pete
“Those stores — you know, you don’t have to agree with everything Wal-Mart does, I don’t — but those stores served a real purpose, not only for employment and low cost goods, but they did become a way for people who wanted to see what else was available to them could go and look, products that never were readily available in a lot of those places before.”
Over 30k in private emails, and this is supposed to be among the most damaging evidence showing Clinton’s ties to ‘corporate evil’? And yes there are clear negatives associated with Walmart, but her quote is pretty spot on. Wikileaks is desperately trying to find ways to portray Clinton as some type of evil corporate sellout….but there is simply nothing that supports that narrative.
There is an old adage that claims: “birds of a feather flock together” and another: “you know about someone by the company they keep.” This cozy relationship with Wall Street and its Mega-Corps is hardly surprising. Hillary Clinton is an elite plutocrat – the woman who would be queen. She cares nothing about the lives or welfare or ordinary citizens other than to cozen their votes in her favor.
Give me the exact quote from any of the 30k in leaked private emails or her 30 year career in politics that would directly associate her with caring ‘nothing about the lives or welfare of ordinary citizens..”
Come one….there is is over 30k in emails, you can surely give me an exact quote can’t you. Otherwise it’s silly hyperbole.
Hillary was cackling like a loon over the destruction of Libya.
Plenty of civilians died and the country is a haven for violent extremists.
Hillary is a death merchant.
It is strange how we are unable to divorce the unacceptable side of a corporation with what we see as its acceptable. I do not understand why people continue to empower companies like Walmart by continuing to shop there. The way to kill corporations is to stop buying their products and services, it is pretty simple. They will twist and turn, purchasing rivals and diversifying portfolios, but if you want stop Big Business incessantly interfering in your lives stop giving them your money. It is not cruel, hateful, illegal, dangerous, vindictive, or based on any sort of radical ideology, nor does it publicly display any affiliations or paint a cross-hair on your chest for future reprisals. It is faceless and effective. I am sure there are plenty of alternatives to Walmart. I am not so sure there are so many alternatives to Apple or Google, but you might be surprised.
“They customer is King” is bullshit – major corporations are currently manoeuvring to make sure they get your money and no one else and they want to do very little for it. Walmart pads its profit margins by taking YOUR tax money and using it to pay supplier subsidies. They do this by monopolising a supplier’s market, then dropping their purchasing price so low that the supplier needs “government” aid. It is not really “government” aid because the “government” uses YOUR tax money. Walmart then maximise their profits and use some of that money to put YOUR public servants in their pockets so that they undermine the democratic process. You end up paying twice for your groceries AND lose your democratic processes. Why is that in any way acceptable to the average American? “But what can we do?”, you mumble between mouthfuls of Doritos. STOP GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY at the checkout and also force them out of your democratic processes.
And it is not just Walmart, it is something every corporation wants to do, so watch them all and kill them off every time they do it. This is the age we live in, unfortunately, and the US corporations are now introducing laws to protect their monopolies and unseat the customer from his royal position.
That, or just eat more Doritos.
Agree. Vote with your wallet! I refuse to give Walmart my money.
the Walmart Effect: good book.
Hey but calling names and locker room talk that’s despicable and we should stay focused on the political correctness. Remember it is not who you are when you drone people and sleep with corporate America and Wall Street, but it’s “who you are” when you say bad things.
Despicable is name calling too, sounds a little hypocritical.
The problem with your/that argument in this case is that what he was “talking” about were things that he had done. So either he was lying (again^2), or it is indeed his actions that are deplorable. Either one should be disqualifying for a POTUS wannabe.
No not after PrezPornoBill. New low bar!
America is hugely beneficial for American consumers and workers. It is the lifeline for hundreds of thousans of small businesses that used to have to pay more for supplies and have a harder time getting them.
Watch Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices (free on YouTube) and report back.
Watch, folks, how I get accused of working for Correct the Record. I’m a college teacher. I have nothing whatsoever to do with the Clinton’s, never did. I am though making an observation: Investigative journalist killer and likely sexual predator Vlad Putin steals information to smear female political candidate in the US and then sends that smear info to a man himself wanted on sexual predator charges in Sweden, Julian Assange, who is coordinating with the campaign of sexual predator and alleged child rapist Donald Trump’s adviser, predator Roger Stone. Stone has admitted he’s in touch with Assange through a “liaison.” Maybe the Intercept would do a little real investigative work, they are certainly in the position of doing that, having coordinated with Assange in the past, and find out who that liaison who Stone says he uses is rather than digging through the Watergate style smear information handed to them.
The allegations against Putin are smears, many from people who were themselves corrupt and known liars (Browder, Berezovsky, Litvinenko). The allegations against Assange can easily be disproved, based on evidence (One accuser submitted a condom supposedly broken by Assange. The condom not only did not contain Assange’s DNA, but did not contain HER DNA either!).
Allegations against Trump are allegations, though credible. (And wasn’t Epstein a friend of Bill Clinton too?)
I have yet to hear any allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct against Roger Stone, which does not mean that he did not do them. (I know Stone is a rather mercenary person.) I do know he alleged things that Wikileaks did not do, so his “source” may not be the best one.
Last but not least, even if all the above were rapists and murderers, that does not mean the information would not be correct. After all, people dismissed Scott Ritter’s statements about Iraq’s lack of WMD due to allegations about his sexual activities.
Your defensiveness about being connected with CTR is telling. At any rate, your buying into the not-so-well-founded accusations about Russia are the real concern. Maybe you can tell us why (and how it is a good thing) that Clinton is ginning up a war with Russia.
And what in the world does this have to do with the article?
It’s entertaining seeing different reactions to these Wikileaks pieces. On one hand you have people who are blowing their stack at each and every article. In this case: Hillary didn’t fight the Wal-Mart board back in the 1980s-1990s! She didn’t do what Ralph Nader asked her to do!! She believed that Wal-Marts used to help the community!!! What an evil individual
Then you have people that reflexively defend and deflect as you are doing here. You ignore the actual article, which is really not very critical or damning, and blame the authors for doing their jobs. This isn’t some bombshell but more a retread of the 2007 NYT article in the first link. Is it really necessary to get so defensive!?
If you’re a college teacher, why do you use the possessive “s” in “Clinton’s” (sic) instead of the plural “s”?
Also, your awkward run-on sentences and poor writing show you are no “college teacher.”
Anyhoo, what’s all that Putin shit you’ve posted have to do with what Hillary and her surrogates have written in their emails? Did Putin and Assange write those emails?
And what are you trying to say here with: “… the Watergate style smear information handed to them.” ? Are you claiming that Watergate was bogus, just a smear operation? If so, Zombie Nixon would like to pat you on the head.
Not head of the department of punctuation, with special interest in apostrophe application.
It’s not logic or journalism or any evidence-based discipline. (Could be adjunct professor of run-on sentences?)
And we must ask ourselves, with instructors at the college level (?) who are obsessed with with imagined conspiracies to reveal candidate statements and “private” policy positions rather than the content of the revelations, “is our children learning?”
So what’s any of that got to do with the new evidence of how on the take Hillary is from the Podesta emails.
It is remarkable how few times the media brings up Hillary’s formative yeas at Wal-Mart and the Rose law firm, where she worked against labor for Wal-Mart. You’d think labor unions would too, but no, crickets. One of the basics of politics is understanding who your real friends or enemies are. Labor unions do not.
Sadly, many unions were coopted by the establishment long ago.
Thanks Zaid and Naomi !!
Really, this is the best you can come up with? She praised a company?
Yup. This is the best they could do.
When any question comes up about Hillary Clinton the answer is always the same: Follow the Money.
Big corporations are the enemy, and within that context these emails are supposedly damaging.
This is what frustrates me about the left. The abject refusal to understand economics. One minute arguing for bigger government and increased regulations , without realising that excessive regulations is what creates the environment for monopolies to thrive in the first place? Make up your minds what you want… And maybe you can read this with an open mind..
“Not only has it provided hundreds of thousands of jobs for American workers, its low prices have reduced the cost of living for millions more, with one estimate (pdf) putting the effect from 1985-2004 at $2,329 per household. If one includes the jobs that Walmart has indirectly created through its suppliers in China and elsewhere, the jobs it is has brought into existence number well into the millions. For the workers at its Chinese suppliers, Walmart’s buying power has provided the jobs that have lifted them out of poverty. This is no small accomplishment.”
http://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/the-calling-why-i-defend-walmart/
Glenn Greenwald is on the MSNBC Chris Hayes show and fails to call him out. Chris Hayes is nothing but a surrogate of the Clinton campaign. Chris Hayes has done zero reporting on these email leaks except to defend these gangsters.
The corporate media from Fox, MSNBC,CNN,ABC,NBC,CBS need to be called out. These people gave us 24hrs of Trump and now they stick the knife in to ensure Clinton’s victory.
Real Conservatives and Progressives should be pissed. WE NEED TO TAKE BACK THE MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY!
The wallstreet whore media need to perpetrate the WMD conditioning upon Americans to lead Americans by the nose for their boss wallstreet profits by lying to Americans and getting Americans killed in their illegal wars, conflicts and military actions in iraq, libya, egypt, palestine, lebanon, syria, honduras, parts of africa, and the US.
Wallstreet needs war for their currency scheme of print-to-loan-to-own growth valuation con job. War. Hellary’s no-fly-zone. They didn’t get the war they wanted on 911.
They didnt get the war they wanted on 911. But they tried. Hellary is their last ditch effort.
But Hellary isn’t building a wall and making Mexico pay for it. Nor is she bombing “the shit out of Isis”, who are imbedded with Syrian and Russia troops. Pick your path to conflict. And, I’m not naming names, but “I’m hearing” that Israel is secretly supporting Trump. Now doesn’t that really vex you?
Well, Glenn Greenwald has said he respects these jerks, even people like the syrupy fake Joan Walsh.
It’s certainly his prerogative, and he’s probably glad anyone remotely mainstream will dare have him on.
But I share your disappointment in the piece – it just ended up looking like an “only extremist civil libertarians like Glenn Greenwald – (insert boos here from Clinton fans) – are saying the email content is more important than the hacker,” which was MSNBC’s plan, I’m sure.
Chris Hayes gave Hillary Clinton all his questions prior to a telephone interview and she had her answers all well prepared:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04PnV1IngGM
Alas, numerous big businesses sank Air America by refusing to buy time on their stations.
Perhaps the best way may be to buy shares of stock in media companies and either vote the owners out in a bloc or have No-confidence resolutions in specific media people.
Yeah good luck with that.
Greenwald can’t challenged or antagonize the pundits too much or he wouldn’t get invited onto their tv shows.
The late Hitchens wasn’t so polite. He’d bash pundits to their faces while on their shows. My favorite was his lambasting of Hannity, called him “unlettered,” among other things. He also mocked Joan Walsh to her face while they were both guests on some show. Anyway, the clips are available on youtube. Lots of nasty fun.
And not a whisper of this stuff on the front pages of CNN, MSNBC, the outlet formerly known as the New York Times, etc.
You have three major outlets effectively serving as propaganda wings for Hillary Clinton and I’m supposed to believe Dumpster fire Donald is the dangerous one?!?!
Tell me what’s more dangerous than a President of the United States who faces no scrutiny from hugely influential media conglomerates.
We know, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the establishment politicians from both sides of the aisle are amoral and corrupt to the core so the only thing left to fight for the public is a skeptical press.
CNN, MSNBC, what used to be the New York Times, etc. aren’t suddenly going to turn on Hillary after making it such a personal mission to elect her. That makes Clinton the most dangerous candidate. By far.
That’s what I’ve been saying–the fact that she has the corporate media on her side is what makes her more dangerous. (And what’s truly chilling is that the press is so corrupt, that it would be in the tank for any one candidate. They no longer hold the powerful to account.)
And like you said, when she’s elected, the press will not suddenly turn on her or investigate her because that would make them look like dupes and enablers for having backed her.
I initially learned of the leaked e-mails from the NYT. I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.
What’s the problem? Walmart and Hillary are STRONGER TOGETHER!
Here’s MY new T…Feel free to print on and wear it proudly all you blue-blooded, ‘Umanitain Dems out there!
HA! HA! HA!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F5wxujAUvR7hc6q133jpRD0Y90h25J3M1wZH-uPsZi8/edit?usp=sharing
Tired of feeling like a Loser, do ya, Bunky?
Now’s your chance ta be a WINNER! ;-)
RAH! RAH! RAH!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u_AqyZq4N82BpePmLzFHXkANIy63PcvKEBY-Nxgrc_Q/edit?usp=sharing
For all its faults, the Indian government apparently got one thing correct.
As a IT professional I can tell you that the PRIMARY benefit of going to the trouble and expense of setting up and maintaining a private Email Server is
simply – PRIVACY and CONTROL.
What this means is a self-hosted server are gives the user – in this case The Clinton’s control over what information is disclosed and and to hide behind a their own computers secrecy.
By using a separate non-government server and set of email addresses, it was easier to duck Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and inquiries by oversight/adversaries/journalists/investigators.
So after Whitewater, Travelgate, Monica L and the host of other investigations against the Clinton’s along side the conflicts of interest of The Clinton Foundation – a private email server is the equivalent of using an etch-a-sketch for writing memo’s and communications.
This alone is enough to say she is unethical.
Now, where have I heard this before?
[Insert weak, sick laughter.]
Unfortunate echoes to be sure:
“The job of the progressive movement now is to look forward, not backward.” Yeah I don’t know. I respect the “I will support the nominee” pledge but let’s not lay it on too thick.
This part however is ambiguously worded enough to be interesting:
“what’s important today is that millions of people stand up and demand that the Democratic Party implement (etc.) ”
Interesting interpretations of this are possible. Surely this is not the party line: nobody is supposed to demand anything of the D party, ever, never, what do you want THEM to win…….
Here’s my interesting interpretation. I choose to believe I am indeed following Bernie’s advice here: as soon as I see them implement this, I’ll vote for them. Alas, it will be impossible for them to prove that this year, given all the shit that has gone down, so……maybe next election. I will happily consider down-ballot candidates of course.
Given how not only was the DNC biased against him, but also biased against other progressives like Alan Grayson (And Dena Grayson, Susanna Randolph and Pam Keith), Tim Canova and numerous others, and given how Democrats helped lead the illegal, unconstitutional crackdown on Occupy, I’d certainly think the Democratic party was NOT willing to implement his proposals.
“Of all we loved and honored, naught
Save power remains[.]”
-John Greenleaf Whittier, “Ichabod”
Someone should tell him the “most progressive platform” is non-binding and Hillary can and will ignore it, though he must know this already – and it’s doubly shameful for him since Clinton’s group wouldn’t even include some of his ideas (on Israel/Palestine, for example) on the meaningless text lest the mere words offend the elite.
Jill Stein 2016
Party platforms have always been meaningless PR. Bernie, having spent his entire adult life in politics, damned well knows this.
“Disingenuous” is a polite way to describe his transparent bullshit.
Notwithstanding this reality, the Sanders supporters who were able to ignore, deny and excuse all of his other inconsistencies (and worse) during the primaries, and who had pre-forgiven him for his pre-announced and inevitable support for the Evil Nominee, will no doubt find ways to give him a pass for this shameless betrayal of the ostensible principles of his “revolution.”
They could join the Blame Russia gang, of course. Bernie has certainly laid the groundwork for that with his own Russophobia.
I thought that after the democratic convention that Bernie would be slowly marginalized by the DNC and Clinton much like Dean before him, Nader before him, and even Jesse Jackson. Sanders would be marginalized to ensure he could not lead another left insurgency within and against the party establishment.
I get that Sanders is the playing the dutiful role of foot soldier now. But in doing so after everything the party establishment did to him and the smears against his supporters, and coming out with this the statement you quote, he has effectively marginalized himself by asking his supporters to blind themselves to what Hillary and the party are all about, and even re-invent Hillary as some sort of progressive.
What Hillary said in the past is who she is now.
So much for Sander’s ‘Revolution’ eh? He’s a phony and now he’s just a stooge. His platform was bogus from the beginning and offered nothing in the way of actual change to the system.
Sanders may have done more to destroy the democratic party than the Clinton’s and Obama combined.
Just what Obama said about prosecuting war criminals in the W administration! Look forward not backyard! Ugh.
I am just amazed that Hillary Rodham Clinton has even made it this far..She is a proven criminal and a shill for big money. And we are going to elect a criminal? When did we throw away our country? Did I miss something?
Can Democrats EVER escape ASSIMILATION by the Borg?
The Clintons have been fleecing you since Arkansas. Yet the dems still fawn over and dismiss any and ALL negative facts. Taking the Jim Jones Kool Aid comes to mind.
“speaking fondly of the founder”? Sam use to do commercials about offering products made in America with a Union label. Today, Walmart, is as anti-AMERICAN AS IT COULD POSSIBLY GET, with Hellary doing the bribe collecting!!!
The best thing about our choice for President really only being Hillary or Donald is that whomever wins once either of them takes office we will quickly see that it will be necessary to do much more than merely choose not stand, or take a knee.
Because if we do not act Rome will continue to burn…followed by another darker middle age…and this time mankind and the whole planet could blow up from the nukes, environmental destruction, or both.
“she sat on the board of directors for six years”
This is your Democrat party.
deep derp. look at me, i’m the same as a trump supporter and i couldn’t care less. i think glenn and julian’s personal agenda to destroy hillary doesn’t do any good but is the same as the right’s ongoing attempt to undermine trust in government and politicians. if only they could point to those who are flawless and infallible yet better than than completely ineffectual bernie, gary, jill, or themselves (glenn and julian) we’d like to have their names.
why is hillary running? because she’s been preparing herself all her life and has determined to withstand all the feces flinging all the yahoos can fling at her.
Well, Clinton threatened to murder Assange with a drone (no surprise there), so Julian does have an axe to grind. Be prepared for more damning emails, booster.
That should be an automatic disqualification, all by its lonesome. Just imagine the ruthless egomania it would take.
yeah, it’s hardly admirable
Ambition piled up that high for that long is very dangerous.
It’s fairly obvious these e-mails are forgeries, part of a dastardly plot by Vladimir Putin to raise the wages of American workers. Any patriotic American reading this comment should see their boss tomorrow morning and demand a pay cut to counteract the Russian plot. At first it may be hard doing without the necessities of life, but even if you don’t survive, you will have the ultimate satisfaction of knowing that Putin has been thwarted again.
Painfully funny, but funny.
you sir are comedy gold.
“Any patriotic American reading this comment should see their boss tomorrow morning and demand a pay cut to counteract the Russian plot. “
Unnecessary duplicated effort.
Patriotic Americans demand pay cuts every time they vote, although they think they’re demanding pay cuts for everyone but themselves.
Marginalizing Ralph Nader is particularly low.
He’s an American Hero, don’tcha know?
Wonder how clean our Father of Climate Change, Albert Gore, feels today.
She’s emphatically sleazy.
Well, Democrats are not trying to use him much, despite the recent hauling him out to campaign for Clinton. Perhaps they do not like that he chose not to run in 2004, thus showing a lack of the ambition of Clinton. Perhaps it’s because he was more cautious over going into Iraq than Clinton, Clinton and company. Perhaps it’s because he did not back Joe Lieberman when he abandoned the party (Or did he?)
The remarkable part of this and other stories about HRC pandering, her defenders on comment sections on the Huffer & Wa Posts explain these speeches as HRC doing a con job on the corporatists to lull them into a false sense of security. HRC supporters are essentially projecting what she is doing to the voters back onto her corporate sponsors. I think the mass media HRC sales job has effectively brainwashed the electorate.
Yah the contortions Clinton supporters have and will go through should be studied in sociology departments. But I have a name for these contortions: “The George Clooney Syndrome”. Clooney in defending his sponsorship of a big money high roller event said basically you need big money to fight against big money. Yah yah, that’s the ticket–take Wall Street money to fight Wall Street.
He also pretty much lied about the money at his event going to Congressional races instead of the Clinton campaign–the money laundering scam was outted before that showing how contributions went to state parties which in turn gave all of it to the DNC with the bulk then going to the Clinton campaign–in effect, Clooney’s event collected money to fight against Sanders.
So just to be clear; these are paid speeches as a private citizen after she left the state department. And by “kept secret” you mean she didn’t disclose speeches she gave as a private citizen. I just want to make sure I am not missing the clear and present danger.
Pay-to-play politics in a so-called democracy is the clear and present danger. Care to try again, smarty?
Too bad Hillary can not be clear and honest……..both privately and publicly of course ;)
Same could be said of Trump–his private dealings as a private citizen should not be made public. In other words, his entire life is off limits as he has never served in an elected nor appointed government position.
Hellary is a wife beater. Her husband is wallstreet and her wife is the American public whom whe beats behind closed doors. Her sadistic practice of beating Americans gets her jollies better than sex.
And now running as candidate at the pinnacle of public office, which should required coming under tough public scrutiny…kinda sorta like a democracy should.
So, what is missing, is missing because it’s not there. The duplicity and power of the RNC/DNC to channel and corral consciousness is what is not merely troublesome but evident.
What likely is even more detestable would be the reaction of those caught psychologically manipulating so many/much…it probably would be, “we need to do a better job at not getting caught and/or exposed”; even less transparency.
Funny how you managed to do just that. Well done!
Ha ha, like she wasn’t running for president then. Yes all those speeches were well-paid because they figured she was done with politics……LOL
Anyway, I guess Trump is off limits because his whole record was ‘private citizen” Well of course not, that would be fucking stupid.
Your argument, Margaret, is a bad joke. The sort of thing I would have called “Republican” before I figured stuff out.
You can’t be this naive and clueless. But you can be, can’t you? There are millions like you, geared up and ready to roll for Clinton and company.
Yes. Basically. It’s HRC, so it’s fine. That’s the logic. Don’t expect this principle of respect of privacy to be equally applied.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Bill Clinton reversed his campaign pledge and granted China most-favored-nation trade status………..
Shame. The economic devastation that helped wreak was devastating to the lower and middle classes.
“… this spirit of community that I think is absolutely essential to the maintenance of our democracy, our freedom, our strength, is alive and well across North America, particularly among young people.” As “a young” who grew up next to a SUPER Wal-Mart, woo hoo!, being sent to the big blue box was always a trip to hell you’d beg to get out of. You’d barter with the worst of chores. Community? lol My ass! Everyone hates Wal-Mart, young and old! If this delusional powermonger HAD to shop at Wal-Mart and consistently buy low quality, completely disposable goods, she’d feel disempowered by it like the rest of us. Guaranteed. Only a big time corporate asshole with all the economic options in the world at her disposal, standing on the outside looking in, would dare to liken the soul crushing experience of having to shop at ONE store for EVERYTHING to the magic that gets mixed up when us NON-lizard humans together and share common experience. Through the 80s to now the Waltons’ advisors have invested their fortune in well-designed digital networking, the biggest servers, and politicians who could help them skirt domestic and global regulations with an eye on eliminating all retail competition and thus all consumer choice, by using stolen data to squeeze farmers and manufacturers along their supply chain, and in doing so played a large part in disappearing the middle class. So, sorry Hill. Your benefactors may have temporarily made Chinese plastic and economic hardship the tie that binds across the U.S., but don’t you dare fucking call it community.
Two thumbs up, “young” person.
Thanks for putting it so simply and honestly.
I would vote for someone like you , my friend
You don’t hear much about this anymore, perhaps due to their mission being accomplished, but back in the 1980s we learned that Walmart was responsible for closing thousands of small family owned stores across the nation.
In every small town in the Midwest that has a Wal-Mart, you’ll find a Main Street and town square filled with vacant storefronts. So very, very sad. I now live in Germany and was so happy to hear that Wal-Mart left with their tail between their legs. Even more happy to hear that India stood up to them too. Fuck Wal-Mart — they’re a predator and parasite, sucking all the life out of a community. Amazon too.
Some of us do know about it. It’s one of many reasons we don’t plan to shop there.
I’m not a big fan of Walmart- I’m well aware of their record of poor wages and benefits- but I have to say, I just went through hurricane Matthew here in NE North Carolina and when the poor was out in the entire town, Walmart was the only place open and the people here depended on emergency supplies only available there. They’re also able to restock their store overnight due to their vast network of stores. So maybe they are making a profit on selling those goods, but they do serve a valuable role in such conditions.
Just my opinion…… I could be wrong…..
It’s weird. From here, it seems that the “blame Russia” thing is actually working for them. Mass hypnosis.
I asked for input on this on another thread out of curiosity.
Honestly, I doubt this Russian bit has convinced anybody who didn’t want to be convinced anyway….and as it is evidence free, it’s not a good appeal and won’t last as a good deflection (but it’s a zombie too and can always be revived).
Great rallying point for confirmation-bias damaged nitwits though.
The currently faceless cluster of reporters on the Clinton campaign jet who took that “t’was Russia, you guys” quote from Podesta, without questioning the validity of his claims, should all be named.
Not sure about hypnosis but the ostrich-like attitude to any demonstrable faults of #Hillsforprez on the ‘liberal’ side has now reached conservative levels of reality denying.
Funny what fear can do to decent people…
I’m one of the “brainwashed” ones. My logic is, if you think anyone’s going to represent the way you think 100% and get elected to President, then run yourself. Otherwise, your choices are limited. Or, you can not vote.
Nick, I don’t have time or money to run for president, but I don’t see why that means I have to vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Those are what I’d call unconnected conditions.
Nah, you’re not brainwashed Nick, you just come up with totally bullshit straw man positions nobody holds, but then act like you are special for being above the stupid nonexistant positions you yourself have created.
It doesn’t hurt them that:
-Russia was demonized as “Communist” from 1917 to the fall of the Berlin Wall. . . and for some it still goes on.
-The foreign policy establishment began criticizing Russia over the Yugoslav wars, and it grew when they opposed the Iraq war. (Russia was right, BTW.)
-NATO refused to obey the treaties they signed with Russia to limit military forces in Europe, then blamed Russia, and people bought it.
– The media and politicians bought the myth/lie that Russia started the South Ossetia war, when it was Georgia that did. (They also ignore that South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence way back when the USSR fell.)
-Lazy filmmakers and TV writers put Russians in as bad guys.
-Many premillenial dispensationalist Christians follow the prophetic interpretations of C.I. Scofield, who claimed that various references to Mideast places were references to Russia. He got his notes published along with the Bible and they have become treated like gospel.
Put it all together and you have a massive unreasonable Russophobia, which it would likely take years to undo.
Tom Cruise is also a big supporter of Walmart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EExPBDXGTzM
Wal-Mart is a race to the bottom… pay so low the employees are entitled to government services – SNAP/food stamps & medicare while the Waltons get richer and richer. Low prices of imported goods that can not be manufactured in the USA to supply reasonable paid jobs. Everyday people work there they can afford less and less
As president, i would consider nationalising walmart. And i can make that case.
You’re more moderate than I am on this one. Given the power, I’d raze every last one of them (the buildings are worthless and disposable) and give the land to the communities.
Buyout or RICO?
“helped expand the U.S. trade deficit.” In context this is presented as bad, however, bad for whom? It has been reliably reported that the US can actually benefit diplomatically, from trade deficits, it can be leverage in some cases. I’m sure one way or another the employees and taxpayers are the ones it’s bad for.
Reason #531 I will not be voting for Hillary Clinton.
http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/
Highly entertained by the numbering system.
I’m guessing I hit about 550 before election day, though Gawd knows how high it could get if the leaks keep on dripping until then.
Shit I’m not even counting the beefs I’ve got with Bill Clinton, his ethics and policies he signed while occupying the throne. He’s one of the last people on the planet I’d like to see back in the White House in any capacity. He set back liberal/progressive causes almost single handedly with his triangulating third way neoliberal bullshit.
Is the list a running joke or do you literally have a spreadsheet with now 531 items!?
Nate-in Vegas it’s 20:1 he will break 1000 by Election Day. With Wikileaks revealing more reasons for rrheard, I’m all in.
For those who didn’t follow rr’s link, it’s a David Sirota piece with this head and subhead:
She’s simply evil, folks.
Reason #530 I will not be voting for Hillary Clinton.
Thank you Intercept for honest reporting. It’s no surprise that HRC and her camp
wouldn’t respond to an email from Nader. He is the antithesis of her whole campaign. God forbid, HRC have a progressive position on supporting a living wage? But, if asked tomorrow, about Walmart I am sure she would channel her inner
Lincoln.
@ Bridget
See the link above from IBTimes if you want to see her actual interest in a living wage and/or Walmart. She doesn’t have an actual interest in living wages except to the extent taking such a position advances her political fortunes.
World’s Second Greatest Windsock–Hillary ForAgainst Private/Public Position Clinton.
I am actually looking forward to voting against her and Donald Trump.
As will I.
Thanks for the article and follow up on the emails. In many ways, Clinton’s time at Walmart and continuing relationship is emblematic of her view of corporations and the rich elites. She is first and foremost for the bosses and owners. At Walmart she championed putting women in managerial positions and other key positions–that is true. What she wanted was for women to also have power to call the shots of an anti-worker corporation. She never once doubted that Walmart had the right to lay waste to its work force–never doubt what the bosses want to do. That theme has continued all of her public life. Give women an equal role to participate in corrupt systems including calling the shots on who gets bombed and taken out. Hey, women should be able to start wars just like the guys. Women should also be able to profit from the suppression of min. wage workers and outsourcing. Bernie should remove his endorsement immediately.
Agreed.
Alas, the few Democrats that I know who have integrity in their endorsements are the Graysons.
Speaking of women and Wal-Mart, as I have stated, there was a shirt sold in Wal-Mart in the 90’s, which said, “Someday there will be a woman president!” Wal-Mart pulled it from the shelves, saying it violated “family values.” We don’t know of Clinton did anything in response to that.