Divided Democrats unite to criticize Wal-Mart
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. --Democrats embroiled in two fierce primary battles took a break from sniping Wednesday to rally against a common enemy:
"It's great that everyone can agree on one thing, and that's, 'Wake up, Wal-Mart,' " said John Olsen, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and former chairman of the state Democratic Party.
He supports Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is trying to fend off a tough challenge from anti-war Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont. The primary is next Tuesday.
Lieberman and Lamont made a rare appearance at the same event Wednesday, bringing with them scores of loud, sign-waving supporters who made the raucous rally seem more like a campaign event. Bridgeport's City Hall annex was the second stop on a 35-day cross-country tour sponsored by WakeUpWalMart.com, a union-backed group that claims the retail giant does not provide fair wages and benefits.
"We're all together today in wanting to wake up Wal-Mart and say, 'Treat your workers fairly,'" Lieberman told several hundred people gathered outside in stifling heat. He later added, "It is time for the American people to get together to support Democrats who support working people."
Lamont, who applauded politely after Lieberman was glowingly introduced to speak by a union official, said corporate America has fallen short in providing decent benefit packages and Congress needs to do more to ensure universal health care is a basic right. Lieberman was whisked away to his campaign bus before Lamont spoke.
"This is about waking up Wal-Mart and this is also about waking up corporate America," Lamont said. He did take one jab at Lieberman, a three-term incumbent, saying, "It won't take me 18 years to go down to Washington, D.C., to get that done."
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., has dismissed the tour as a "union-funded publicity stunt."
"The fact is these union-funded groups are attacking the wrong company. Wal-Mart offers associates $23-per-month health plans, creates tens of thousands of jobs per year and is selling more organic and environmentally friendly products," said Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo.
"The working families of Connecticut, whether they live in Bridgeport or New Haven, should be able to decide for themselves where to shop and save their hard-earned dollars," Restivo said. "Union-funded groups and political candidates shouldn't be making the decision for them."
As has been the case often over the past few months, the Lieberman-Lamont battle overshadowed the event they were attending.
When Lieberman showed up with his campaign bus, people in the crowd screamed, "Go Joe go," while Lamont supporters shouted "No, no, no." One Lieberman supporter, Adam Arifaj of Trumbull, wore a yellow banana costume and held a sign that read: "Like Wal-Mart, Lamont is bananas."
Someone yelled at Lieberman for taking money from Wal-Mart's political action committee, but the senator said he had returned a check he received from the group.
"Check the record, deal with the facts," he shouted back toward the crowd.
Also on hand Wednesday was Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy, the mayor of Stamford. His primary opponent, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, did not attend.
"We need to remind Wal-Mart of corporate responsibility," Malloy said. "If we do that, we win. If we fail to do that, we all lose."
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AP Political Writer Susan Haigh has been covering the Connecticut statehouse and political scene since 1994.
