Target CEO Apologizes For Company's Support Of Tom Emmer

[ccharles000]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/target-ceo-apologizes-for-companys-support-of-tom-emmer.php?ref=fpblg

The head of the Target Corporation is now taking the amazing step of apologizing for the company's financial support of Tom Emmer, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor in the company's home state of Minnesota, after coming under fire from gay rights activists.

And in a further sign of how tricky corporate political spending can actually be in practice in the post-Citizens United world, the company will also set up a review process for any future political donations.

As we noted last week, Target donated $150,000 to MN Forward, a business-backed group that is running ads for Emmer, focused on economic issues. This was made possible because of the Citizens United decision from the U.S. Supreme Court this past January, which opened the door for corporations to directly spend big money on political campaigns.

The company was facing a backlash from some consumers and activists in this liberal state, however, due to Emmer's support for a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and his close associations with the religious right. And now, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has written a letter to employees, apologizing for the company's involvement.

[Ken Burch]

1. An apology is nice...but will they be stopping payment on the check?

If he gets to keep the 150k, "sorry" doesn't mean a hell of a lot.

[Morning Dew]

2. Steinhafel can apologize all day long

and it won't alter the fact that he personally donates to right wing candidates and has apparently used the Target Corporation to donate to forward the right wing agenda by way of the Citizens United decision.

[RC]

3. Wal-mart is bad, Target is bad. What's the position of K-mart?

[Exilednight]

4. K-Mart is still is business? Okay, now seriously .............

the Target CEO did apologize, but he also did something better than that. He stated that Target would now look at where candidates stand on social issues before contributing money.

This is the first time it has happened, as far as we know. So, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and take him at his word. Target is one of the few companies of its size that offers benefits to same sex partners no matter what a state's law states. I honestly think he is trying to do the right thing.

But if it happens a second time, then I am all in favor of another boycott.

[Bitwit1234]

5. Too late people where I live won't go there again they will shop

at the KMart instead, since it has been upgraded and sells a lot of Sears products.

[Lorien]

6. "BOYCOTTS NEVER WORK!!!11!!"

Wrong again. :-)

[saltpoint]

7. The letter I sent to Steinhafel to object to his

company's financial generosity to a movement properly characterized as a discriminatory entity was answered by an underling who offered a sort of fart-in-a-whirlwind defense of Target's support of "many candidates" with "a variety of views."

It sounded like slapdash meeting notes reshaped into a business response letter and it wasn't very persuasive.

I can't stand Wal-Mart, and so Target's support of a hate-kook like Emmer (via MN Forward) was especially disappointing.