By Colin Campbell 4/24/12 6:20pm

grab the torches

Elected officials oppose Wal-Mart, just like you!

Watch New York City Politicians Call for Wal-Mart’s Head [Video]

Opposing Wal-Mart was already a pretty easy position to take in New York City Democratic politics, but thanks to The New York Times‘ report of an extensive bribery scheme on the part of the company in Mexico, and similarly extensive efforts to cover it all up, that position just got a whole lot easier.

At a press conference earlier today, a plethora of officials, including three top tier mayoral candidates, blasted Wal-Mart for its various sins. And each of them emphasized that they do not want the superstore within the boundaries of New York City, thank you very much.

Declaring Wal-Mart’s corporate boardroom a “crime scene,” Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer “wished them luck in their upcoming criminal investigation” and stated, “They’ve disgraced the United States of America.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 4/23/12 8:03am

smile

(Photo: Wikimedia)

Quinn Reaffirms Commitment to Stopping ‘Wal-Mart’s Corporate Poison’

After The New York Times uncovered the internal reaction of Wal-Mart’s top executives to an extensive bribery scheme in Mexico, depicting the company in a fairly negative light, a variety of New York City politicians latched onto the report in order to further their arguments against the superstore ever setting up shop in the city. The group of elected officials who have sent out statements on the issue includes three top mayoral candidate in 2013, as well as a congressional contender in Queens, demonstrating the salience of rhetorically torching the company in local politics. Read More

By Hunter Walker 11/25/11 7:03pm

suggested reading

Roundup: Pundits Want Obama to Put God Back In Thanksgiving; Gov. Brownback's 'Mean Girls' Moment

Conservative critics were angered President Obama didn’t mention God in his Thanksgiving address.

Staffers for Kansas Governor Sam Brownback sent a high schooler to the principal’s office after she wrote a nasty Tweet about the governor.

From Zuccotti Park, to Oakland and now, Wal-Mart. Pepper spray is the winter’s hot new trend.  Read More

By Azi Paybarah 8/16/11 1:11pm

2012

Rep. Charlie Rangel in Harlem this morning. (photo credit: azi paybarah / observer)

'One Stage Away From Slavery': Rangel on Rick Perry's Job Creation

Rep. Charlie Rangel said Governor Rick Perry’s job creation accomplishments in Texas are nothing to be proud of because they pay such low wages “it’s one stage away from slavery.”

Rangel’s harsh assessment comes the same day a New York Times review of Perry’s record concluded “Texas has one of the highest percentages of workers who are paid the minimum wage and receive no medical benefits.”

It also comes one day after former President Bill Clinton called Perry a “good-looking rascal” whose anti-government platform was “crazy,” during a speech to firemen in midtown Manhattan.

Perry — the longest serving governor in Texas history — formally kicked off his presidential campaign on Saturday, largely on the strength of having created more jobs in Texas since 2009 than any other state in the nation. Read More

By Azi Paybarah 7/11/11 8:20am

suggested reading

Brothers (left to right) Mark and David Weprin, in Brooklyn last week. (photo credit: azi paybarah / observer)

Morning Read: Independence Party for Weprin, Wal-Mart for Markowitz

2012: Presidential primary in NY moved to April 24. [Joe Spector / Democrat and Chronicle]

NY9: Weprin says he’s not a placeholder. [Alec Hamilton / WNYC]

NY9: Independence Party backs Weprin. [Erik Ortiz / amNew York]

Redistricting: Editors urge Cuomo to stand firm against lawmakers. [Daily News]

Staffing Cuomo: Cuomo promotion of Larry Schwartz raises ire of investigators who say Schwartz’s denial in AEG scandal not credible. [Fred Dicker / NY Post]

Opening Wal-Mart: “The retail giant — angling to open in a planned East New York development — has now cozied up to Markowitz by becoming a corporate sponsor of his summer Martin Luther King Jr. concert series.” [Rich Calder and Sally Goldenberg / NY Post]

Opinion: Editors demand Bill Clinton apologize for comparing GOP rules in Florida to Jim Crow. [NY Post]

Pay Day: “average total compensation package for a state authority worker is $70,600.” [Ken Lovett / Daily News]

Community Service: “[Andrew Stein] became upset when told he didn’t appear to be working very hard… ‘That’s bull—-’ he said.” [Alex Katz and Erin Einhorn / Daily News]

Manhattan DA: “[I]nformation used to vilify Vance actually demonstrates that his office has conducted itself admirably.” [Daniel French / Daily News]

Albany: State Senate may return to Capital once Cuomo settles negotiations with unions. [Jimmy Vielkind / Times Unions]

Anthony and Huma: “Weiner made himself invaluable. Huma had no time. Traveling. Busy. Always needed. Always on the go. She required what every busy professional lady could use — a wife. He became her wife. She relied on him. He made things easy.” [Cindy Adams / NY Post]

Anthony and Huma: Anniversary dinner in Miami. [Page Six / NY Post]