Washington, D.C. - The New York Times reports this morning that Wal-Mart’s new image campaign is being run by Robert McAdam, the former strategist for the tobacco industry. Following the revelations about Wal-Mart’s new war room, WakeUpWalmart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, has uncovered another element to Wal-Mart’s “secret” public relations strategy - the hiring of Mike Krempasky, a Republican right-wing political operative and director of RedState.org.

Despite Wal-Mart’s multi-million dollar public relations efforts, the company’s image problem grows worse everyday. Just yesterday, the Inspector General report revealed that President Bush’s Department of Labor permitted Wal-Mart’s own attorneys to help write the “sweetheart settlement deal” over extensive child labor violations.

“Wal-Mart’s new image campaign is being run by the same guy who helped the tobacco industry tell us smoking doesn’t cause cancer. Now, Wal-Mart expects the American people to believe him when he says Wal-Mart is good for America? Wal-Mart’s war room should be called ‘deception alley.’ It is a move right out of the playbook of Karl Rove and the tobacco companies,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com

These latest developments shed light on a news story, first reported by Reuters, that CEO Lee Scott and Wal-Mart were developing a “secret strategy” to address the growing WakeUpWalMart.com grassroots movement. As part of Wal-Mart’s new public relations strategy, Wal-Mart, through its public relations firm Edelman, has hired Mike Krempasky to help spread its public relations deception. Mike Krempasky is a right-wing blogger, founder of redstate.org, and the former political director for Richard Viguerie’s American Target Advertising.

“This is Wal-Mart’s second image remake in a year. Our advice to Wal-Mart is simple - stop spinning and start changing on behalf of your 1.3 million workers, their families and the American people,” added Blank.

Additionally, WakeUpWalMart.com announced its grassroots supporters have already signed on to hold screenings in 100 cities and 29 states. WakeUpWalMart.com also launched the first national media campaign to promote the movie this week. The media campaign includes a full-page ad in USA Today, online advertising reaching over 17 million readers, and a 30-second TV commercial that will run on CNN and CNBC in Little Rock, AR, Washington DC Metro, New York City and Los Angeles.

WakeUpWalMart.com also announced today that over 115,000 Americans from all 50 states have joined the largest grassroots campaign to change a corporation in history.