The following statement is attributable to Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com:

“Wal-Mart’s decision to run political ads is proof-positive that the Wal-Mart debate is now one of the most significant political issues in America today. Despite spending $1.6 billion on marketing and advertising, Wal-Mart’s campaign director and former Big Tobacco lobbyist, Bob McAdam, now admits, ‘it has been troubling that we cannot get our message out.’ Wal-Mart’s failure to improve its declining image is not from a lack of advertising, it is because the American people aren’t buying Wal-Mart’s right-wing agenda which is taking America in the wrong direction.

The American people oppose Wal-Mart’s policies of shipping U.S. jobs overseas, paying poverty-level wages, failing to provide company health care to over half of its employees and even lobbying against strengthening our national security by securing America’s ports.

We are confident that Wal-Mart’s decision to try and sell the American people on its right-wing agenda is not only sure to fail but will alienate a significant portion of its customer base because most Americans, whether they are Democrat, Republican, or Independent, want rich and powerful corporations, like Wal-Mart, to be responsible and put America first.

We would hope that Wal-Mart, instead of buying more TV ads, hiring more public relations firms, and using our political system against the best interests of the American people, will pursue real change and help us build a better America.”