Adding Up: Five More Companies Abandon Conservative Group ALEC
- Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:01pm by
Becket Adams
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Despite announcing in April that it had disbanded its non-economic task force, liberal and progressive groups, including the Van Jones-founded ColorOfChange, have successfully pressured five more companies into abandoning the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
CEO’s from John Deere, CVS Caremark, MillerCoors, HP, and Best Buy confirmed this week that they had broken ties with the conservative group.
“This is to notify you that Deere & Company, also known as John Deere, is leaving the American Legislative Exchange Council,” said James R. Jenkins, John Deere Senior Vice President and General Counsel, in a letter to ColorOfChange.
“[A]fter careful consideration of the available information, CVS Caremark has discontinued its membership in ALEC,” said Larry Burton, CVS Caremark Senior Vice President for Government Affairs.
“We’ve not contributed to ALEC this year, nor do we intend to,” Tim Scully, MillerCoors VP of Government Affairs told ColorOfChange in a phone conversation. “We’ve not renewed our membership nor do we have any plans to renew our membership.”
“I write to confirm that, although HP appears to have worked with ALEC in the past, HP is not currently a member of that organization,” said Gregg R. Melinson, VP of Government Relations and Deputy General Counsel for HP, in another email to the progressive group.
“[W]e are no longer a member of ALEC. Best Buy was a member of ALEC in 2011 and did not renew its membership in 2012,” said Susan Busch, Best Buy Senior Director of External Relations, in a similar email.
As most Blaze readers know, the campaign against ALEC began in earnest after the fatal shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. After it was decided by a few politicians and certain members of the media that the “stand your ground” law, which ALEC supports, was responsible for Martin’s death, several companies decided that it would be safer to distance themselves from the “pro-growth, pro-jobs policies” group.
“We want to thank these companies for making the right decision, and we continue to call on all major corporations to stop funding ALEC given its involvement in voter suppression and its work pushing policies designed to benefit rich and powerful corporations at the expense of people of color, workers, and the environment,” said Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org.
Other companies that have chosen to ditch ALEC include: Kaplan Higher Education, Procter & Gamble, YUM! Brands, Blue Cross Blue Shield, American Traffic Solutions, Reed Elsevier, Arizona Public Service, Mars, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Intuit, Kraft Foods, Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola.
(H/T: The Raw Story)
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Comments (130)
Cashpipe
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:55pmIronic that liberals in general protest the majority of these companies regardless.
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:33pmThey are fools. Conservatives out number the Progressives by a large margin. Just fools.
Report Post »pavnvet
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:33pm5 more companies that will lose my business and get nasty letters. These companies have to learn that buckling under to pressure groups will lead to lower profits.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:04pmIndoctrinated by Liberal Universities… Management of Corporations support Liberal Causes… even if against the Well Being of the Corporation. Stupid is… as Stupid does!
Report Post »love the kids
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:13amDo these companies realizes that they don’t support the companies that they do agree with, they just boycott the companies that they DON’T agree with. Very odd as they are the one‘s who get mad at people who they think don’t respect other peoples point of view???
Report Post »2Fedup
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 1:25pmAll these companies r run by cowards. They think this will help their profits, but if the left gets half a chance theyll run every company out of biz or have the government take them over.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 8:48amjust 5 more companies that I will not be visiting any longer. what we need is a list of companies that will stand for what is right in this country and not cave in to what is wrong.
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:54pmThat sure makes a person wonder what the “pressure” was exactly.
Report Post »Altair
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:12pmKnee grow nationwide boycott. Same thing Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton use to get a black on EVERY television commercial broadcast today.
Report Post »kenster56
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:13pmMeteor, if you read the book “ Throw Them All Out” it explains how the Fed Govt. will tax these businesses in excess of what they are already paying to get them to do what they want. That’s how they operate.
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:40pmYes, I do understand that most of the Black community is no more then indentured servants to the Democratic Party. It also happens on the Indian Reservations.
Report Post »Anamah
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:47pmThe short answer is extortion! Incredible we are entering in a linchyng mob society. And these companies are willing to support it? What a shame on each of their CEO! Those companies do not deserve to be in America… Go to Venezuela cowards!
Report Post »321481
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:43pmThese companies have decided to stand for nothing, in the end they will fall for anything. The socialists, marxists and communists are coming for you and you opened up the door real wide to welcome them. In the end, it is very bad for business! You certainly haven’t stood your ground!
Report Post »000degrees
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:58pmShameful but now I know where you stand. Retail purchasing just became a little easier. Careful who you call your friends………
Report Post »socialism.rocks
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:01pmfascism is a merger between the state and the corporations alec is a fascist org- thats just simple facts
Report Post »321481
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:31pmAny company that would cave to communist Van Jones’ color of change is showing their yellow streak.
Report Post »Dirty Harry
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:42pmOk, some of my buying decisions just got easier. Recently got quotes from local John Deere dealer to upgrade/trade my JD Z445 mower and JD B2210 x4x disel tractor for larger versions. Will go with Kubota now, they’re cheaper anyway.
Switch between Coors and Bud, but now going with Bud.
Etc.
Report Post »In the O.C.
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:47pmBsdies, who wants that weak, rice-based beer anyway? I’m with you. Budweiser forever!!!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:50pmkubota’s are better in my opinion anyways I love mine and my husband loves his no sharing in my household.
Report Post »321481
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:48pmWe have a Kubota disel tractor and love it.
Report Post »socialism.rocks
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:03pmbud is owned by europe socialist-countries- sucks to be a bird-brain….
thats right bud is foriegn owned by a socialist country oh no’s
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:24pmsocialism.rocks
Socialism so rocks a woman’s world. For some it rocks them so bad that they are confined to a wheel chair
You are guilty. You support socialist, you support the disease.
http://oogenhand.wordpress.com/
“The current problem with Islam which Sweden has can be traced in 1975 when the Swedish government which was led by Olof Palme decided to open the country to immigrants and implement among the first in the World the policy of multiculturalism.In the decades that followed the population Muslims has exploded.According to statistics there are 500000 Muslims in the country and they mostly are from the Middle East and the Balkans.But that’s were the problems start,decades of uncontrolled Muslim immigration has caused the rapid increase of crime and the number of rapes in Sweden has tripled in the last twenty years.According to statistics from 2009 there were 46 incidents of rape per 100000 inhabitants which puts Sweden in the top of European rape statistics,while UN statistics have put on 53 incidents of rape per 100000 inhabitants which puts Sweden at number 2.”
Sweden is #2 in rapes.
Report Post »socialism.rocks
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:05pm@Walkabout the funny thing is grover norquist is a muslim doing what the afghans did to russia death by a thousand cuts- economic collapse and every republican has signed his sharia law anti tax pledge republicans for thirty years have signed it… they’ve all done treason
all republicans are sharia law loving nut jobs
talk about idiocy
Report Post »CABERNETQHS
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:08amWe love our Kubota, got it interest free and haven’t had a problem. I can find substitutions for just about everything on this list of “products not to buy” / businesses not to support.
Report Post »SandyfromChesterfield
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:42pmColor of Change is taking Jesse Jackson’s livelihood away from him.
Report Post »CrawfishFestival2
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:47pmEXTORTION schemes maybe…..?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-02-06/news/0102060222_1_anheuser-busch-distributorship-beers
The King of Beers used Operation PUSH to launch a national boycott of Anheuser-Busch in the early 1980s.
He wanted African-Americans to get a cut of the business.
And although Anheuser-Busch was among the corporate leaders in donations to the United ***** College Fund and had a progressive employment policy–18 percent of the workforce was minority–Jackson wasn’t satisfied.
Jackson’s kids “bought” River North Sales & Service, the exclusive Budweiser distributorship on the North Side.
Sun-Times reporters asked the Jacksons to divulge the number of minorities working for them. But the Jacksons refused.
When John Kass of The Chicago Tribune posed the same question, the Jackson’s spokesman, Steve Crews: “He is in the beer business. But the numbers won’t be released. They don’t have to be released. It’s a private business.”
I could just imagine a business in the 1960s or 1970s refusing to disclose minority hiring numbers when Jesse Jackson demanded them.
The King of Beers would have screamed bloody murder and held boycotts and marches and issued bad rhymes.
Report Post »jonathanfarrar
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:32pmGood ARiddance to Best Buy, they fund terrorism through CAIR
Report Post »battles
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:00pmI will still shop at Best Buy. After finding what I want, I’ll go an purchase it from someone else on the web.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:32pmThe Left pressured banks to give home loans to poor people and minorities. That worked out swell. Remember the ACORN protestors in the bankers’ front yards ? Unions and gangsters bully all of the time. Reminds me of the tactics of some other unsavory groups in the Middle East…
Report Post »marcus_arealius
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:29pmThanks for the update. Simplifies my life .. more companies I’ll never do business with.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:45pmMARCUS_ARALIUS, I agree. I am shocked. Greed will out weigh morals these days.
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:30pmI‘m sure they’ll miss you and the 124 other people that read this rag.
Report Post »MontanaRob
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:02pmSIMPLE…TON
The group I am working with to bring pressure on these companies to WAKE UP, has 5.2 MILLION members! That’s enough to remove you communist tools 3 times over…
soon, very soon
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:27pmbest thing is to just ignore liberal posts all they do when they post is to divert attention to a different point thus driving the conversation from the real fact, or point, and they(liberal post) get us running in circles if you post just say liberal in this case blackwoman or simply liberal go away and we should get to our point or what’s on our mind….if they pull us into their conversation then they control our content… they’re gonna call us names accuse us of falsehoods….they’re paid dnc liberals,union members,probally people from bowing. HUSSAIN o‘kenyan’s truth squad on the internet group….they’re like the auto-callers but they‘re posters they post then move on and leave us posting that they’ll never read or care to read……
Report Post »Amarissa
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:42pmExactly how I think, I do not read liberal posts or news because it means more readers and more attention to their nonsense! I choose to ignore them.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:25pmbest thing is to just ignore liberal posts all they do when they post is to divert attention to a different point thus driving the conversation from the real fact, or point, and they(liberal post) get us running in circles if you post just say liberal in this case blackwoman(jz) or simply liberal go away and we should get to our point or what’s on our mind…….if they pull us into their conversation then they control our content… they’re gonna call us names accuse us of falsehoods….they’re paid dnc liberals,union members,probally people from b. HUSSAIN o‘kenyan’s truth squad on the internet group…..they’re like the auto-callers but they‘re posters they post then move on and leave us posting that they’ll never read or care to read……
Report Post »tifosa
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:24pm“As most Blaze readers know, the campaign against ALEC began in earnest after the fatal shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.”
Report Post »It appears that most Blaze readers “know” only what the editors tell them.
A.L.E.C. was what #F29 was all about. Three days after TM was killed, but WEEKS before any info about TM hit the national media.
Info re: #F29 was out LONG before the killing, in fact.
T-2
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:24pmDamn it, I like miller lite too. Glenn should get involved in all of these business.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:23pmwhat a shame the left has not left anyone out of their subvert and control kinda doing busniess…..wait until the leftist then “encourage”(pressure) these same groups to support liberal causes……bowing HUSSAIN o’kenyan and his ilk are really dividing the country on every aspect…….
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:23pmThanks for the list of turn coats. No matter how good the french fries are, they will never cross my lips into my mouth again, same with the rest of you, and you know who you are. If you want to side with the liberal geeks, be my guest and good luck, good bye.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:21pmDitching ALEC doesn‘t necessarily mean these companies aren’t for conservative values. On the otherhand, for all the people who doubted Glenn Beck when he explained Van Jones & Obama are attempting to collaspe our system to replace it with one of their own, this is it. It’s happening.
Report Post »Tickdog
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:21pmi will not do business with those idiots…
Report Post »jzs
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:18pmWell, ALEC was involved in writing and promoting voter ID laws and stand your ground laws, controversial activities that a lot of consumers disagree with. It’s fantasy to think that Van Jones or whatever groups “pressure” huge, international companies to drop support of one group or another. Don’t believe me? Get on the phone and see how many hoops IBM and AOL will jump through for you. That idea is absurd. They are just taking care of business and trying to keep consumers of their products happy.
Hey, speaking of which, did ya hear that UPS has stopped advertising on Rush Limbaugh?
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:23pmThat’s half of it. But I think the reductions in state and federal spending that might occur as a result of some legislative driven program cut backs have an equal financial impact. As you note, always, always follow the money.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:24pmbest thing is to just ignore liberal posts all they do when they post is to divert attention to a different point thus driving the conversation from the real fact, or point, and they(liberal post) get us running in circles if you post just say liberal in this case blackwoman or simply liberal go away and we should get to our point or what’s on our mind…….if they pull us into their conversation then they control our content… they’re gonna call us names accuse us of falsehoods….they’re paid dnc liberals,union members,probally people from b. HUSSAIN o‘kenyan’s truth squad on the internet group…..they’re like the auto-callers but they‘re posters they post then move on and leave us posting that they’ll never read or care to read……
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:28pmI have listened to Limbaugh for years (its on while I am at work, so I listen to pass the time) but I have NEVER ONCE heard a commercial for UPS…. NEVER…
So its not like this is something new, or big news…
Report Post »Blazebanned
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:43pm@jzs aka jrook aka encinom.
Report Post »Once again the local troll baboon speaks nonsense and no facts to back it up.encinom, isnt it time to go upstairs and let mom suckle you?
Walkabout
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:13pmThey can protest ALEC all they want. I won’t buy from them.
You can buy beer locally from microbrewery.
John Deere has plenty of completion. Ditto HP & CVS (Walgreens & Walmart).
Best Buy is starting to fade. This will help it
Report Post »Canada_Goose
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:16pmExactly right.
If you think these multinational corporations are scared of Van Jones you’re delusional. They‘ve made a determination that it’s not in their best long term interests, that is the long term interest of their shareholders, to associate with right wing ideologues who are pursuing a right wing agenda through the courts under the guise of being pro business.
The benefits, if any, which may come down the road are outweighed by the negative PR and loss of customers.
Report Post »Canada_Goose
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:18pmI thought corporations are people (my friend).
Report Post »In which case the people have spoken.
ComradeAdam
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:29pmYes they did. Then liberal groups intimidated their voices into submission.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:55pmThe libs spoke like true geese.
Report Post »Prosecute_Constitutional_Treason_In_Washington
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:18pmtest
Report Post »Cavallo
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:17pmJust think how healthy conservatives will be if they boycott all those companies.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:25pmThe sad part is, conservatives will not boycott to any extent and that’s the very reason the libs are winning and will continue to win. The libs are very good at organizing and all banding together to get something done. Conservatives are not.
Report Post »plastinoid
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:15pmWell I will add them to my list of places not to spend my money……….it works both ways, and since Conservatives have jobs and spend money, maybe if we all decide to stay away from these businesses they will realize they made a mistake.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:51pmI have never seen a liberal on a John Deere anything so I am not sure how that is going to work out for good old green tractor co.
Report Post »MDDAWG
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:02pmUnfortunately, the government dependents receive enough money to buy from these establishments. So, they won‘t go out of business even if we conservatives don’t patron their business. I, however can do without McDonalds and John Deere. My next riding mower will be a Kubota.
Report Post »jkronc
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:13pmWOW!! What a shame. All these spineless companies. Glenn give us a list of companies who actually have the kahunas to stand up for the values our great nation was founded on.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:22pmIt makes no “cents” to support extreme conservative and tea ****** front groups that seek to destroy the liberaties of the middle class and workers. Rot is peace ALEC.
Report Post »mattmo79
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:23pmI certainly can skip doing business with any of these companies!
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:10pmI’ll worry a little more if any of these companies align with a Van Jones approved group. If they choose to stay away from any group like ALEC, skewed right or left , then I’m not overly concerned. If they tip the scales to the left…then it’s boycott time.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:20pmI would agree as our country would be running much better and be more fiscally healthy if corporations had less influence on our political process. However, the real story is probably more related to proposed legislation against federal and state government programs such as food stamps and farm subsidies that these companies benefit from. The stand your ground law only benefits a very select industry. Think of all the legislative driven cut backs that might reduce government spending on products and services the referenced list supplies.
Report Post »Magyar
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:10pm5 More companies on my boycott list—John Deere? Seriously?
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:14pmHey, their engines are made in France, and the tractor’s final assembly is in Germany. They are not made here anyway. Well, except for parts of their lawn tractors which are actually made by MTD, better known as Murray.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:30pmDidn’t you hear? You can get a STD from sitting on a tractor seat. Ask Jerry Seinfeld.
Report Post »dublinthewagons
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:45pmCant you just see Van Jones on a John Deere tractor & drinkig a miller. Lol
Report Post »However I can see him stealing both.
TSUNAMI-22
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:04pmMy boycott list just got bigger as well.
Report Post »ItsMsBtch2U
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:11pmTook the words right out of mouth! Sorry kids, no more McDonald’s…
Report Post »Cavallo
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:16pmLooks like I will be eating much more healthy in the future. McDonalds though, always was a leftist company.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:28pmFor those of you who will boycott (wish it was many more but…) please ensure you write them a letter/email to let them know just why they will receive no more support from you. Remember, the libs do this very well — it’s important not just to boycott, but to let them know WHY they’re being boycotted.
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:29pmYeah! Just “make my day” you idiots. making my list & checking it twice. Keep me out of the drug store and TV & appliance store BB, and thank God, no more crappy Arby’s for me (needed this excuse) Mc can go beat sand, don’t drink beer, so you’re safe from me, Kraft has been on my list for a long time. Too many alternatives.
Report Post »