Fallout Boy Wants a PS-3, and Wal-Mart Can't Stop Him!

Colleague and loyal reader JE lets me in on the secret about John Edwards...

Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) Stores Inc. said Thursday that a staff member for former Sen. John Edwards _ a vocal critic of the retailer _ asked his local Wal-Mart store for help in getting the potential 2008 presidential candidate a Sony (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 3. Edwards said it was true, but a mistake on the staffer's part.

Edwards told The Associated Press that the volunteer "feels terrible" about seeking the game unit at Wal-Mart a day after his boss criticized the company, saying it doesn't treat its employees fairly.

"My wife, Elizabeth, wanted to get a Playstation3 for my young children. She mentioned it in front of one of my staff people," Edwards said. "That staff person mentioned it in front of a volunteer who said he would make an effort to get one. He was making an effort to go get one for himself.

"Elizabeth and I knew nothing about this. He feels terrible about this. He made a mistake, and he knows he should not have used my name," Edwards said.

...Edwards, the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in 2004, spoke Wednesday to supporters of union-backed WakeUpWalMart.com on a conference call launching the group's holiday season campaign to pressure Wal-Mart for better labor standards.

In the call, he repeated a story about his son Jack disapproving of a classmate buying sneakers at Wal-Mart. "If a 6-year-old can figure it out, America can definitely figure this out," Edwards said.

Let me make a couple minor points here. First of all, why does Edwards have a paid staff? Isn't he an unemployed ex-Senator? Personally, I think I need a both a paid staff and volunteers as well (this blog might get updated more often).

More importantly, this is one more reminder from the Democrats reminding me why I'm a Republican. Let me get this straight -- I'm supposed to get lectured by John Edwards' son on why I should buy more expensive goods from a union-backed retailer over the less expensive goods delivered by a place that actually focuses on satisfying their customers rather than big labor. It does help me understand the superficial appeal of Edwards to Democrats.

To be honest, I'm surprised that little Jack Edwards' classmate didn't punch Jack in the face for lecturing him about his family's shopping choices while Jack's rich daddy can afford to buy his son sneakers wherever the hell he likes. Of course, maybe the kid was afraid of getting sued.