16-member national group forms to act as an advocate for Wal-Mart

ASSOCIATED PRESS
WITH BACKING FROM WAL-MART STORES INC., A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS -- FROM CLERGY TO LATINO ACTIVISTS TO BUSINESSWOMEN -- ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION TODAY OF A NATIONAL GROUP TO SPEAK UP FOR THE WORLD'S LARGEST RETAILER AND LAUNCH COUNTERATTACKS WHEN THEY SENSE CRITICISM IS UNFAIR.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF 16 PEOPLE, PARTIALLY FUNDED BY WAL-MART, ORGANIZED WORKING FAMILIES FOR WAL-MART, WHOSE JOB WILL BE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SEE AS WAL-MART'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS.
"I KNOW WAL-MART IS GOOD FOR WORKING FAMILIES, BECAUSE I KNOW MEN AND WOMEN IN MY CONGREGATION WHO WORK AT WAL-MART, SHOP AT WAL-MART, AND WHOSE LIVES ARE TOUCHED BY THE COMPASSION AND COMMITMENT OF THIS COMPANY EVERY DAY," STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER IRA COMBS JR. SAID IN A STATEMENT. COMBS IS THE FOUNDER AND PASTOR OF THE GREATER BIBLE WAY TEMPLE CHURCH OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH IN JACKSON, MICH.
WAL-MART IS THE LARGEST FINANCIAL BACKER OF THE GROUP, COMPANY SPOKESWOMAN SARAH CLARK SAID. NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR GROUP LEADERS WOULD DISCLOSE HOW MUCH THE BENTONVILLE, ARK.-BASED DISCOUNT GIANT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EFFORT.
THE GROUP FORMED AT A TIME WHEN WAL-MART HAS STEPPED UP ITS RESPONSES TO ATTACKS FROM TWO POLITICAL-CAMPAIGN STYLE GROUPS BACKED BY UNIONS, WHO CLAIM WAL-MART IS BAD FOR ITS WORKERS, THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY.
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