Gosh I wished we had a Costco here where I live in Wisconsin! This excellent article in the New York Times, How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart, subtly points out one of the most important difference between Republicans and Progressive Democrats.

Some Wall Street analysts assert that Mr. Sinegal [Costco CEO] is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well. Costco's average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam's Club. And Costco's health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish. One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco "it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder.”

The Walton family of Wal-Mart are big Republican donors, very vocal and active in the Republican campaign to overturn the Inheritance Tax, or as I prefer to call it “The Paris Hilton Tax cut.” The Waltons and Republicans are all about widening the gap between the rich and the poor, and protecting the very wealthy. But Progressives like Mr. Sinegal ask why can’t everyone have a piece of the pie, yet, the middle class to lower to middle class Sheepole keep voting against their own best interests? I for one will never again shop at Wal-Mart, sure they have great prices, but at the expense of the workers, just so the rich can get richer. Oh, I know the Sheepole response, “you Commie Socialist.”