by Paul Jacob

Democrats don't like Wal-Mart. Well, not all Democrats. I sure don't think it's just Republicans shopping there. I meant that Democrat politicians don't like Wal-Mart.

From Hillary Clinton to Joe Lieberman, they've not only renounced their ties to the company, they've gone on the attack. They push through laws to prevent Wal-Mart from freely doing business. And pass laws to saddle the store with extra costs.

Sure, it is still completely legal to build a big company, create jobs and please lots of customers. But just barely.

So I nearly choked on my cornflakes when this anti-Wal-Mart feeding frenzy of financial finger-pointing found itself being fingered. In back-to-back columns in the Washington Post, first Sebastian Mallaby and then Robert Samuelson, took Democrats to task.

Seems the swirl of union-sponsored attacks on the company couldn't hide the gargantuan facts on the massive economic benefits Wal-Mart provides.

Samuelson jokingly suggests Congress buy Wal-Mart and "legislate good behavior." But he quickly points out: "Wal-Mart as a government agency would actually provide fewer public benefits than it would as a grubby, profit-seeking colossus."

Studies show that Wal-Mart's everyday low prices save Americans $263 billion dollars a year on the products that all of us, rich and poor, must buy. Compare that to the federal food stamp program that gives away $33 billion.

By bashing Wal-Mart, Mallaby concludes, "Democrats are harming the poor Americans they claim to speak for."

Paul Jacob's "Common Sense" is published by Americans for Limited Government. Their website can be visited at www.limitedgov.org.