Michelle Obama resigns position with Wal-Mart supplier

i'd like to know what mrs. obama's duties,if any where with that company since she already(allegely) has a very well paid position with a local hospital.

And this affects me...how?

TO JOHN: her profile is still on the company's website: http://www.treehousefoods.com/bio_michelle_obama.html

It says she is a 'member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors,' whatever that means.

Can any other Democrats see through this? Why step down now? If you didn’t want ties why be involved in the first place?

My question is exactly the same as John's... Sounds like she is just as connected as Elizabeth (on the) Dole...

God forbid she had ever shopped there or Obama's candidacy would be over! I can see the headline "pickle supplier link derails Obama". If his campaign is that fragile and liberal its hard to imagine his wider appeal to "Wal-Mart" communities. What happens if Wal-Mart decides to campaign for the Republican? They could drop billions attacking a liberal-democrat who's wife bailed on one of their suppliers out of fear of an SEIU backlash.

did she quit because her husband said he didn't shop at Wal Mart? some of us low income amd seniors on fixed income are happy to have walmart

Every single company in America is a supplier for Wal-Mart. you also forgot to mention that Hillary was on their board in the 80's. That is a little more intimate than being on the board of a "supplier".

You guys are really stetching some worthless stories as so called dirt on Obama. Try harder.

Yes, Don, it's true. Apparently the world doesn't revolve around you AND not every story in the newspaper is going to have a direct correlation to your life.

Walmart is the largest retail chain in America. Lots of companies are suppliers to Walmart. I don't see any problem in somebody sitting on the board of one of those suppliers.

Helen, glad to see your post. Do you know there are lots of people who want unskilled laborers at Wal-Mart to make $15 to $20 an hour to start? They don't care if you can no longer afford to shop there. That is why the Left and folks like Barack Obama hate Wal Mart. It's a capitalist company that provides products to someone just like you. They hate that.

Sharon,

Audit Committee's primary responsibility is that the financial statements of the Company are accurate and that their is no fraud taking place at the company.

ColeD hits the nail on the head. If it was OK for her to be on the board before her husband was running for president, then it should be OK now.

The real story would be what, if anything, she really did for them and how much they paid her as well as what qualified her for the job in the first place.

Of course, that won't be investigated. Best to keep it light so that it doesn't reflect poorly on Obambi but still manages to keep his name in the news.

Just like, out of all the candidates, his name is the only one to appear in the 'editorial' on candidates.

The Chicago Obambi Tribune thanks you for your patronage.

Michele was paid $101,800 for being a director of this company which is above average for such a position. If you haven't figured it out by now, the line between business & politics is very fine.

It is basically a non-event. However, it is probably not a bad idea that she did it from a pure time commitment standpoint. Find something interesting and relevant to write about.

I knew the GOP was going to dig pretty deep for slime this election because W. has trashed all of their own credibility but this is ridiculous.

Ya'll should read, "The WalMart Effect" by Charles Fishman.
It would/should demonstrate the significance of her resignation and deepen your understanding of what Wal-Mart has done to the American economy.

Now if we can just figure out how she managed to triple her salary at the University of Chicago Hospitals shortly after her husband was elected senator. Funny, too, that she didn't resign Treehouse until she was exposed. I would have thought the two of them would have had the intelligence to see how this would be a problem (see also Rezko land deal). The Obama clan is proving to be as dishonest as any typical politician, while trying to convince all of us they are different, and special, and reformers.

Have we forgotten that Dick Cheney was CEO of a oil & gas company just before he took his most recent job (and drafted the legislation that then regulated it)? Come on now, this is pretty thin if this is newsworthy.

Victoria, you evidently don't have a life or a brain. How can you say such an ignorant and untrue thing about Mrs. Obama. She is not running for President, he is and why can't she work and she didn't need to resign, but more importantly-that does not mean that she/he are dishonest. Stop hate'n..

Exactly how many no-work "board" jobs does Obama's wife have? Typical Illinois political crap. All these jobs are are a license to print money. I'll bet some of it finds its way to Obama's Rezko-funded campaign.

Walmart is notorious for building one of the largest retail empires on bargains, and on a search for the cheapest sources of production. Bargains that come at the expense of long hours and low wages the company contracts offshores. For example, where workers churn out 1200 garments a day and earn an equivalent of 35$ a week. It is a global economic force obsessed with saving costs. Its decisions effect wages, working conditions, and munfactoring practices. The countries Walmart contracts companies in are below poverty level, like Bangladesh. What is worse to keep cost low, Walmart can choose to leave a factory it contracts if it can save a few cents on fabric by going to a different country or location. Meaning it is constantly pinning factories against each other to churn out more for less at the expense of the poor in those countries. Factories end up closing on on a whim if they refuse to meet insane production markers devastating their communities.

Then there are the televised Walmart incidents of grave mistreatment of their employees on the part of the company in the US.

Hmmm, why would a potential presidential candidate's wife be a liability that happened to work in some capacity for Walmart? To anyone familiar with the global economy, and Walmart's crude production practices, and the implications of those practices it becomes very significant. Considering the companies practices don't exactly jive with this presidential candidates political stage.

I would suppose that the illegal immigration that Democrats are for, their version of modern day slavery that needs to come out of the "shadows," wouldn't really jive with a candidate who's wife happened to work in some capacity for a major retailer who's policies and practices continue to promote modern day slavery offshore. (Mind you even worse if she served on a board of directors, or in any auditing capacity; i.e making sure practices and policies that support the penny pinching, that give way to significant ramifications, are followed.)

It is a whole different ball game when you are a potential president's wife. And, in this case rightly so because her position puts holes in many of the issues he is arguing for. To see this critics didn't have to dig deep in order to see that eventually it would be a major conflict of interest.

Believe it or not, I was impressed by Mrs. Obama. She seemed like she was tough and wasn't buying into all the hoopla surrounding her Husband.

I figured she would be tougher than to "give in" and resign.

I hope she didn't resign to appease the whack job anti capitalist lefties. That would be a shame.

Johnny D,
Unskilled positions starting at approx $40,000 per year? Why are you lying?

"I hope she didn't resign to appease the whack job anti capitalist lefties. That would be a shame."

Posted by: JD | May 22, 2007 11:11:46 PM

Are they anything like the anti-capitalist righties that want to destroy Hollywood and keep adults from buying pornography or anything sex related?

I thought Mrs. Obama was a high-powered, highly-paid official at a local hospital?.?.? Could she REALLY have been working at a pickle factory. Smells like a ghost payroll situation for a-friend-of-a-friend who probably owns the company. Is there NOBODY is Washington that is honest and forthright?

I find it funny to see so many of disingenuous concerns over this basically non-story. The thread on immigration bill has half as many as this one. Same also with the gas thread. This is your big concern in life?
Me thinks not!

I love the Obamites claiming this as a non story. When a candidate trashes a co. and says how they are evil, and then you find out that his wife is on the board of a co. who's 80% of their business comes from Wal Mart. It is not jsut a co that sells a few things to Wal Mart. W/out Wal Mart that company would not exist. Basically she is getting paid over $100,000 a year by Wal Mart. It is a credibility issue. You can run around telling anyone with an ear that I am different, I am different, when all of your actions point to business as usual. Barack "who me" Obama is just like any other IL and cook county politician. After what these people have done to IL and Cook COunty I can not believe that there are people out there stupid enough to want to give them the keys to the federal government.

I love the Obamites claiming this as a non story. When a candidate trashes a co. and says how they are evil,
Posted by: Vinny | May 23, 2007 10:34:02 AM

Vinny...You actually have to read the thread and point out where she trashed Wal-Mart. I love it when the rabid right make up stories and misinformation on what was written.

Michelle Obama cited increased demands on her time for resigning the position, which she had held since the summer of 2005.

This is what was written.....Oh I know you are cleaver enough to know the real truth.

Again, the pick-and-choose Trib censors are at it again. The 8:21 pm post IS NOT from me. The 8:23 pm post IS from me.

Anyway, Jethro, I am not lying. You folks moan about Wal-Mart not paying enough. Currently most employees at Wal-Mart START at $8 to $10 an hour, unless management positions. So I am referring to the cashier, stock, greeter people, OK. Starting wage with no experience is $8 to $10 an hour, which the Left complains about as too low -- no one can live on that.

At $15 an hour, and if they work a full 40-hour week (which I am sure most don'tv because those tend to be part-time jobs), that oomes to $600 a week or about $30,000 a year. Since most of those jobs are part-time, if they work a 30-hour week, that is $450 a week or about $23,000 a year.

At $10 an hour, well at 30 hours a week, that is $300 a week or about $15,600 a year. Frankly, if someone is trying to raise a family of four on $15,000 a year, I would say that is not possible. Since you Lefties keep talking about these people need to make money in order to support a family of 4, then that has to be $30,000 to $40,000 a year and that is still tought to do at that money -- especially in Chicago area.

No lies, just straight talk.

Taken from a Floor Statement of Senator Barack OBAMA on IMMIGRATION in April of 2006 (Coming on the floor to debate comprehensive immigration reform.)

"Toward that end, AMERICAN EMPLOYERS NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Too often illegal immigrants are lured here with a promise of a job, only to RECEIVE UNCONSCIONABLY LOW WAGES."

(Put aside the illegal immigration. Which he hasn't moved on the current bill pro or nay.)

Senator Obama will ask employers to take responsibility over promising financial gain, only to receive unconscionably low wages, but it would be ok if his wife happened to work in some capacity for Walmart who is doing the same exact thing offshores (or as some have argued in the US). I guess our employers don't have to be responsible as long as it is not on our borders. Sure many do business with Walmart, but that means they are also condoning Walmart's practices in the end in the name of the mighty dollar. The other side of this DOES exist. It is all about the dollar, and reasons do exist to justify it(Capitalism). Not intending to favor one side over the other. Only showing that her decision to resign is more than a non-story.

Mrs. Obama might have said she left for whatever reason, but in the end you have to look at the situation. Personal press releases are usually self serving. Does anyone take anything Bush says at face value? No. And, that should go for anyone running for any major office, and anyone they are connected to. Actions usually speak louder than words.