The special exemptions and rules given to Wal-Mart should really be a national shame. That a case concerning illegal child labor has ended with the transgressor getting a 15-day advance warning before any future inspection of its stores and a 10-day abatement period to rectify any abuses found during the prescheduled inspections is just flabbergasting. Imagine that -- not only does Wal-Mart have half a month to clean up a store before a visit, but in the event that they don't do a thorough job, they get a second chance to sweep violations under the rug. What happened to personal responsibility? To basic logic?
I'm glad that House Democrats are holding Chao's feet to the fire on this, but we should really be throwing her into the furnace. This is a disgrace, it's the kind of deal that's reached in the third world when popular opinion forces a puppet government to "investigate" the guy pulling the strings. This administration isn't just in bed with corporations, it's sweaty and panting and the sheets are tangled around their feet. We should be sending this snapshot of their adultery to every mailbox in the country.
