By Kevin McCauley
MSNBC has rejected an ad from liberal group MoveOn.org, calling for a boycott of Target because the retailer is allegedly buying elections.
MSNBC, which is owned by General Electric, says it rejected the ad because it’s an explicit attack on an individual company.
Justin Ruben, MoveOn’s executive director, called the rejection the “height of hypocrisy.”
He said in a statement that “it is alright for corporations like Target to attack candidates and buy elections, but it is not okay for citizen organizations like MoveOn to fight back.”
The Minneapolis-based discount retailer’s $150K donation to a group supporting Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who is anti-gay marriage, triggered a national call for protest.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trangendered people, says it will contribute $150,000 to elect a pro-gay rights governor in the North Star State.
Target says it gave money to MN Forward because that group is committed to improving Minnesota’s business environment.
CEO Gregg Steinhafel posted a statement on the company’s website to say “Target’s support for the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company.”
He noted that Target scored a 100% on HRC’s corporate equality index for 2009 and '10.
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