Wal-Mart attacks sentimental critics head-on

Wal-Mart is caught in the middle of the red-state, blue-state cultural war in the U.S.

And so far, it's been reeling, as pressure against the company mounts from a thousand points on the left, while support for Wal-Mart and its business practices doesn't seem particularly on the increase from the right.

On Tuesday I saw a sign預 tiny sign, but the kind of sign speechwriters can recognize as a potentially important sign葉hat Wal-Mart might be feeling its rhythm a little bit.

The sign was actually a line擁n a speech given Tuesday by Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott at the Executives' Club of Chicago. The speech was similar to the one he's been giving around the country for the last couple of months, though this one focused a little more on how Wal-Mart could help the economy here in Chicago if we let them open more stores than the one to which we've already acquiesced.

But the line that I saw as a sign came during the part of the speech where Scott defended Wal-Mart. Instead of addressing friends on the subject of enemies, as Scott has done in speeches in the past�"our detractors" this and "our critics" that擁n this speech he spoke directly to a particular brand of Wal-Mart critic: The one who hates Wal-Mart for putting mom-and-pop stores out of business because of its low-low prices and its ability to buy in bulk.

Scott spoke directly to that critic on behalf of the Wal-Mart customer:

"Those people," Scott said, "can't afford to live the life that you idealize."

That's a good line. And, if you're in Wal-Mart public relations, a good sign.