Any explanations?

YOU ARE VISITING THE OLD MALKIN(S)WATCH. THAT'S FANTASTIC. PLEASE VISIT THE NEW MALKIN(S)WATCH WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE.

Fred Vincy of Stone Court calls attention to a case that's right in Michelle's wheelhouse:

The federal government has proudly announced that Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $11,000,000 to avoid criminal charges for using illegal immigrants to clean floors at stores in 21 states...

$11,000,000 is a lot of money, to be sure. So much money, in fact, that it equals Wal-Mart's net sales for...20 minutes. The equivalent, to one of Wal-Mart's minimum-wage employees, of about $1.75.

I have no idea why she's not all over this. At first, I thought maybe she was suffering from the traditional right-wing "Wal-Mart can do no wrong" syndrome, but she's complained about Wal-Mart before.

At my local Wal-Mart, nationwide employer of workers of dubious immigration status, I listened as a checkout lady from Africa blabbed endlessly in her native language to two visitors hanging out by her station. She didn't bother greeting me or looking at me. When I asked for a bag of items that she had forgotten to put in my cart, she ignored me. "Pardon me, can I have my bag?" I asked. "WAH?!" she finally said with a snarl, offended that I had interrupted her conversation.

Apparently, illegal immigrants are responsible for the culture of bad customer service in this country. Or not.

Somehow, I don't think she just missed this story, considering her nose for illegal immigrant-related news...