Costco brass — miffed at Democrats over a liquor-fee dispute — have essentially switched sides, backing the Republican Party’s efforts to maintain and expand its majority coalition

◼ After being stiff-armed by Democrats on a liquor-tax dispute, Costco execs have shifted their loyalties to Republicans in this year’s state Senate races. - Seattle Times

Employees and executives of the Issaquah-based retailer have donated more than $48,000 to Republicans and $17,000 to Democrats so far this year in state contests, according to filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).

That’s a notable turnabout from recent elections. In 2012, Costco employees and executives gave $93,000 to Democrats and $21,000 to Republicans in state races. In 2010, $37,000 went to Democrats and just $750 to Republicans.

“Kinda conspicuous, isn’t it?” said Sinegal, the former Costco CEO and current board member, who acknowledged the liquor fight in Olympia was at the heart of the shift in donations.

From the comments: kmw - Tell me again why you think it wrong or unusual to donate to a group that supports your business position as opposed to a group that is in opposition to your business position? It is not all pie in the sky, blind loyalty to a party symbol. At some point in time practical reality kicks in.

Costco’s Removal Of Dinesh D’Souza’s ‘America’ Proves To Be A Massive Backfire As It Soars to the Top

◼ Talk about karma. Costco, a discount chain co-founded by a major Democratic donor, faced the wrath of the almighty dollar after stripping its shelves of Dinesh D’Souza’s bestselling book America: Imagine The World Without Her. - IJ Review

According to Newsbusters, after Costco announced that it was dropping D’Souza’s work, the book soared to #1 on Amazon.com. Book reviewers on the web site made clear their opinion of the retail giant....

Caving to consumer ire, Costco has announced that it will be restocking the book immediately, according to Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. Liberal intolerance – meet ticked off Americans.

◼ ‘We Have Made the Decision to Reorder the Book’: Costco Reverses Decision to Remove ‘America’ Book From Stores - The Blaze

◼ 'Clearly Political': D’Souza Reacts After Book Is Pulled Off Costco Shelves - FOX

Now, the Costco CFO said the book will return to shelves and denied that the books were pulled for political reasons, instead blaming lackluster book sales. “America,” however, is number one on Amazon and on track to become a bestseller.

..."This is clearly a political decision that they made. I think it's because of their alliance with the Obama administration and now they're feeling the heat so they're trying to figure out how to wriggle out of it," he said.

Hannity then laid out examples of Costco getting high praise from President Obama, along with the company's former CEO donating $100,000 to the Obama campaign in 2012. Costco employee donations to the Obama campaign totaled more than $200,000 for 2008 and 2012 combined.

D'Souza says those political leanings shouldn't result in Costco changing how it does business, arguing their customers are from all over the political spectrum.

"The left in this country has so much intolerance that they not only try to go after me through the courts, but they also figure out: let's try to ruin this guy's livelihood, let's try to make sure people don't see his film, let's try to make sure they don't buy his books. And the left is willing to wage that kind of a scorched-earth campaign through a company like Costco," he said.

COSTCO REMOVING D'SOUZA'S 'AMERICA' FROM SHELVES

◼ Bestseller disappearing as companion movie hits theaters - Jerome Corsi/WND

The book, in this midterm election year, is a strong rebuttal of the progressive ideology behind President Obama’s policies, which have been supported by Costco co-founder and director Jim Sinegal, a major Democrat donor and a speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention that nominated the president. A Washington Post political reporter has noted Obama’s “romance” with the nation’s second-largest retailer.

At Amazon.com, D’Souza’s book, released June 2, is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 in Political Commentary and Opinion.

Costco has sold more than 3,600 copies of “America” nationwide, with about 700 copies sold last week as D’Souza’s film by the same name opened at more than 1,000 movie theaters nationwide.

But Costco’s book department issued the “pull-order,” requiring all Costco stores nationwide to remove the book, confirmed Scott Losse, an inventory control specialist in the book department at the Costco Wholesale corporate office in Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle....

In total, Costco has given $100,000 to Obama and another $100,000 to Priorities USA, the pro-Obama super PAC.

Concerned individuals may contact Costco President and CEO W. Craig Jelinek by email or by calling (425) 313-8100 and/or Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Richard A. Galanti by email or by calling (425) 313-8100.

◼ Costco denies political motive for pulling D'Souza's book - Jerome Corsi/WND

Galanti confirmed to WND the “pull order” was in effect and that D’Souza’s book is in the process of being removed from Costco stores this week, with the goal to have all copies of D’Souza’s book out of Costco stores nationwide and shipped back to the vendor no later than July 15.

He said the decision to pull D’Souza’s book was not political but was based solely on sales, arguing Costco’s national goal is to market books that show up on the New York Times bestseller list.

The book will make the New York Times list July 13....

◼ Google May Be Misdirecting Searches for Dinesh D’Souza’s America - Moonbattery

Dinesh D’Souza’s eloquently expressed patriotic message certainly must throw a scare into the anti-American Obama Regime. Its most stalwart defenders will go to any length to prevent people from hearing what D’Souza has to say. Obamunist Costco is pulling his best-selling book America off the shelves. Rabidly left-wing Google appears to have been doing its part to prevent people from seeing the movie version...