Welcome to my boycott list, Home Depot

I've shopped in Home Depot for the last time. Why, you might ask? This is what one of the chain's co-founders, Bernie Marcus, had to say during a radio interview the other day:

"If a retailer has not gotten involved with this, if he has not spent money on this election, if he has not sent money to Norm Coleman and these other guys," Mr. Marcus said, apparently referring to Republican senators facing tough re-election fights, then those retailers "should be shot; should be thrown out of their goddamn jobs."

No, Bernie, (at right) what I'm not doing it shopping in your goddamn store.

It will never ceases to amaze me how stupid people running businesses can be when it comes to partisan politics. I hear conservatives whining and complaining all the time about "lib-rul actors" in Hollywood for voicing their political views, but one seldom hears criticism levied against people like Marcus, who rely on millions of Americans for their patronage in order to run a successful business. It's just flat-out dumb, at best. I always get a kick out of businesses that willfully put up signs during presidential campaigns. You know what? I will drive further and even pay a little more to give my money to a business that, at best supports my candidate, but at least has the smarts to keep political opinions private.

To put it into context, Marcus was asked a question about the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which will make it much easier for employees to join unions. Home Depot has a strong anti-union reputation, and the fear mongering has started now that we'll have a Democratically controlled Congress in January. The new Congress will almost certainly pass the EFCA, and Obama will certainly sign it into law. And that has Marcus in a twist.

Tough. Unions have been getting the shaft for too long in this country, and it's high time we brought them back. We should be making it easier for employees to join a union if they want, not more difficult, which is what millionaires like Marcus want.

Yes, I know that Marcus is retired, but he no doubt still owns a significant amount of the company's stock, and I'm not in the mood to line his pockets after reading these comments.

By the way, I'm loving it that a Lowe's is right across the street from Home Depot in South Philly, so I don't even have to drive any further to get stuff for our condo. Thanks, Lowe's!