LOBBYING

Best Buy Works To Get Republicans Plugged In

Electronics Retailer Keeps Up An Active Presence In St. Paul With Displays, Briefings And Meetings

by Andrew Noyes

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008


From citywide signage to event sponsorships, consumer electronics giant Best Buy had a major presence at the Republican National Convention this week. The company's 1.6-million-square-foot Richfield, Minn., campus is minutes away from St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, and the retailer is seizing on its involvement here to tout its brand.

Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson and other executives have scheduled meetings with 90 foreign dignitaries attending the convention. The retailer is also staging briefings on the nationwide digital television transition and electronics recycling, in addition to offering tech support at the convention site. In addition, it is sponsoring a reception to launch a campaign aimed at giving teenagers a voice on issues that matter to them, including politics.

The firm held similar events at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, but it is playing an even bigger role behind the scenes in the GOP through fundraising. Anderson, who joined the company as a stereo salesman in 1973, and Best Buy founder Richard Schulze are generous donors to the party and have made direct contributions to the Republican National Committee as well.

During the 2008 election cycle, both have given money to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Al Franken. Between them, they have donated $11,000 to McCain and Coleman directly and $8,600 to the RNC.

According to FEC filings from previous years, Schulze has also donated to the campaigns of nine-term Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., who decided not to seek re-election, and former Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., who made an unsuccessful play for the seat won by now-Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2006.

Anderson contributed to Kennedy's 2006 campaign and to the re-election efforts of Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. He also gave to Erik Paulsen, a Republican member of the Minnesota Legislature who is running for the seat being vacated by Ramstad.

Additionally, Anderson has given money to GOP politicians outside the North Star State and to Democrats, albeit in much smaller quantities. He recently donated $3,800 to Sens. Thomas Carper, D-Del., and Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Other Best Buy executives have contributed to the re-election campaigns of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; and Reps. Eric Cantor, R-Va.; Ron Kind, D-Wis.; Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif.; Betty McCollum, D-Minn., and Kendrick Meek, D-Fla.

Best Buy spent $90,000 in the first quarter of 2008 lobbying Congress on numerous bills, including legislation that would let retailers negotiate the fees they are charged when processing credit or debit purchases -- a bill strongly opposed by credit card companies. It also lobbied on proposals pertaining to renewable energy, electronic waste recycling, and the upcoming nationwide digital TV transition, according to disclosure forms.

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