Before the Washington Post made Jim Thresher take down the pictures from pro-walmart blog, Walmarting Across America, BusinessWeek noticed the effort and cried foul. But how did Jim and his girlfriend Laura St. Claire get roped into the affair?

“Laura says that while hiking in the Grand Canyon in February they hit on the idea of driving around in an RV and happened on a Wal-Mart store with a parking lot full of the vehicles. “We thought there was a convention going on there, but soon found out that Wal-Mart lets RVers park for free,” says Laura. The couple thought it was a great idea to rent an RV and visit their children, one attending college in Pennsylvania, another in North Carolina, and save money by parking for free at Wal-Mart stores. Laura figured that she could also write about her experiences for a publication that caters to RVers. But the couple decided to get permission from Working Families for Wal-Mart, an organization that Laura, a Wal-Mart shopper, signed up for to show her support.”

Times are tough. Gas prices are high.

“We were planning a trip on our own dime, and we were thrilled to have a sponsor who would do all our legwork,” says Laura.”

Maybe we should get Jack Daniel’s to sponsor our next visit to the inlaws.

“Wal-Mart’s Jim and Laura: The Real Story” [BusinessWeek] (Thanks to something_amazing!)

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