Ridge to join Home Depot board (remember duct tape?)

[donsu]

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B0BD5D3B5-1078-40FA-A3A7-827CCA2D0DB7%7D&siteid=google&dist=google

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will join the board of Home Depot Inc., replacing Roger Penske, the company said Thursday.

-snip-

"We are honored to have join our board, where we expect that his unique global experience and perspective will make a profound contribution to our company and our shareholders," said Home Depot Chief Executive Bob Nardelli.

Ridge is quite familiar with home-improvement projects. He was instrumental in a short-lived run on duct tape in early 2003, when he encouraged Americans to turn to the sticky substance and plastic sheeting as protection against terrorists using chemical and/or biological agents.

-snip-

Both Home Depot and rival Lowe's Cos. (LOW: news, chart, profile) were among the big beneficiaries of the buying binge. Home Depot, in fact, went so far as to set up special Homeland Security displays nears it entrances to tout sales of duct tape, plastic sheeting, batteries and bottled water, among other safe-room supplies.

-snip-

The company also said it will purchase another $2 billion in outstanding shares, adding to the $7 billion in shares it has bought back over the last two and a half years.
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and then they all smirked

[BuyingThyme]

1. I totally overlooked the connection.

Some may see it as a joke, but he really did send people -- who otherwise would not visit such a place -- to Home Depot for the first time.

Nice work, Tom! You are officially a terrorist.

[etherealtruth]

2. Truth is stranger than fiction...

..or in this case, less ethical than fiction.

[noamnety]

3. The real connection to the duct tape scam

was Jack Kahl, who was a Bush "pioneer," and was the CEO of the company that makes "DUCK Tape", which makes about half the duct tape sold in the US. (His son is CEO now.) The company switched to 24 hours/day production after Ridge's duct tape announcement.

He's a big fan of Sam Walton, btw.

http://www.henkelpr.com/doc_text.asp?item=41&cat=cpr&cls=hist

[elehhhhna]

4. HD SINKS! They treat their customers like terrorists.

They check you out at the door like ya have a pallet of cherry wood hidden in your coat. Good fit for their Gestapo company, IMHO.