Starbucks CEO's pledge to withhold political donations looks
like a PR stunt  William Schlitz  By William Schlitz  Recently I
have watched in amazement the large number of people falling all
over themselves to praise Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for his
call to stop providing political contributions to elected
officials. Since sending out his letter, Schultz has received
praise from many for being willing to take on the political
beast in Washington, D.C.  What is amazing about this "pledge"
is not what Schultz has promised but what he has left out. In
his letter, Schultz writes the following:  "This is what so many
common-sense Americans want. That is why we today pledge to
withhold any further campaign contributions to the President and
all members of Congress until a fair, bipartisan deal is reached
that sets our nation on stronger long-term fiscal footing. And
we invite leaders of businesses - indeed, all concerned
Americans - to join us in this pledge."  This sounds wonderful
to many in our country, as f