 After coming under fire for his company's donations to a political action group supporting right-wing Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel wrote a letter apologizing to his company's employees for... hurting their feelings? Here's the full letter: 
 
 Civic Activity A Message From Gregg Steinhafel, Chairman, President and CEO 8/5/2010 
 
 
 
 Dear Target Leaders, I have heard from many of you, and our team members, over the past week regarding Target's contribution to MN Forward, and I appreciate your engagement and candor, both of which clearly demonstrate your loyalty and passion for our company. In situations like this, it is often difficult to find the right words, but I would like to respond with the same honesty you have shown me. The intent of our political contribution to MN Forward was to support economic growth and job creation. While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry. We remain fully committed to fostering an environment that supports and respects the rights and beliefs of all individuals. The diversity of our team is an important aspect of our unique culture and our success as a company, and we did not mean to disappoint you, our team or our valued guests. Going forward, we will soon begin a strategic review and analysis of our decision-making process for financial contributions in the public policy arena. And later this fall, Target will take a leadership role in bringing together a group of companies and partner organizations for a dialogue focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including GLBT issues. Thank you for sharing your input and for your continued commitment to making Target an even stronger company. Sincerely, 
 
 Gregg Steinhafel 
 
 Chairman, President and CEO 
 
 Comments (29) 
 
 Its official, I made my last trip to Target last Sunday. That group, which describes itself as "pro-business," used Target's money to run an ad supporting Republican Tom Emmer for Governor of Minnesota. (As Abe Sauer points out, this is not exactly a new look for CEO Steinhafel (that's him on the right), or Target executives, who have long supported right-wing candidates because of the whole "lower taxes" thing that rich people love so much.) See you Gregg Steinhafel, 
 
 Maybe that big red bullseye should have been a clue.
– Responding to the boycott of his company, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized to employees for donating to political group MN Forward, which supports right-wing politician Tom Emmer. The intent “was to support economic growth and job creation,” he wrote, but the “decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate”—because of Emmer’s anti-gay-marriage stance—“and for that I am genuinely sorry.” Steinhafel insisted Target, which has been known to promote LGBT issues, remains “fully committed to fostering an environment that supports and respects the rights and beliefs of all individuals,” and promised to do a review of Target’s “decision-making process for financial contributions in the public policy arena.” Still, the letter “isn’t exactly an about-face,” writes Max Read on Gawker. “It's also a signal, basically, that Target doesn't have any real plans to donate to pro-gay marriage candidates, or renounce their PAC's support of Emmer.”