And is it any surprise that Wal Mart, Target's largest competitor, has announced it will match the Salvation Army's collections at it's stores this year, in the wake of the conservative evangelical "protest" against Target?

Other major retailers such as Toys "R" Us, Kohl's department stores and Barnes & Noble also don't allow bell ringers because of blanket no-solicitation policies. But it is Target, the Minneapolis-based retailer receiving all the attention from conservatives and evangelicals.

Target had been the Salvation Army's second most profitable collection point, accounting for nearly $9 million of the $93.8 million bell ringers raised nationwide in the 2003 holiday season. Wal-Mart, whose stores are the Salvation Army's most lucrative collection point, continues to allow the red kettle collections.

Salvation Army has known about the Target decision to ban the bellringers since last January, which begs the question, why the news frenzy now?

Answer: Wal Mart getting the word out to it's Christian and conservative base to stage a boycott that would send shoppers their way instead of Target's way.