In the circles Harvey and Bob Weinstein move in, cozying up to Wal-Mart is not a great way to make friends. Members of the New York liberal media establishment were in a tizzy yesterday after hearing that the producing pair will throw a gala in honor of the retail giant's CEO, H. Lee Scott, Jr., and his "commitment to environmental sustainability." The Eagles have been hired to play at the party, with a list of cohosts including Revlon chairman Ron Perelman, TV host Charlie Rose, real estate mogul Steve Rattner, and Time Warner exec Bob Pittman. Why go to such trouble for a figure the Weinsteins' Democratic pals—including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Michael Moore—love to slap around?

"Someone wants their movies displayed on the top shelf," cracks one entertainment-industry source. "Wal-Mart can single-handedly make or break your DVD sales."

Nu Wexler, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Watch, agreed with that assessment, noting that the chain accounts for an incredible 40 percent of DVD sales in the U.S. "This is a business decision, not a political endorsement," says Wexler. (Wal-Mart Watch is a pressure group that monitors Wal-Mart's economic, environmental, and employee-rights record.)

One thing the Weinsteins could gain from a closer relationship with Wal-Mart is a sympathetic hearing for movies depicting drugs or sex, notes Ken Frydman, a partner in the PR firm Source Communications and a former spokesman for Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Wal-Mart won't sell films or albums whose content it deems objectionable to its customers. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," says Frydman.

To be fair, Wal-Mart has been striving to improve its environmental practices, or at least cast them in a more flattering light. Last October, Scott pledged to reduce greenhouse emissions and energy use at the chain's stores and increase the fuel efficiency of its truck fleet.

But these measures didn't stop Sen. Clinton from publicly distancing herself from Wal-Mart last March by returning a $5,000 campaign contribution, a move she blamed on the company's failure to provide adequate health care for its workforce. In addition to being a former Wal-Mart board member, Clinton is also a friend and ally of the Weinsteins. Asked whether she planned to attend Monday's event, her office did not reply.

A Wal-Mart-Weinstein alliance would also be potentially ticklish for Michael Moore, who has been an outspoken critic of the chain's treatment of workers. The Weinstein Co. is distributing Moore's upcoming film, Sicko, about the healthcare industry. A rep for Moore said he was too busy completing the film to address the question.

PR woman Rachel Pine, who used her experience working for Miramax as the basis for her novel The Twins of Tribeca, takes a dim view of the gala. "Let's be clear here: This evening's not about 'environmental sustainability,' and even attempting to spin it that way is insulting to my intelligence and that of anyone else with a pulse."

But a Weinstein Company spokeswoman insisted the brothers' regard for Scott was sincere. "We have long considered Lee Scott a great business partner for the entertainment industry as well as a great role model for those of us who care about the environment, and we are proud to be hosting this event welcoming him to New York."