Cracker Barrel pulls some Duck Dynasty merchandise off shelves over concerns it "might offend guests." Isn't Cracker Barrel one of those places where conservatives really like to shop? Why yes it is. Update!

Courtesy of Fox News:

Cracker Barrel said it pulled some Duck Dynasty merchandise from its stores over concerns it might offend guests, a move that infuriated thousands of customers and confused many others. 

"We removed selected products which we were concerned might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation," Cracker Barrel said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. 

The full statement read: 

“Cracker Barrel’s mission is Pleasing People. We operate within the ideals of fairness, mutual respect and equal treatment of all people. These ideals are the core of our corporate culture. We continue to offer Duck Commander products in our stores. We removed selected products which we were concerned might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation. We continually evaluate the products we offer and will continue to do so.” 

Cracker Barrel's statement led to confusion among some customers who wondered if the restaurant was removing Duck Dynasty products owned by A&E or products owned by the Robertson family's Duck Commander business. 

Cracker Barrel did not return phone calls seeking clarification or comment.

By the way Cracker Barrel is a member of ALEC:

Cracker Barrel is a member of right-wing front group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), according to the website ALEC Exposed. ALEC has been facing an exodus of corporate members in recent months, with at least thirty groups -- including food companies Kraft, Wendy's, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo -- having renounced their membership amid criticism over ALEC’s involvement in the proliferation of “stand your ground” laws, voter ID legislation, and other problematic bills. Cracker Barrel is reportedly a member of ALEC’s Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force, which, according to the website PR Watch, "is the primary source of anti-worker and anti-consumer legislation such as the ‘ Paycheck Protection’ and ‘ Right to Work’ Acts and other ‘model’ bills that limit workers' rights and drain labor unions of resources for protecting employees, undermine consumer protections, favor the Wall Street financial agenda, and limit the ability to cap exorbitant interest rates on credit cards and big bank fees." 

So you know this is going to cause all kinds of friction within the Right Wing fringe.

Boy this Duck Dynasty thing is causing me to run very low on popcorn.

Update: Looks like Cracker Barrel has caved under pressure from the crackers who like their homophobia and chicken and dumplings just the way they are:

Less than 48 hours after Cracker Barrel announced plans to pull Duck Dynasty items off its shelves in the wake of cast member Phil Robertson's anti-gay comments, the Southern country store and restaurant chain has reversed its decision. 

Cracker Barrel's reversal of its former position was posted this morning to Facebook, following a flurry of negative responses from customers and fans who showed support to the patriarch of the "Duck Dynasty" family. 

"When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that's just what we've done," the company wrote. "You flat out told us we were wrong. We listened." 

"People weren't shy. They wrote, called and took to social media," company spokesman Jeff Eller told ABC News about the company's decision to go back on its original pledge to ax "selected products" from its stores.

Yeah I personally did not hold out much hope that an organization which works hand in hand with ALEC was going to be able to hold onto the high ground for long.  So color me unsurprised.