A staffer for John Edwards tried to buy a PlayStation 3 for the former senator's family at a Raleigh Wal-Mart on the same day Edwards was criticizing the giant retailer's treatment of its employees, the company said Thursday.

Wal-Mart said in a release from its Arkansas corporate headquarters that an unnamed staff person for Edwards, a likely presidential candidate, contacted a Wal-Mart electronics manager in Raleigh on Wednesday. The staffer was seeking to obtain the popular Sony computer game for a member of Edwards' family, the release said.

The PlayStation 3, which goes on sale nationally this morning, has prompted so much attention that people across the country have been camping out for days at stores to be among the first in line.

"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Senator Edwards wants to cut to the front," Wal-Mart said in the release.

Edwards said Thursday night that he and his family do not shop at Wal-Mart but that a volunteer aide acted on his own initiative.

"My wife Elizabeth was looking for a PlayStation for my kids," Edwards said in interview. "A young man who volunteers for us, apparently without our knowledge, was looking for a PlayStation 3 for himself and offered to look for one for us. He was not aware that Wal-Mart doesn't provide health insurance or decent pay for many of its employees or of my efforts to change the way Wal-Mart treats its employees."

"He made a mistake by using my name," Edwards said. "He was simply trying to help."

The imbroglio combined presidential politics, a hot new Christmas toy and the wrath of America's largest private employer.

Edwards has drawn the ire of Wal-Mart by taking part in a campaign, organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers, to pressure the retailer to pay higher wages and provide better benefits to its employees. Edwards spoke at an anti-Wal-Mart rally in Pittsburgh in August. On Wednesday, he joined Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a national conference call in support of WakeupWalmart.com, the union-backed anti-Wal-Mart campaign.

Wal-Mart, in its statement, said that during the conference call, Edwards told a "homespun story" about "how his son had chided a fellow student for purchasing shoes at Wal-Mart."

The Edwardses have two young children, Jack, 5, and Emma Claire, 7, and an older daughter.

The Sony PlayStation 3 has become a coveted Christmas gift. All across the country, players have lined up to pay $500 or more.

As Edwards seeks to muster union support for a second try at the White House, he has joined forces with unions critical of the company's treatment of its 1.1 million employees.

"The reason I am involved in the WakeupWalmart campaign is that Wal-Mart does not provide health care coverage to its employees and does not pay a living wage to many of its employees," Edwards said Thursday. "As a result, almost half of the children of Wal-Mart employees get their health care coverage from Medicaid, which is the federal government. Many Wal-Mart employees depend on taxpayers' money for housing and rely on food stamps."

Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com, said Wal-Mart "has completely crossed the line."

"Wal-Mart's attack on Sen. Edwards' 'homespun' story and insinuation that Sen. Edwards was not willing to wait his turn in line is personally offensive and Wal-Mart should be ashamed," Blank said.

Wal-Mart executives could barely contain their glee.

"Wal-Mart welcomes Sen. Edwards to visit his local Wal-Mart store," a statement said, "and explore the extensive line of home electronics as well as the Metro7 shoes for men and boys."