[competentone]

Odds are the merger will not be blocked, but other grocery chains are worried about the competition Whole Foods brings to the marketplace and some are willing to use dirty politics (through the FTC) to try to limit Whole Foods' growth.

(Any arguments the FTC makes against any merger on "anti-trust" grounds is "bought and paid for" with political favors/donations.)

Some businesses cannot compete in a free marketplace so they try to use the political system to either give themselves a competitive advantage, or force their competition into a position of disadvantage.