H.J. (Heinz) tries to keep name out of presidential race

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04087/292308.stm

Seeking to keep itself from getting entangled in the presidential election campaign, the H.J. Heinz Co. insists that there should be no political considerations in what kind of ketchup you put on your freedom fries.

Reacting to agitation and speculation carried on conservative talk radio and the Internet, the Pittsburgh-based food firm issued a press release this week emphasizing that Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry, has no role in the management of the firm that is the source of her inherited wealth.

A variety of Web-based forums and talk shows have spotlighted the Kerry-Heinz connection. Several Web logs have featured debates over whether Heinz products should be boycotted to make a statement about presidential politics.

"In light of some misleading speculation,'' the company said in a news release, "The H.J. Heinz Co. would like to make it clear that neither Mrs. Teresa Heinz Kerry, Sen. John Kerry, nor any member of their family is involved in the management or the board of the H.J. Heinz Co.

<snip>

On an Internet forum, Blogforbush, for example, is this posting:

"It is interesting how Kerry gets a free pass on the fact that his wife's company has operations around the world. H.J. Heinz Co. has 79 factories of which 57 (how ironic) are located in places like Poland, Venezuela, Botswana, Thailand, China, and India. Think of the American jobs lost to those countries.''

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Funny that American jobs lost to outsourcing now matter

But only while the subject of conversation is Teresa Heinz-Kerry and at NO OTHER TIME, so stop saying that!

[pacifictiger]

2. the suggestion

of boycotting is the absolute height of political pettyness! unbelievable and childish!

Edit: and besides that, the company was founded in 1869 - probably a whole century before most other big companies currently doing business around the world were even founded.

[ThatPoetGuy]

3. So....

she isn't on the management, but is her personal wealth affected by the sales of Heinz ketchup?

If I'm at the store and I can choose between Heinz and a generic ketchup, does the Heinz mean a small donation to the Kerry camp?

If I've given the largest donation allowed by law, can I buy a lot of ketchup in order to give more? (Can George Soros buy a million gallons of ketchup?)

[mobuto]

5. That's probably the stupidest idea I have ever heard

If I've given the largest donation allowed by law, can I buy a lot of ketchup in order to give more? (Can George Soros buy a million gallons of ketchup?)


To the extent that Teresa Heinz Kerry benefits at all from the H. J. Heinz Corporation, she does so because the Heinz Charities she runs own stock in it. But they don't own a whole lot, because they divested most of the stock in 1995. And the Heinz Charities are exactly what they sound like - charities, not the Kerry Campaign. So maybe, just maybe, the Heinz Charities would get a penny out of every $1000 you put into Heinz ketchup, but John Kerry would get nothing. There are real direct ways to get around campaign finance restrictions. This is not one of them.

What's your next suggestion? Have Soros buy up upper-bracket private homes all around Boston, which would raise property values, and therefore allow Kerry to borrow more against the value of his townhouse?

[ThatPoetGuy]

10. Umm...

It was an idea, and I don't think it merited such hostility.

[LiberalTexan]

13. Ha ha, TPG....it's okay :)

Just donate to other sources like MoveOn, True Majority, and Will Pitt's Truthout.... Or how about this: Your LOCAL Democratic Party. I'm sure they'd love a little cash boost. :) There's lots of ways to donate! And, you don't have to gorge yourself with high fructose corn syrup to do it!

[oldcoot]

6. That is a lot of ketchup

I think that Teresa has kept her money separate from her husband. She can only legally donate the maximum allowed by law to her husband's campaign. However, she has stated she will use her money to defend herself and her family if attacked.

[yardwork]

9. Teresa can give only $2,000 to her husband's campaign.

Same as everybody else. It doesn't matter how wealthy she is, she can't give more than the maximum allowed by law.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi ThatPoetGuy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[patricia92243]

4. Did Heinze say "Freedom Fries" ? If so, that tells you everything and pub

pubs should be very happy with them!

[madrchsod]

7. hannity

was fuck`n going crazy about this yesterday,god what an ass licker.

[madrchsod]

8. we export tomatos to

those companies over seas-it`s pretty hard to ship food products to all these countries from the usa...

[sal]

12. He is a pickle if he tries playing ketch up - it won't cut the mustard

Hey, I'm hungy.