Playing Ketchup: Recipients of Heinz Money Making Strong Kerry Pitch

National Review Online ^ | January 28, 2004 | Christopher Horner

[xsysmgr]

In January 24, before the first vote was cast in New Hampshire's Democratic primary, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) endorsed Senator John Kerry (D., Mass.) for president. Weeks earlier, in an entirely unrelated matter, the Heinz Family Foundation provided an "unrestricted-use" grant of a quarter million dollars to a group represented on the LCV board.

Senator Kerry is married to the very wealthy Teresa Heinz — Teresa Heinz Kerry in this campaign year — who also sits on the board of numerous foundation and advocacy groups. For example, she chairs the board of trustees of the one half of the Heinz Family Foundation (the Howard Heinz Endowment), and sits on the board of the other half (the Vira I. Heinz Endowment).

The tax-exempt advocacy group LCV is expressly nonpartisan. Regardless, the top half of its website's home page is dedicated to the endorsement of Senator Kerry. The bottom half of this page is dedicated to attacking the president's State of the Union speech, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bush administration in general.

Other groups supported by Heinz largesse include Environmental Defense, which, according to the Capital Research Center, received nearly $1.5 million from various Heinz foundations between 1995 and 2000. CRC cites Ted Turner's Tides Foundation — a clearinghouse for foundations to funnel money to radical groups with a degree of separation — as receiving well over $2 million from Heinz foundations over the same period. Other repeat beneficiaries include the Brookings Institution and the Earth Island Institute.

The latter is a remarkable case study in what is funded by America's elites, the Heinzes included. EII is best known for its September 14, 2001, statement on its website, "U.S. Responds to Terrorist Attacks with Self-Righteous Arrogance." (Though EII removed the piece from its site, you may still view it on CEI's.)

Steeped in self-righteous arrogance itself, the screed insists that the September 11 attacks were not an act of war; EII sheds a tear instead for these oppressed peoples communicating their anger at the root cause of a capitalist, globalist society the only way they knew how. Theirs "was an act of anger, desperation and indignation," reasoned the Heinz-funded EII. "This was not an 'attack on all American people.'" You see, mostly Pentagon and "multinational-financial-empire" types died, making the attack "not the sort of flat-out terrorism that targets random innocents at a disco or a beach."

So, Senator Kerry is married to an elitist whose radical pet projects occasionally get off the leash. That is hardly news. It is fair to anticipate over the coming months, however, that each of these Heinz-funded groups will coincidentally make its own pitch for a Kerry presidency, though possibly not as fawningly as LCV. If it's too overt, you see, it gives the appearance of employing taxpayer-subsidized wealth to influence elections.

The various Heinz outfits have written checks to LCV for some years now. With no apparent sense of irony, LCV's website also quotes from the hard-left American Prospect: "Teresa Heinz — widow of ketchup heir Sen. John Heinz (R., Penn.) and Kerry's wife since 1995 — is worth an estimated three-quarters of a billion, and Kerry has not been shy about dipping into that fortune when he's had to."

In Kerry's pursuit of the presidency, however, initial FEC comments indicated that Ms. Heinz's fortune is off-limits to his campaign. Typically, rules allow a candidate to utilize one-half of jointly held assets and even the entirety of jointly held bank accounts. Heinz-Kerry-to-Kerry transfers, however, would fall outside the permissible $2,000 individual-donation cap unless they could be demonstrated as part of a pattern of giving that predated his candidacy.

It is on this basis that the campaign sought early on to preempt questions of his wife's wealth — which also reminds voters why Kerry's populism rings rather tinny and staged — by claiming her money is off-limits. Her ability to direct money, however, even to otherwise permissible causes, is still subject to criticism should it appear designed to influence the election. A quid pro quo involving a tax-exempt organization, if it could be proved, would be impermissible at any time — not just in a campaign season.

Like Pew, Rockefeller, Ford, and others, the family of Heinz foundations and advocacy groups are merely more in a sadly growing list of endowments dedicated to financing agendas that, if they'd held sway at an earlier date, would have precluded amassing the original fortunes. Whatever the motivation of Teresa Kerry, the League of Conservation Voters, and other left-leaning pressure groups, voters and the FEC would be wise to recall at all times the Heinz connection when these "independent" voices make their political desires known.

— Christopher Horner is a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

[finnman69]

Teresa Heinz is a Euro-Elitist. A liberal Zsa Zsa and Arriana Huffington rolled into one.

And a lot of money.Go dig up her Hardball interview and watch.

[finnman69]

January 26th, 2004 Hardball interview.

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL, live in New Hampshire.

John Kerry is still ahead in the polls here, but Howard Dean is closing the gap.

Yesterday, I sat down with the front-runner‘s wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEWS: Teresa, what is it like to be the wife of a candidate who has come from the back of the pack there in December all the way up to the top in this race for the nomination?

TERESA HEINZ KERRY, WIFE OF SENATOR JOHN KERRY: Well, it‘s the back of the pack for some, but I never thought he was at the back of the pack. And the reason I didn‘t, because I worked very hard.

And, in Iowa, specifically, if you work very hard, you‘re working with caucus-goers, meaning the people who are actually going to vote. And you get a pretty good readout on how they are, how they respond, whether they sign a caucus, the papers, and they say, I‘m committed to you. And after campaigning as hard as I did, I thought to myself five weeks ago that John would probably come in high second, if not first.

And, in fact, when I left New Hampshire last week and I was in the office with the kids in Manchester, I said, all right, we‘re going to do high second or we‘re going to come in first. And I really believed that. I don‘t think I say that because I presumed anything. I just said that, with 32 years in politics, having a gut feel and knowing how to read people and how people read you, unless we made a terrible mistake in the last week, we were going to do very well.

Now, did I think we would do as greatly as we did? No, I didn‘t read that. We also had a tremendous, tremendous organization. And all the Iowans kept saying to me, people outside don‘t understand how a strong organization here makes a huge difference. And they‘re right, you know?

So there‘s a lot I didn‘t know. But I do know about people. And I do know how to read people. And I do also know that, when you‘re honest with people and they‘re honest with you, they are not going to tell you they‘re going to go and caucus for you if they don‘t. They don‘t have to.

And so I had a completely different set of—I was very peaceful about it. I was not nervous. I was working very hard. I did—I had a lot of fun campaigning in Iowa and a lot of fun here, because the kind of campaign that I did was rather intimate. You know, you could be talking to 100 people or 25 people. It didn‘t matter. But the situation and the expectation of people who talk to you in Iowa is a direct talk conversation. And I like that.

MATTHEWS: You‘re reading people. Read your husband for a second, Senator Kerry.

A year ago, he said to me in a hallway: I‘m going to win this war. I‘m going to win this election. I‘m going to beat President Bush. I‘m going all the way. Believe me.

And then, when the numbers were down in the poll, he would do HARDBALL. And he would say to me off camera: Believe me. I‘m going to win this thing. Got it?

HEINZ KERRY: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

MATTHEWS: That self-confidence, is that there? Is that for real?

HEINZ KERRY: John—yes, it is. John—John always does well.

He is a fighter, in a sense. And he has—the reason John runs—how would you say this? The reason he is running is not temporal, if you know what I mean. And I don‘t want to give him more than he deserves. But he has some lofty ideals and he really believes that he can make a difference and lead people.

And it is also interesting to know that he is the only Senate—senator from the 1984 Congress that has never run for president, not that that is a reason. But he has been waiting. And I think he really felt:

This is my time to try. And I‘ll give it my all. And when he gives it his all, that‘s it. He does.

Now, I think he was slowed down by his operation and all that that entailed. And I know that it does change your energy some.

MATTHEWS: Sure.

HEINZ KERRY: Any operation does.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Because he tried to run his own campaign.

HEINZ KERRY: No. I think that he just went too early. It was 10 days after the operation. He was back in California.

MATTHEWS: Oh, that operation, the real one.

HEINZ KERRY: That operation.

MATTHEWS: Oh, I thought you meant the political operation.

HEINZ KERRY: No, the prostate one.

MATTHEWS: Right.

HEINZ KERRY: And I have had actually several friends who have been

operated since by the same doctor who have just been amazed at how John

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Did he jump up too fast?

(CROSSTALK)

HEINZ KERRY: Yes, I thought so.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

HEINZ KERRY: I mean, you know, but I‘m a wife, you know.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: You wanted him to take off?

(CROSSTALK)

HEINZ KERRY: I wanted him to really rest for a week during the summer and do nothing. And he didn‘t, because there‘s just too much.

And I think, when you feel, or anybody feels a little weak or debilitated, it slows everything down.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

HEINZ KERRY: And I...

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about the scrutiny. I don‘t want to hold you up too much tonight—the scrutiny of the campaign, the scrutiny on Dr. Dean, Mrs. Dean—“Where is she? Why isn‘t she here?”—the scrutiny on that tape recording last week of Howard Dean in that performance he put on election night. Do you think there‘s too much scrutiny by the press and we miss something by being too intent?

HEINZ KERRY: You know, I—I decided early on in this campaign that I was going to try to do three things, one, stay strong, healthy; two, stay humble; and, three, develop the best sense of humor I could.

And so, when I‘ve seen for myself stories that are what I consider inaccurate or too unkind, I think, well, that‘s their problem. And when I see fluff pieces, I say, well, that‘s not me either. And somewhere between the fluff and the nonsense is a real person. It‘s me. And sometimes, people get it right and sometimes they don‘t.

And I think Dr. Dean—I feel badly for her, because she‘s—she might—I don‘t know her, but she might be very shy. She might not like to give speeches. She might just like to take care of people. And, you know, she should be able to do that. And I don‘t know them. I mean, I‘ve only shaken hands with Governor Dean once. So I don‘t know. But I don‘t think she should be—I think it would be unusual for the American people to have a spouse of a president that is not—quote—“a spouse of a president.”

MATTHEWS: I understand.

HEINZ KERRY: On the other hand, if you have a woman president and you have a man who is a lawyer or a general, how is he going to play spouse? I don‘t quite know. And I think, ultimately...

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: And Bill Clinton might discover that some day.

Let me ask you, do you look forward—being humble, do you look forward to being first lady? Can you imagine being in the East Wing, putting together diplomatic receptions and traveling the world?

HEINZ KERRY: You know, I try not to go there. I try not to go there.

MATTHEWS: Why?

HEINZ KERRY: I will—because I...

MATTHEWS: Is it a jinx?

HEINZ KERRY: No. You know what? I have to focus on what I‘m doing.

I focus on my work.

I think I can do a good job, if I get there, because I do some of that anyway. That‘s not the reason to go there, specifically. But if I could leverage the work that I do in terms of my own work now with other people and other communities in the country, enabling people to pick themselves up, that‘s what I would like to do.

MATTHEWS: Just a couple more questions.

What is it like to have somebody like this big figure, Ted Kennedy? I know your husband works with him every day in the Senate and is used to dealing with him politically. But what‘s it like to have that big guy arrive on the scene of a conflict, when you really need him, maybe?

HEINZ KERRY: You know, I‘ve gotten to know Ted and Vicki, and particularly because of Vicki‘s parents, Doris and Edmund Reggie, with whom I‘ve become very close. And Mrs. Reggie looks like my mom and my aunt. And so, since neither of them is alive, she‘s kind of...

MATTHEWS: Well, Judge Reggie is quite a character.

HEINZ KERRY: But I love—I love Doris, too.

In any case, so I see them. And what I‘ve gotten to know about Ted Kennedy is to see him as the youngest of the family. And when you see him as the youngest kid in the family, he is really mischievous and fun. And I‘ve also seen him with a boatload of 20 grand nephews and nieces, everybody‘s little children. And they worship that man.

And so, we see him as a political figure, yes. But when you see him as a (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) to all of those little kiddies and the love that all of these—quote—“children,” these nephews and nieces have for him, it is a very endearing quality. It really humanizes him.

MATTHEWS: Do you think he, being the brother, the last brother of the Kennedys, and one time in his life, going for the presidency, has sort of a bittersweet feeling about this of helping another guy from Massachusetts?

HEINZ KERRY: I don‘t think—I don‘t think so. I think, maybe 10 years ago, maybe he would have. I don‘t know that. But I don‘t feel that at all. I just feel a lot of support and encouragement and faith coming from him to John.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Let‘s talk news—let‘s make some news, Teresa. After the results come in Tuesday night, you and Senator Kerry are going to head to Missouri, which is a very important state.

HEINZ KERRY: Is it?

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: It‘s important because if it

(CROSSTALK)

HEINZ KERRY: You looked at my schedule. I don‘t know my schedule.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: Well, you‘re going to visit the state of Dick Gephardt, who has left the field.

HEINZ KERRY: Yes.

MATTHEWS: Do you think he‘s going to endorse Senator Kerry?

HEINZ KERRY: I honestly have no idea. I don‘t

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Do you think he is a prospect for V.P.?

HEINZ KERRY: I don‘t know.

MATTHEWS: Have you talked about V.P. with your husband at all?

HEINZ KERRY: I put in a request for myself, because I can‘t get it anyway.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: You can‘t get it because you‘re not...

HEINZ KERRY: I know, because I‘m not American-born.

(CROSSTALK)

HEINZ KERRY: No.

You know what? I have tremendous, tremendous respect for Dick. And, in fact, I told him when the AFSCME me and the AFL-CIO endorsements went elsewhere that I was surprised, because I think, if anybody deserves, at least in the old context of labor and party politics, deserved the endorsement, it was Dick. He has really been faithful to them.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

HEINZ KERRY: Which is not to say that someone like John or someone else wouldn‘t be faithful to the principles that protect labor.

MATTHEWS: OK.

HEINZ KERRY: They would just do it differently.

But I think his speech, I saw his speech on TV. I cried, because I was sad for him.

MATTHEWS: Can I ask you a tough question?

HEINZ KERRY: And he had a lot of—a lot of dignity.

MATTHEWS: I‘m out of time here. I have to do one tough question.

Do you think George W. Bush deserves a second term?

HEINZ KERRY: Oh, God. You know, I don‘t think anybody really deserves to be president, if you really think of the responsibilities.

But I must say, he came in with a lack of curiosity and interest about the job. And I think that the results of that was offending a lot of people around the world and really, almost seemingly, being afraid to think on the complex problems that we live in as opportunities, but rather as silos to be disposed of.

And, you know, the world is really a very complex, but very interesting place. And I think you can‘t have someone who is afraid to be Socratic or is afraid to really go there, who is afraid to even make a fool of themselves, only because they‘re thinking out loud, not because they‘re not thinking.

And so I would say, Mr. President, if you want to stay there, please listen to Americans. Don‘t tell them.

MATTHEWS: OK, thank you very much, Teresa Heinz Kerry. Thanks for joining us.

HEINZ KERRY: Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[finnman69]

MATTHEWS: I‘m out of time here. I have to do one tough question.

Do you think George W. Bush deserves a second term?

HEINZ KERRY: Oh, God. You know, I don‘t think anybody really deserves to be president, if you really think of the responsibilities. But I must say, he came in with a lack of curiosity and interest about the job. And I think that the results of that was offending a lot of people around the world and really, almost seemingly, being afraid to think on the complex problems that we live in as opportunities, but rather as silos to be disposed of. And, you know, the world is really a very complex, but very interesting place. And I think you can‘t have someone who is afraid to be Socratic or is afraid to really go there, who is afraid to even make a fool of themselves, only because they‘re thinking out loud, not because they‘re not thinking.

And so I would say, Mr. President, if you want to stay there, please listen to Americans. Don‘t tell them.

[finnman69]

Hardball Jan 26th 2004 Interview transcript with Teresa-Heinz Kerry

[mewzilla]

FWIW, here's a recent FR thread on a Heinz Award winner, a guy named Walter Turnbull.

[petitfour]

And so I would say, Mr. President, if you want to stay there, please listen to Americans. Don‘t tell them.

The wife of an opposing candidate says this?????? Hmmmm.

[Montfort]

I just heard Glen Beck mention that Kerry is a member of Skull and Bones.

You would think that this would drive the Democrats crazy, particularly the conspiracy folks.

It looks likely that both candidates for President will come from the same sort-of-secret (how secret can it be if we know they are in it?) elite fraternity at Yale.

This is very different from the phenomenon of candidates being drawn from CFR members, because the CFR makes people members once they have already risen some in their careers. To say that the country is run by members of the CFR is to say that student organizations at University of Virginia are run by the people who live on the lawn. Living on the Lawn is an honor granted to people who have distinguished themselves, usually through running student organizations. So it all starts to look pretty circular.

I still love Bush, though. The imaginative novelist in me thinks he may indeed be a member of some elitist group intent on establishing the New World Order, but that he may be a rogue. He has undermined their goals by rendering the UN irrelevant. No one has ever harmed the UN more than G.W. Bush, and for that and other good reasons I admire him and respect him.

BTW, I also heard or read that Howard Dean's grandmother was a bridesmaid in a Bush grandmother's wedding, or vice-versa. Can anyone confirm this? That is a neat little coincidence, as it would make this race a very small world indeed. What will we hear next, that Clark is Bush's second cousin?

[binger]

[Tailgunner Joe]

bump

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[blackie]

Screw these elitist snobs!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~