Replies

Strange 'Tidings', indeed.

I thought that this might also interest Kerry researchers....

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0311/p03s02-uspo.html

'..."One of the Democrats' main challenges is that their standard bearer is the single most liberal member of the US Senate [according to a new National Journal rating], who happens to be from Massachusetts, the most liberal state in the nation," says Whit Ayers, a GOP pollster.

The typical Democratic candidate in the South, he says, faces a tough choice: whether to support Kerry, "which will send a signal to many Southern voters that he doesn't think like they do," or to break with Kerry - a problem for the Democratic base...' [snip]

Here's the Op-ed letter the editorial above refers to and here's the link to the organization http://www.heinz.org/index.asp?loc=N

HEINZ ENDOWMENTS: HARDLY EXTREMIST
March 12, 2004 -- Your allegation ["(Mrs.) Kerry's Cash Connection," Editorial, March 9] that an organization called Peaceful Tomorrows has received funding from foundations directed by Teresa Heinz Kerry is flat-out wrong.

The allegation rests on a false assumption - that Heinz Endowments funding of the Tides Center for projects in western Pennsylvania is "fungible," as you state in your editorial, and so can be redirected to other causes.

In fact, by legally binding contract, every penny of our support to Tides has been explicitly directed to specific projects in our region. It cannot legally be redirected and is the exact opposite of "fungible."

The Tides Center provides management and administrative services for short-term and start-up nonprofit activities. Foundations from all across the country - many, like Heinz, with strong centrist agendas - use this service to support a wide array of projects.

It is no more accurate to suggest that Heinz supports every one of these projects than it is to suggest that a person who contributes to a specific organization through the United Way supports the agenda of every other United Way beneficiary.

Through Tides we have supported programs to test the career readiness of area high school students, protect Pittsburgh's environment and retain young people in our region - hardly an extremist agenda.

Information about every one of our Tides-related grants is readily available in our public filings, annual reports and Web site, all of which are notable for their full and open disclosure.

Those resources tell the true story of The Heinz Endowments, which has a long and proud history of upholding the highest ideals of American philanthropy.

Maxwell King
President, The Heinz Endowments
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Good for the POST. I spoke with a reporter at the beginning of the week and told them about the Tides Foundation. They asked for info, so I emailed it to them. I was really pleased to see that they got right on it and did the story the next day. The Heinz response was lame at best.

The Wall Street Journal did it the day after I called them and emailed info. One of their main reporters returned my phone call.

The lesson here is that journalists are sometimes very lazy. They need help with stories. We can give it to them.