Politics and the Stock Market

It was interesting to read in the news today that the H. J. Heinz Company, one of the world's largest food companies, quarterly profit fell 19 percent and that it would cut 2,700 jobs and exit 15 plants as part of a plan to cut costs and increase profit.

Lest we forget the headlines: Bush Backers Spurn Heinz Ketchup and we have seen more of this; political partisans who are tailoring their shopping habits to their party affiliations.

I'm sure that the Sen. John Kerry, and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry have taken note of this.

Perhaps the Democrats should shun Wal-mart!

Republican candidates are the big winners in 2004 election. They received about 85% of the company's contributions, including those of its political action committee, employees and children of founder Sam Walton.

Wal-Mart's rise is significant because of the impact it might have on congressional debates about health care, labor and other hot-button regulatory issues, says Larry Noble, the center's executive director. "They're clearly making a move," he says.