Political news

‘W Ketchup’ touted as Heinz alternative

New York A Manhattan banker and his pals want to cash in on Teresa Heinz Kerry’s unpopularity with conservatives by marketing “W Ketchup,” billed as a GOP alternative to the Heinz family’s famous condiment.

Their ketchup – which retails at $12 per four-pack – features the likeness of George Washington, not President Bush. Zachary says he used the different “W” to avoid accusations his ketchup was an “overt campaign ad.” A portion of each sale will benefit the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for children of service members killed in the line of duty. It’s available at www.wketchup.com

Group warns faithful against partisanship

Los Angeles A national evangelical group is mulling guidelines that would warn the faithful against allying themselves too closely with any one political party, “lest nonbelievers think that Christian faith is essentially political in nature.”

A draft of guidelines circulating in the National Association of Evangelicals advises believers to “be careful to avoid the excesses of nationalism” while maintaining a commitment to religious freedom at home and abroad.

“This is a maturing of the evangelical public mind,” said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary. “Instead of just assuming an automatic alliance with a specific party – and that’s traditionally the Republicans – it says evangelicals ought to be more thoughtful.”