In a USA Today Op-Ed. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) writes, "When
Jimmie Rucker left his job as an engineer to start his own [MA]
barbecue joint about 18 months ago, he thought the test of his
business plan might be the heat of his spicy sauce -- not his
high heating costs. But this winter, Rucker's natural-gas bills
for Boneyard Barbeque have soared 50%. If this keeps up, Rucker
may not be able to afford the gas to fuel his grills and smokers
-- and if that happens, his business could disappear quicker
than a plate of juicy ribs. ... Since the weather turned cold,
the phones of the Senate's Small Business Committee have been
swamped by calls from the owners of thousands of small
businesses -- restaurants, greenhouses, medical labs, apartment
buildings -- in dire financial situations because of huge
heating bills. ... The answer is to expand the Small Business
Administration's economic-injury disaster loans to include small
businesses adversely affected by increases in the prices of
heating oil, propane, kerosene and natural gas. ...
Small-business disaster loans are pro-business public policy --
and pro-consumer policy, too. We should use them to help
hard-working American small businesses -- the engines of our
economy -- before they run out of fuel" (2/28).
CORRECTION JUNCTION
The Lowell Sun ran a correction 2/27 on a story published 2/25. The original story attributed comments to Sen. John Kerry that "were made by others in attendance" (2/27). The comments had to do with whether Kerry would have helped Gore carry NH had Kerry been the VP nominee (see Hotline, 2/26).
FROM NOW ON, HE'S OFFICIALLY A WH "HOPEFUL"
In a release, with the sub-head "Bill Nelson of Florida and Presidential Hopeful John Kerry of Massachusetts Headline Event," the GA Dem Party announced that Kerry will be the keynote speaker at the party's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, to be held today, 3/1, in Atlanta. DSCC Vice Chair Bill Nelson will also address the dinner (release, 2/28).
CORRECTION JUNCTION
The Lowell Sun ran a correction 2/27 on a story published 2/25. The original story attributed comments to Sen. John Kerry that "were made by others in attendance" (2/27). The comments had to do with whether Kerry would have helped Gore carry NH had Kerry been the VP nominee (see Hotline, 2/26).
FROM NOW ON, HE'S OFFICIALLY A WH "HOPEFUL"
In a release, with the sub-head "Bill Nelson of Florida and Presidential Hopeful John Kerry of Massachusetts Headline Event," the GA Dem Party announced that Kerry will be the keynote speaker at the party's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, to be held today, 3/1, in Atlanta. DSCC Vice Chair Bill Nelson will also address the dinner (release, 2/28).