Shaheen is not a ketchup eater

Note to all Democratic presidential candidates: If you want to snag one of the most important endorsements in the country you then remember to hold the ketchup.

Former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen said on national television last night that she is “not a ketchup” eater because the condiment was “too spicy”.

Shaheen, who currently heads the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, was interviewed for Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report”. The segment, which you can watch here, aired Wednesday night.

In 2004, Shaheen was the national campaign chair for Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign. Because of her role, Colbert asked if they served Heinz ketchup in the school’s cafeteria. Kerry’s wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is an heir to the ketchup maker’s fortune.

Shaheen responded that she didn’t know whether Heinz ketchup was served because she doesn’t eat it.

While her condiment preferences were thoroughly discussed, the question as to whether she will run for the US Senate again in 2008, a topic of discussion in New Hampshire, was not brought up.