Andre Heinz, stepson of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, made a campaign stop at Macalester early Wednesday afternoon. Heinz, an advocate for the environment who has been traveling across the country touting Kerry's environmental record on college campuses, talked for about 25 minutes before fielding questions from the audience.

Heinz spoke about “value differences” between Kerry and President Bush to a crowd of approximately 90 people gathered in front of Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel. Heinz, whose late father Sen. John Heinz was a Republican, said that the Republican Party has lost touch with its conservative roots.

“I was born a Republican,” Heinz said, “but I care more about what a candidate will do than whether there is a 'D' or an ‘R’ after their name.” He added that he would not campaign for Kerry if he did not believe that Kerry was a better candidate, “Kerry's my stepfather, but that's not enough,” Heinz said.

During his speech, Heinz called for improved health care that was more affordable and widely available, calling health care “a right, not a privilege.” He said Americans should have care equivalent to federal employees’ health plan. Heinz said that providing better health care is linked to lowering domestic employment costs,which he said is an important step in luring jobs back to the U.S.

Heinz blasted President Bush's tax cuts and environmental record. He also criticized the Iraq war, pledging that Kerry would repeal tax cuts on the highest income earners and corporations taking jobs overseas. Furthermore, Heinz said that Kerry would work to make twenty percent of U.S. energy renewable by 2020.

Heinz also spoke about the campaign’s plan to reduce higher education costs, centered around a 10-year $13 billion dollar program that would provide full tuition to 200,000 students who complete two years of community service.

“Heinz articulated Kerry’s views in an intelligent manner,” Andrea Johnson ’06 said. “I was surprised at how well he knew all of the issues. I think that is representative of the people with whom John Kerry chooses to associate himself.”

The Kerry campaign said Heinz will next head to Wisconsin, where he will stay until Friday.

Heinz's visit was the fourth presidential campaign event held at Macalester this year. John Kerry held a campaign rally in the Field House in February, College Democrats had a get-out-the vote event on Sept. 12, and Independent candidate Ralph Nader spoke Sept. 16.