Ketchup goes with Heinz like barbecue goes with summer.

It was at such a barbecue that four friends from New York devised a plan to counteract Sen. John Kerry's ties, through his wife, to the ketchup business.

Their idea: W Ketchup, an alternative to buying Heinz.

The W does not stand for the famous "Dubya," President George W. Bush, but rather Washington. It was Washington County, N.Y., where the idea was hatched; there is a picture of George Washington on the label. They call it "America's Ketchup."

W Ketchup co-founder Bill Zachary said it started this way and has done far better than they ever imagined.

"We've sold a lot more ketchup than we ever thought we were going to," he said. "Nobody knew if this stuff was going to sell. I thought I may be the proud owner of 28,000 ketchup bottles."

That was the total number of bottles purchased when the company began selling in early July. To date, it has sold about 175,000 bottles.

H.J. Heinz Co. Vice President of Corporate Communications Debbie Foster said Heinz is a nonpartisan organization, and there is a disclaimer on its Web site. The Heinz family holds less than 4 percent of the company's stock, and that includes endowments made in the family's name.

Zachary said the W Ketchup business started with an ad in the conservative magazine National Review to test business out before really hitting the market.

What founders didn't expect was their ad to appear in the memorial issue for former President Ronald Reagan, so it became widespread and saved as memorabilia.

"There are a lot of lessons here on how not to start a business," Zachary said of the initial problems they had because of the company's quick expansion.

Zachary said the entire world has become interested in their ketchup company.

"I think it shows that people really care about the results of this election," he said.

Currently, W Ketchup is Internet-based and the long-term goal is to get into stores and avoid shipping costs to customers, Zachary said.

"Only a moron sells ketchup over the Internet," he said. "It's inexpensive, but it's heavy and bulky, so it costs a lot to ship."

Besides not being Heinz, W Ketchup uses the selling point that the entire product is made in the United States, unlike its counterpart, Zachary said.

Foster said 60 percent of the Heinz company's sales are outside of the United States, so it makes sense to make the product internationally as well.

"The Heinz products sold in this country are made in this country," she said.

College Democrats president Megan Green said Teresa Heinz Kerry's only connection to the company was through her first husband.

"I think it's ridiculous. It goes right up there in my book with freedom fries," she said. "It's funny, but it's not going to have a big political play."

College Republicans president Andy Banducci said while he doesn't think H.J. Heinz Co. is supporting Kerry's campaign, it does show that people equate their purchasing power with politics.

"I think it's clever and it demonstrates American entrepreneurism," he said. "It shows that purchasing and consumption does have a political impact."

Foster said Heinz sales are at an all-time high.

"We do not want to get involved in a political food fight," she said. "We are about food and fun, not politics."