Shopping for Some Christmas Credit
Hoping That Kerry Is No Larry Bird
Sen. John Kerry has gone to the boards for a new chief of his Massachusetts operation. He's Jon Jennings, a former Boston Celtics assistant coach who recently lost a bid for an Indiana House seat. Jennings was a scout with the Celtics during the 1986 championship season that featured Larry Bird. Kerry and Bird, he tells us, "both play at the top of their game and outwork all of their opponents. I just hope the senator listens to me more than Bird did."
Even Qadhafi Is Complaining
Morocco is producing so much hashish that the drug may now be its top overseas moneymaker. Drug-control officials say that Morocco has become the world's leading producer of the marijuana resin, which is pouring into western Europe and North Africa. "Even [Col. Muammar] Qadhafi is complaining," says a United Nations official of Libya's erratic strongman.
Looking Sexy in Green Eyeshades
"Today, accountants are sexy," says Charles Niemier. "We're hot!" Remember his name: Niemier's in the running to head the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the industry watchdog. He's got a good shot at the $595,000-a-year post, appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Niemier sits on the PCAOB's governing board and was the top accountant in the SEC's enforcement division. He's up against former Rep. Bill Gradison, the current acting chairman of the board. Industry insiders think Niemier's "sexy" remark at a conference last week could help: Accountants effectively nixed a get-tough candidate in 2002.
Drinking Is in the Job Description
Talk about a great job. As the brand new head of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a top D.C. lobby group, Craig Purser believes it's his duty to know the product. "We're in the advocacy business, for heaven's sake," he tells us. "I enjoy drinking beer . . . but never in the morning." So what's in "Mr. Beer's" cooler? Purser likes the microbrews, especially New York's Saranac Black Forest and Oregon's Deschutes ales. But he's also a fan of the mass-produced Corona. And if stuck on a desert island he'd go with a big-name lager like Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light. "They're beers for all seasons," he says, adding that he loves all kinds. "My refrigerator is like a beer salad bar."
With David E. Kaplan and Kim Clark
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