• New York Times, Friday, October 1, 2010 8:01 AM

Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation, which as of last night was No. 2 in the September Pepsi Refresh contest for $250,000, has filed a complaint that the 16 organizations vying for votes are "essentially political groups tied to the Democratic Party" and thus violate the contest's rules, Stephanie Storm reports.

Groups belonging to the "Progressive Slate" are collectively working to help each other win the contest. Eight of the top 10 contestants in the $50,000 category were Slate members last night, and two members were among the top five contestants vying for $250,000. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has asked the IRS to investigate the use of tax-exempt groups for political purposes.

"These are all nonpartisan, nonprofit charitable organizations," says Peter Murray, president of the Center for Progressive Leadership, adding that the projects seeking support have no political agenda. The center's eight-member board includes two Democratic members of the House. A Pepsi spokesman says: "We evaluated each idea solely on the basis of the merits, and each met our guidelines, which state that an idea cannot support or endorse any political candidate or party."

Read the whole story at New York Times »