Bake Back The White House

[Luke_Wilbur]

WASHINGTON - April 19 - An estimated 500,000 Americans took part in MoveOn PAC's Bake Sale for Democracy. More than 14,000 volunteer bakers for MoveOn PAC, the online advocacy group, took their activities “offline” on Saturday, organizing over 1,100 bake sales to raise money for MoveOn PAC’s campaign to “Bake Back the White House.” With an average of nearly $700 raised per bake sale, cookie sales will yield over $750,000 to support the group’s efforts to remove George Bush from office in November.

 

 

As dawn swept across America, it cast light on preparations busily underway: a Nashville man who baked 30 key lime pies after work on Friday. Al Franken selling baked goods at Moby’s café in NYC. Signs reading, “Bake Back the White House” plastered around Washington, DC’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.

 

 

While the results are still being tallied, current results suggest that the MoveOn PAC will have raised over three quarters of a million dollars, registered 4,750 citizens to vote, and distributed 43,000 pieces of literature encouraging the support of John Kerry.

 

 

“The sales were as easy as pie,” said Adam Ruben, Field Director of MoveOn PAC and the event’s organizer. “We’ve been overwhelmed by our members’ response to an email only a week ago. We wanted to hold an event contrasting President Bush’s high-rolling backers with our regular Americans, and obviously people liked the idea. Winning an election has never tasted so sweet!”

 

 

Henri Spiegel, a MoveOn PAC volunteer in Miami Beach, FL, was proud to hold a bake sale. “It's inspiring to see so many friends and neighbors express interest in this Bake Sale for Democracy-- a creative outlet to voice frustrations with the Bush Administration. In Florida, we are going to show George Bush that every brownie—like every vote—counts,” Spiegel said.

 

 

Battleground states experienced great activity over the weekend: a bake sale in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida reported raising $1,200 in its first three hours. All funds raised will go to support MoveOn PAC’s efforts, including both advertising, like the group’s recent ad highlighting Richard Clarke's statements to the 9/11 Commission, as well as grassroots mobilization to register voters and get out the vote in November.

 

 

The idea for the bake sale came after MoveOn PAC learned that more than 75% of the Bush campaign’s fundraising came in contributions of $1000 or more. “Those people are CEOs, lobbyists, wealthy people who benefited from Bush's tax cuts,” Ruben said. “By contrast, our members are regular Americans—teachers, veterans, retired seniors, construction workers. They can’t afford $1000 checks, so we wanted to give them a way to raise some dough and change the direction of our country.”

 

 

Volunteers were eager to chip in. “I stand behind grassroots democracy-building efforts throughout America,” said Warren Brown, owner of Washington, DC pastry store Cakelove. “I’m happy to bring attention to November 2nd through participating in MoveOn PAC’s Bake Sale for Democracy.”

 

 

“Where else can someone make a one-dollar political contribution and make a difference?” asked Adam Luna of Washington, DC. “I live in Washington, DC, hear the sirens and see the warnings every day - George Bush has made life here a little more scary, but the bake sale made everyone smile.”