Click to donate to White House hopefuls
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Amazon lists the presidental candidates in alphabetical order.
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SPECIAL REPORT
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- With a point and a click, Web-savvy voters can donate to the presidential candidate of their choice as easily as they can buy the latest installment to the saga about the bespectacled wizard wannabe.
Amazon.com has launched an online method for contributions to White House hopefuls adding to the unprecedented use of the Internet for grassroots electioneering.
In its Presidential Candidates FAQ, Amazon says it's trying to make "it as easy for people to contribute as it is to buy the latest "Harry Potter" -- online, with your credit or debit card under Amazon's "1-Click" program, which stores information for use by clicking one button.
Candidates qualify for inclusion by establishing and maintaining a campaign committee through the Federal Election Commission.
Amazon lists the candidates in alphabetical order and says there is no endorsement involved. Read about the candidates, donate any amount between $5 and $200, track how much money or the number of donations the candidates have on their own pages.
The Internet shopping site is charging the campaign committees Amazon's usual fee because it's illegal to donate services to a presidential campaign. Similar to the fees merchants pay, the sliding scale percentage fee is based on the amount of money collected and the number of transactions.
The company will later donate those fees to Kids Voting USA, a nonprofit organization that works with schools and communities in civics education, the Web site states.
But don't look to contribute to the Joe Lieberman or the Bush-Cheney campaign -- neither have agreed to participate, although Amazon says it hopes "they'll come on board in the near future."
