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Rich Liberals Vow to Fund Think Tanks - Aim Is to Compete With Conservatives
Washington Post ^
| August 7, 2005
| Thomas B. Edsall
Posted on 08/08/2005 4:32:54 AM PDT by summer
At least 80 wealthy liberals have pledged to contribute $1 million or more apiece to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up over the past three decades.
The money will be channeled through a new partnership called the Democracy Alliance, which was founded last spring -- the latest in a series of liberal initiatives as the Democratic Party and its allies continue to struggle with the loss of the House and the Senate in 1994 and the presidency in 2000. Many influential Democratic contributors were left angry and despairing over the party's poor showing in last year's elections, and are looking for what they hope will be more effective ways to invest their support.
Financial commitments totaling at least $80 million over the next five years generated by the Democracy Alliance in recent months -- at a time when some liberal groups, such as the George Soros-backed America Coming Together, are floundering -- suggest that the group is becoming a player in the long-term effort to reinvigorate the left. The group has a goal of raising $200 million -- a sum that would inevitably come in part at the expense of more traditional Democratic groups, although alliance officials say donors have committed to maintaining past contribution levels....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: conservatives; democracyalliance; fundingtheleft; guccimarxist; kerrydefeat; liberals; politics; thinktanks
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Alliance chairman Steven Gluckstern, a retired investment banker, said that President Bush's victory over Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) last year after millions of dollars had been poured into pro-Democratic "527" groups caused many contributors to think that a dramatically new approach is needed....
Yes, one that would require Dems to win elections.
I'm sure that's what some Dem donors are thinking.
1
posted on
08/08/2005 4:32:55 AM PDT
by
summer
To: summer
Would it be more like "feelings tanks", since liberalism is about feelings, not thought?
-Eric
2
posted on
08/08/2005 4:34:07 AM PDT
by
E Rocc
(If we're all God's Children, what does that say about marriage?)
To: All
Simon Rosenberg is helping the new Democracy Alliance. (Hans Ericsson - AP)
3
posted on
08/08/2005 4:35:21 AM PDT
by
summer
To: summer
4
posted on
08/08/2005 4:35:27 AM PDT
by
BibChr
("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
To: E Rocc
I don't know, but I did a search for this article and was surprised it hadn't been posted.
5
posted on
08/08/2005 4:36:33 AM PDT
by
summer
To: E Rocc
More from article:
"It wasn't only the failure to win, it was the question 'What does it take to win?' " Gluckstern said. "Among the lessons learned was that to bring back the progressive majority in this country is not just a periodic election investment strategy."
The Democracy Alliance will act as a financial clearing house. Its staff members and board of directors will develop a lineup of established and proposed groups that they believe will develop and promote ideas on the left. To fulfill their million-dollar pledge, each partner must agree to give $200,000 or more a year for at least five years to alliance-endorsed groups.
The alliance is the brainchild of longtime Democratic strategist Rob Stein, who spent years studying conservative groups -- in particular their success in sustaining GOP politicians and achieving many of their policy goals. Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, is working with Stein and is a leading promoter of his effort.
Rosenberg said liberals and Democrats now face a conservative "information-age Tammany Hall, a 21st century political machine, that is simply better than what we have on our side.
"The infrastructure we have was built for a different time and mission. It was built around the congressional majority we had for 60 years in the 20th century, the labor movement and the urban-ethnic city machines," he added.
As alliance officials see it, many liberal groups are designed to protect an agenda that was enacted by past Democratic majorities -- as opposed to generating new ideas and communication strategies to win support from voters who do not belong to labor or other traditionally Democratic constituencies....
6
posted on
08/08/2005 4:37:46 AM PDT
by
summer
To: summer
Why don't the LIBS give the money to the POOR ?
Most Libs don't know how to change their CROOKED ways.
7
posted on
08/08/2005 4:40:14 AM PDT
by
Zenith
To: summer
They gonna hire Al Franken to think in the tank for them?
8
posted on
08/08/2005 4:49:53 AM PDT
by
arthurus
(Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE.)
To: arthurus
Al franken is already in the tank for them!
9
posted on
08/08/2005 4:52:36 AM PDT
by
Samurai_Jack
(ride out and confront the evil!)
To: summer
""It wasn't only the failure to win, it was the question 'What does it take to win?' " Gluckstern said. "Among the lessons learned was that to bring back the progressive majority in this country is not just a periodic election investment strategy." "
Hmm... is this a trick question? How about telling the truth, not being anti American and having an idea that doesn't date back to Marx? I would say that is a good start.
10
posted on
08/08/2005 4:53:24 AM PDT
by
EQAndyBuzz
(Liberal Talking Point - Bush = Hitler ... Republican Talking Point - Let the Liberals Talk)
To: summer
the libs got more think tanks already out there than cesspool tanks
you gotta give the libs credit for their consistency, any problem they have just throw more money at it
To: summer
Liberals always 'say' they are going to give money, In the end, maybe a couple dollars will be given
12
posted on
08/08/2005 4:54:44 AM PDT
by
CarlEOlsoniii
(McCarthy goes after Communists with a shotgun; I go after them with a rifle -Nixon)
To: summer
Well, they'll promise to fund them but we all know that it will take grant money from inner-city youth programs to really get them off the ground.
13
posted on
08/08/2005 4:55:20 AM PDT
by
NonValueAdded
("Freedom of speech makes it much easier to spot the idiots." [Jay Lessig, 2/7/2005])
To: summer
Isn't a liberal think tank an oxymoron? Gee, I'd love to hear some rational ideas for their beliefs, lol.
To: summer
$80 million bucks to come up with an idea?
BWAHAHAHA
snicker, snicker
BWAHAHAHA!
They can't figure out why they lose?
15
posted on
08/08/2005 4:58:30 AM PDT
by
N. Theknow
(If Social Security is so good - why aren't members of Congress in it?)
To: summer
and the urban-ethnic city machinesWhat a telling phrase
To: summer
17
posted on
08/08/2005 5:01:37 AM PDT
by
upchuck
("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
To: summer
Message to The Democratic Crime Syndicate:
Thinking does not cost money. You have the right to remain silent.
18
posted on
08/08/2005 5:02:22 AM PDT
by
PGalt
To: summer
Given the names quoted in this article, it appears that these "think tanks" will be largely funded and staffed by Jewish backers. In effect, this means people with a New York/Hollywood mind set and we all know how much appeal this crowd has with red state voters.
Once the money is ponied up, the elitist hangers on will start to circle hoping to use family and political connections for an easy ride on the think tank gravy train - with talk show face time thrown is as an added bonus.
I see an operation full of sound and fury and, in terms of impact on the Democratic Party platform, signifying nothing.
To: summer
Why bother when they can simply embezzle money from tax-supported charities?
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