The WaPo had an interesting front-page item today on an alliance of very wealthy Democrats who are investing heavily in the party’s infrastructure right now. There’s some concern about secrecy and the [tag]invest[/tag]ments, but overall, I’d say it’s about time.
An alliance of nearly a hundred of the nation’s wealthiest [tag]donors[/tag] is roiling Democratic political circles, directing more than $50 million in the past nine months to liberal think tanks and advocacy groups in what organizers say is the first installment of a long-term campaign to compete more aggressively against conservatives.
A year after its founding, [tag]Democracy Alliance[/tag] has followed up on its pledge to become a major power in the liberal movement. It has lavished millions on groups that have been willing to submit to its extensive screening process and its demands for secrecy.
These include the Center for American Progress, a think tank with an unabashed partisan edge, as well as Media Matters for America, which tracks what it sees as conservative bias in the news media. Several alliance donors are negotiating a major investment in Air America, a liberal talk-radio network.
There are Dems cited in the article who expressed “unease” about anonymous millionaires with undisclosed influence financing a progressive cause. I like transparency as much as the next guy, but isn’t it far more important that these investments happen, and less important to know the identity of the donors right now? For years, the right has enjoyed infrastructure investments from the Scaife and Olin foundations. The Democracy Alliance is finally taking steps to help the left catch up — a little, after a 25-year conservative head start. If that means keeping the donor list under wraps, so be it.
What’s more, readers may be pleased to know that when the Democracy Alliance is making funding decisions, the DLC wing of the party is being left behind.
…Democracy Alliance’s decisions not to back some prominent groups have stirred resentment. Among the groups that did not receive backing in early rounds were such well-known centrist groups as the Democratic Leadership Council and the Truman National Security Project.
As Swopa put it, “That the new alliance doesn’t feel obligated to kiss the ring of the DLC, or to endorse the useless narcissism of the Truman Project is just about the most encouraging news I could hope to hear about its efforts. If those groups don’t help the Democratic/liberal brand, they shouldn’t be getting funding.”
Some centrists seem to understand the dynamic. Matt Bennett, a vice president at Third Way, which sought but did not receive any funding, told the WaPo the Democracy Alliance’s investments “will enable progressives, for the first time ever, to build a permanent infrastructure to beat the conservative machine.”
Exactly. And if, by some chance, the Democracy Alliance becomes interested in funding some blogs as part of the broader campaign to bolster the progressive movement, DA leaders should know that my door is always open to them….