A New Alliance of Democrats Spreads Funding (to LIBERALS)

[NYCGirl]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/16/AR2006071600882.html?sub=AR

An alliance of nearly a hundred of the nation's wealthiest donors 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, Democracy Alliance 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.

But the large checks and demanding style wielded by Democracy Alliance organizers in recent months have caused unease among Washington's community of Democratic-linked organizations. The alliance has required organizations that receive its endorsement to sign agreements shielding the identity of donors. Public interest groups said the alliance represents a large source of undisclosed and unaccountable political influence.

(Much more at link)

[LincolnMcGrath]

1. The Center for American Progress ain't exactly a bunch of leftists. lol

Thanks for the link.

[Catherine Vincent]

5. Really?

Are you telling me there are conservatives in that group?

[LincolnMcGrath]

8. No, but it ain't called "Retired Clinton Administration Official Central"

for nothing.

lol

[Cerridwen]

2. And when will the WaPo cover the anonymous donors

who have funded neo-con think tanks, organizations and churches for the past 3 or 4 decades?

Hmmmmm?

[LincolnMcGrath]

4. Never

[Pirate Smile]

3. I thought it was a very interesting article. I posted it in LBN last

night but it didn't get much attention. There are many snippets from the article at the DU link below.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2394318&mesg_id=2394318

I remember when the Alliance first showed up last year. It is actually a relief to know that this is actually happening.

Good news!

[RandomKoolzip]

6. This piece has the tone of an expose. Why?

It's funny how they never mention Rev. Moon, Coors, Scaife, et al. but instead make it seem like billionaire-funded think tanks and foundations on the right are some vague rumor.

[blm]

7. Or how his Bush ties ensured Moon's control of HALF this nation's fishing

industry and alot of the world's supply of fresh water.