Politico: DLC Out of Money, Will Fold

[flpoljunkie]

February 07, 2011

Democratic Leadership Council will fold

The Democratic Leadership Council, the iconic centrist organization of the Clinton years, is out of money and could close its doors as soon as next week, a person familiar with the plans said Monday.

The DLC, a network of Democratic elected officials and policy intellectuals had long been fading from its mid-'90s political relevance, tarred by the left as a symbol of "triangulation" at a moment when there's little appetite for intra-party warfare on the center-right. The group tried -- but has failed -- to remake itself in the summer of 2009, when its founder, Al From, stepped down as president. Its new leader, former Clinton aide Bruce Reed, sought to remake the group as a think tank, and the DLC split from its associated think tank, the Progressive Policy Institute.

But Reed left the DLC last year himself to serve as Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff, leaving Ed Gresser, a trade expert, to lead the group in the interim. Since then the board "hasn't been able to find someone who wanted to come on in a permanent capacity," a person familiar with the group's woes said, with the central problem the difficulty of raising money for a Democratic group that isn't seen as an ally of the White House.

Gresser declined to comment on the DLC's future, and referred a call to From, who didn't immediately respond to a message left with an assistant.

The DLC is already showing signs of disrepair. Its website currently leads a Harold Ford op-ed from last November, titled, "Yes we can collaborate." It lists as its staff just four people, and has only one fellow. Recent tax returns weren't immediately publicly available, but returns from 2004-2008 show a decline in its budget from $2.6 million to $1.5 million, and a source said funding further dried up during the financial crisis that began nine months before Reed took over.

PPI appears poised to pick up the group's legacy on the center-left; it has ramped up steadily since the two split, and now has 11 paid staff and two fellows, an official at PPI said.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/Democratic_Leadership_Council_will_fold.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. No longer needed, forgive me for my cynicism... mission accomplished

[Webster Green]

2. My plan worked.

I warned them.

"center left" (I hate that term) What a confused space to be in.

[vi5]

3. "Our work here is done."

And it is. Unfortunately, it is.

[madfloridian]

4. Third Way is dominant now.

Same song, 2nd verse.

[underpants]

5. Is this another story about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood?

of does it have something to do with Justin Beiber?

that is pretty much all that is on TV it seems

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. "The iconic centrist organization?" There's nothing iconic about these bastards.

Good riddance with their corporate greed!

[hulka38]

7. They've taken the name Democratic Party. n/t

[ConservativeDemocrat]

8. Well, I wondered what you guys would hate once they were gone

I should have known it would be the Democrats.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[Exilednight]

9. Who is "you guys"? You're on this board, too. n/t