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US liberals putting their money where their mouths are

Scores of the US' richest people have pledged US$1 million or more towards a new attempt to reinvigorate the left and counter the powerful Republican political machine.

The money will be funnelled through an organization called the Democracy Alliance, which according to a report in the Washington Post, will help fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups seeking to halt the shift to the right in American culture and politics.

The formation of the alliance is a radical rethinking of Democratic strategy and a response to the frustration felt by many liberals at the Republican stranglehold of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House.

The alliance chairman, Steven Gluckstern, a retired investment banker, told the Post many liberal contributors felt that a dramatic new and sustained approach was needed, instead of the cash poured into special interest groups ahead of an election.

"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 organization aims to raise US$200 million, with more than 80 backers already agreeing to pledge US$200,000 a year over five years.

A board of directors will draw up a list of established and new organizations to develop and promote ideas on the left.

The aim is to foster the growth of institutions that can act as a counter-weight to rightwing think tanks like the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Hoover Institution.

The alliance is the brainchild of Democratic strategist Rob Stein, who said there is a big imbalance in the amount of cash that goes into left and rightwing think tanks.
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