In Washington’s politcal battle of ideas, the beleaguered left is getting some new resources.
The newly-formed Center for American Progress has established an office, launched a website, begun to hire a staff and organized a conference for later this month on national security.
According to The Washington Post, the center’s director– former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta– is aiming to “update the liberal agenda while beating back the conservative tide. Also, to discover, train and promote a new generation of liberal spokesmen. In other words, he wants to give the left of the American political spectrum a think tank to match the Heritage Foundation on the right.”
The emphasis appears to be as much on promoting liberal ideas through the media as on producing the ideas themselves.
So far the website is mostly an all-fronts assault on the Bush administration’s policies and performance. Of special interest is the Progress Report, which tracks the Bushies on a daily basis.
All well and good (though the comments on Iraq are mostly of the standard antiwar variety). Now all that’s needed are the ideas.
