Democracy Alliance

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The Democracy Alliance is a donors collaborative established by a group of liberal political activists, labor unions and donors. Its members have given away more than $100 million to date to liberal nonprofit groups.[1] The first official meeting of the group took place near Scottsdale, Arizona in April 2005 in an atmosphere described by New York Times reporter Matt Bai as "intense secrecy".[2]

A PowerPoint presentation, "The Conservative Message Machine Money Matrix", created by Rob Stein and shown to individuals and small groups of donors in 2003 and 2004, is often credited as the reason that the group initially came together.[3] During the panel discussion, Stein said the Democracy Alliance has no intention of seeking tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service because such status would subject it to myriad rules and regulations and make it unduly problematic for it to operate.

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[edit] Members of the Democracy Alliance

Prominent members include George Soros, Peter B. Lewis, Susie Tompkins Buell, trial lawyer Guy Saperstein, trial lawyer Fred Baron, movie director Rob Reiner, Norman Lear, Drummond Pike, Rob McKay, Rutt Bridges, Patricia Stryker, Rob Glaser, Rob Johnson, Anne Bartley, Jonathan Heller, Charles Rodgers, Gail Furman, Davidi Gilo, Rachel Pritzker Hunter and the Service Employees International Union.[4][5]

[edit] Leadership

The first official meeting of the Democracy Alliance was held at The Boulders near Scottsdale, Arizona in April 2005. Rob Stein, whose famed PowerPoint presentation "The Conservative Message Machine Money Matrix" was the key motivating force that brought the group of progressives together, was installed as the Democracy Alliance's temporary CEO, pending its selection of a more permanent day-to-day leader.

At the Democracy Alliance's second meeting, held at the Chateau Elan near Atlanta, Georgia in October 2005, management consultant Judy Wade was installed as the second official CEO of the organization. At the fourth meeting of the Democracy Alliance, in Miami in November 2006, Wade was "abruptly" fired and replaced with Kelly Craighead.[6][7]

In July 2006, Taco Bell heir Rob McKay was elected chairman of the board and Anna Burger of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was elected vice chair.[8]

[edit] Organizations Funded

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1198857554.pdf "Billionaires for Big Government: What's Next for George Soros's Democracy Alliance?" Foundation Watch, January 2008
  2. ^ The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics
  3. ^ "How Vast The Left Wing Conspiracy", transcript of Hudson Institute panel discussion partly on the Democracy Alliance (with participation from its founder Rob Stein), November 30, 2006
  4. ^ "New Liberal Alliance Hopes to Replicate Conservatives' Success", Human Events, August 26, 2005
  5. ^ "A New Alliance Of Democrats Spreads Funding: But Some in Party Bristle At Secrecy and Liberal Tilt", Washington Post, July 17, 2006
  6. ^ The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics, p. 293
  7. ^ "More Turnover at a Big Donor Shop", U.S. News & World Report, April 16, 2007
  8. ^ "Big $$ for Progressive Politics", The Nation, October 16, 2006