Beyond Swift Boat

We’ve gotten used to the idea of independent groups funneling soft money into political campaign ads, but in this election some progressives are trying to do something entirely new. According to a report by NPR and the Center for Investigative Reporting, a band of crafty activists is trying to create a grand network for progressive issues and groups.

NPR:

“The big hole in the progressive infrastructure that we filled was that in each state, we act almost like a PR firm to help all the different progressive organizations,” [Progress Now director Michael] Huttner says.

The Left has never had anything like this — a place in cyberspace for groups to coordinate and deliver their messages to activists. And there’s nothing like it on the Right.

The Progress Now network began forming in 2006. Initial financing came from a coalition of big-dollar donors called the Democracy Alliance, which wants to build a long-lasting progressive infrastructure.

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