Another consequence of November's shift in power. Groups that had wandered the wasteland for the past 8 years -- or even since 1981 -- once again have access to power. And of course those that had enjoyed access have lost it:
Less than 48 hours after Mr. Obama released his budget outline last week, oil and gas executives closely aligned with Republicans telegraphed a major fight against several tax provisions proposed for their industry. And real estate executives made it clear they would resist new limits on deductions for interest paid on mortgages for higher-income households, an area of common cause with Republicans.
Liberal groups are developing a broad variety of groups which intend to counter the highly effective communication apparatus that conservatives have built up over the past three decades:
Spurred in part by former Clinton White House aides seeking a return to power, and inspired by the success of the activist group MoveOn, liberals formed organizations like Media Matters for America, which calls attention to what it considers conservative-slanted news coverage, and the Center for American Progress, a group founded by John D. Podesta, Mr. Clinton’s former chief of staff and Mr. Obama’s transition director, to promote liberal solutions to major problems. With support from the billionaire George Soros and the Hollywood producer Steve Bing, among other undisclosed donors, the group became a liberal government in exile, developing a full range of policy prescriptions.
More signs of the significant shift in politics we are witnessing. We will monitor the conservative response.
