General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Resolved? Hillary Clinton is a Liberal Democrat [View all]merrily
(45,251 posts)When the DLC first formally organized, Koch Industries donated to it and one of the Koch brothers had a seat on its Executive Council.
http://americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-the-dlc-and-served-on-its-executive-council.html
(According to Jean Mayer of The New Yorker, this was about the same time as the Koch brothers began planning the Tea Party.)
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/30/covert-operations
The first two full-time employees of the DLC were Al From and Will Marshall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council
Marshall later founded the Progressive Policy Institute. It's web home page used to say something like, "Welcome to the Progressive Policy Institute, the place for pragmatic progressives."
I haven't checked lately, but the last time I checked, it no longer said that. Perhaps Tom Tomorrow got to PPI?
Anyway, PPI was founded in 1989, only a few years after official formation of the DLC. In 2003, Marshall, who is still President of PPI, signed the PNAC letter, urging Bush to invade Iraq.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marshall
How's that for progressive? How's that for pragmatic?