For the last thirty years, conservatives have dominated the money game both inside and outside of the political spectrum. Think tanks like Heritage, Cato, Hoover and others have provided more than ample funds for conservative and libertarian theorists to mull over the next era of policies, and out of work politicians have had a steady source of money to tide them over in leaner years.

The Democrats and liberals have been much slower to embrace this policy -- until now. The Washington Post's Thomas B. Edsall reports on this newly developming story.

At least 80 wealthy liberals have pledged to contribute $1 million or more apiece to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up over the past three decades.

The money will be channeled through a new partnership called the Democracy Alliance, which was founded last spring -- the latest in a series of liberal initiatives as the Democratic Party and its allies continue to struggle with the loss of the House and the Senate in 1994 and the presidency in 2000. Many influential Democratic contributors were left angry and despairing over the party's poor showing in last year's elections, and are looking for what they hope will be more effective ways to invest their support.

Financial commitments totaling at least $80 million over the next five years generated by the Democracy Alliance in recent months -- at a time when some liberal groups, such as the George Soros-backed America Coming Together, are floundering -- suggest that the group is becoming a player in the long-term effort to reinvigorate the left. The group has a goal of raising $200 million -- a sum that would inevitably come in part at the expense of more traditional Democratic groups, although alliance officials say donors have committed to maintaining past contribution levels.

$80 million won't be enough to bring parity to the battle -- the right has yearly budgets in the hundreds of millions -- but it will provide a good start, at least.