In March, "Who's Who" revealed efforts by John Podesta and Harold Ickes, both former White House chiefs of staff under Bill Clinton, to found a much-anticipated "Heritage of the left"

Washington Monthly, June, 2003 by Susan Threadgill

In March, "Who's Who" revealed efforts by John Podesta and Harold Ickes, both former White House chiefs of staff under Bill Clinton, to found a much-anticipated "Heritage of the left"--a progressive think tank that would give Democrats the kind of institutional muscle provided to the GOP by Washington's network of ideologically driven conservative think tanks.

Now it's official. The new organization, dubbed the American Majority Institute, recently filed as a 501(c)(3). Morton Halperin, a Beltway veteran who's done stints both in the government and at top think tanks like the Council on Foreign Relations, will reportedly run the policy shop. Sources tell us that George Soros is one major donor, and that Hillary Clinton's fundraising network will be put to work on behalf of the fledgling organization; the institute's movers and shakers want to raise $5 million this year and spend at least $10 million in 2004.