From the Wall Street Journal:

American Crossroads isn’t alone. February saw the launch of the American Action Network, spurred to life by GOP fund-raiser Fred Malek. Modeled on the liberal Center for American Progress, backed by Haley Barbour and Jeb Bush and headed up by former Sen. Norm Coleman, it’s a self-described “action tank.” Its policy arm, run by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, will shape conservative ideas and serve as a message shop for GOP candidates.

Mr. Gillespie last year teamed up with GOP pollster Whit Ayres to create Resurgent Republic. It’s a mirror of Democracy Corps, created in 1999 by James Carville and pollster Stan Greenberg to produce opinion research and analysis for Democratic candidates. And in January Mr. Gillespie took over the Republican State Leadership Committee, which exists to elect Republicans at the state level. The goal is to double fund raising to $40 million, to win key legislatures and governorships, and to position the party to take maximum advantage of the redistricting that follows this year’s census.

Strategy is driving these conservative creations, but they’ve also arrived in an environment rich with opportunity. Former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed last year launched his Faith and Freedom Coalition, which already has 200,000 members. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling gives his group a bigger donor pool and the right to more express political advocacy.

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