Liberal spending groups begin sprouting green shoots

It looks like the left-wing independent spending infrastructure, long moribund, is starting to show its first signs of new life. According to The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent, Media Matters founder David Brock is in the planning stages of forming a new group designed to counter the successful network of shadow GOP organizations — like American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS – conceived by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie:

“David is on the road right now talking to donors and strategists who would be interested in this,” the source tells me, adding that Brock intends to create a 527, which has partial donor disclosure rules. “He’s out pitching it right now.”

“There’s a general sense that in 2010 nothing was done and it cost Democrats,” the source continues. “People realize, including in the White House, that something needs to be done in 2012 or progressives will suffer at the ballot box again.”

Reached for comment, Media Matters spokesman Ari Rabin-Havt would only say: “No comment.”

These are doubtless only the first rumblings of what will be long process of new groups declaring themselves in the lead-up to 2012. It also seems like another indication that Democrats have pretty much thrown in the towel on enacting meaningful campaign finance laws before 2012.