Politics / The Latest New Democratic Think Tank Is a Dead End The Searchlight Institute, founded by former senate staffer Adam Jentelson, epitomizes the careerist tendencies of white-collar workers on the Hill. The upcoming showdown over funding the government affords the Democratic Party rare leverage to marshal this discontent into palpable gains against the consolidation of MAGA authoritarianism. So, naturally, savvy Beltway Democrats have launched a policy shop to steer the party toward the right. The new think tank, the Searchlight Institute, is the brainchild of former Senate staffer Adam Jentleson. Searchlight is named for the Nevada hometown of the late Democratic majority leader Harry Reid, who was Jentleson’s first employer on the Hill.