Posted on 09/28/2004 11:14:23 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON - George Soros, the financier and philanthropist who has donated more than $12 million to prevent President Bush's re-election, said Tuesday he'll spend more of his fortune for his own political speaking tour in key states.
"Bush's war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States," Soros said at a news conference launching a $2 million speaking tour and ad campaign in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other closely contested states. "If we re-elect him now, we endorse the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive action ... and we will have to live with the consequences."
Soros, 74, has spent part of his billions mostly through controversial advertisement produced by such organizations as MoveOn.org and others.
A Hungarian native who spent his early years under Nazi fascism and Soviet communism, Soros called the election in November "the most important one of my lifetime."
He repeated earlier statements Tuesday that Bush's post-Sept. 11, 2001, challenge to the world to be "with us or against us" on terrorism reminded him of Nazi attacks on freedom and dissent.
The Bush campaign has called Soros a big-spending, left-wing extremist who has funded drug decriminalization groups and recklessly uses analogies comparing Bush to Nazis.
"The only explanation for the Daddy Warbucks of the Democratic Party, George Soros, to step out from behind the curtain 35 days before the election is his obvious concern for his investment in (Democratic presidential candidate) John Kerry," said Republican National Committee spokesman Jim Dyke.
Soros said Tuesday he will mail 2 million copies of a pamphlet titled "Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush." He has also written and published the book The Bubble of American Supremacy, which is an extended anti-Bush essay.
"There are many more people willing to risk their lives to kill Americans than there were on Sept. 11, and our security is deteriorating," Soros said Tuesday of the war in Iraq.
Soros was convicted of insider trading by a French court in 2002 and fined $2.2 million. Through a foundation, he donates about $450 million a year to causes he says promote "democracy and an open society."
Critics have accused Soros of spending on behalf of some dubious causes, including the legalization of marijuana.
Soros was joined Tuesday by former U.S. diplomats and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who ran against Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clark warmly praised Soros while castigating Bush.
"He took us to a war we didn't have to fight in Iraq," Clark said of Bush. "And now he is failing our troops there."
michael.hedges@chron.com
IMO, this falls under the category of "a fool and his money are soon parted".
I can't SAY why reading that put a smile on my face, but you can probably figure it out. :)
This is actually the only sane cause this guy is supporting.
When can we expect the media to pitch a hissy fit about this the way they did about the Texan who contributed $100K to the Swift Boat Veterans?
Oh...right...never.
What is the deal with this evil Bond movie villian? Will Soros make more billions if the democrats win? Does he owe a favor to the democrats? Is this to escape federal indictment?
Probably bears the initials M.L.E., no?
Democrats sure have a lot of money. Why doesn't Soros use his wealth to fund health care for middle class people? I hope (yeah right) the MSM picks up how the rich are trying to buy the election from Therayzuh, through Babs to Soros.
Hmmm, let's see: 2004 - 74 = 1930...
The Social Democrats and the traditional parties of the center and right were unable to deal with the shock of the Depression, and were, moreover, all tainted with association with the Weimar system, and in the elections of September 1930 the Nazis suddenly rose from obscurity to win more than 18% of the vote and 107 seats in the Reichstag, becoming the second largest party..."If we re-elect him now, we endorse the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive action ... and we will have to live with the consequences."In the July 1932 elections the Nazis had their best showing yet, winning 230 seats and becoming the largest party. Since now the Nazis and Communists together controlled a majority of the Reichstag, the formation of a stable government of mainstream parties was impossible, and, following a vote of no-confidence in the Papen government supported by 84% of the delegates, the new Reichstag was immediately dissolved and new elections called...
...in the elections of November 1932, the Nazis actually lost votes, although they remained by far the largest party in the Reichstag...
But neither Hitler himself nor the party he headed garnered a majority vote. In the last free elections, the Nazis polled 33% of the vote, winning 196 seats out of 584. Even in the elections of March 1933, which took place after terror and violence had suffused the state, the Nazis received only 44% of the vote...
Sounds to me as though Soros is campaigning for Bush.
Nolpe...that one isn't "sane" either and Soros wants ALL drugs legalized;not just pot.
Soros doesn't care about the poor - besides WE need to foot the bill for the poor.
Thank you for the post.
The man doesn't know his own mind.
Having money doesn't make you intelligent.
I just hope we can find out what's at the bottom of this and that this creep will spend his remaining years in prison.
Hope he's coming to Pittsburgh...It would be fun to FReep hum.
prisoner6
Who stands to benefit from all of Soros' cash that he's going to throw around for his tour? Somebody's going to get paid.
He he he he
Fortuneately for him President Bush is civilized. But perhaps he is too deluded to appreciate that he's physically safe, no matter how much of a jack-a$$ he is.
OTOH the IRS might be scratching around for something to do....
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