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
Soros only cares about Soros.
No, RIP would be closer...;)
Brought about by Mean Life Expectancy.
Frankly, I agree with Soros on this matter.
Our drug policy is insane, not to mention destructive.
Dopers are insane;not to mention destructive.
Soros is insane; not to mention destructive.
Yes,he is.
Agreed.
not to mention destructive.
It's their problem, not yours or mine.
You aren't very old,are you?
Yeah, I'm older...old enough to have seen the corruption, the racism, and general futility of this "drug war".
No...it becomes our problem,when they harm/rob/destroy/kill others.
That's why we have laws against driving drunk, have laws that restrict people from bringing firearms into bars, have laws against robbery etc...
Now ask your self why, in drug related matters, would people "harm, rob, destroy and kill others?
There ought to be a law!
This includes YOU, Blofeld Soros. Your kind LOVES anything that suggests America is hated, although I'll be damned if I can figure out why.
And because obviously no one has said this to you in a very long time [OBVIOUS ALERT, ASSCLOWN], this Hitler and Stalin shi'ite you're spouting is sinful. You'd have been taken out long before this.
Go ahead and spend your money. You won't see that loose change again.
Which businesses does Soros own a part of or is associated with? I truly want to boycott them!
And since there ARE laws against murder,which haven't stopped people from committing murders,we should get rid of those laws too,in your lexicon. Yes?
Why would strung out/stoned dopers rob,kill,maim,etc.? To get money for more dope,because they're out of their wee minds,and/or because they have lost control of rational thought;I guess. And making dope legal,won't stop them from committing crimes.
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