Money Where Mouth Is

17 November 2003


Soros Pays to Stop Bush

George Soros, billionaire, philanthropist and convicted inside-trader (France, December 2002, fined €2.2 million), has donated $5 million to MoveOn.org to help unseat President Bush in a year's time. “America, under Bush, is a danger to the world,” said Mr. Soros, “and I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is.” The pro-Bush crowd are upset, and the campaign reform mob are bothered, but what else is a billionaire to do?

The Bush-backers laughable in their attitude. “It’s incredibly ironic that George Soros is trying to create a more open society by using an unregulated, under-the-radar-screen, shadowy, soft-money group to do it,” Republican National Committee spokeswoman Christine Iverson said. This from supporters of a president who was appointed by the Supreme Court, and who intends to spend $200 million of other people's money to have his contract renewed.

The more worrisome reaction came from Democracy 21, a group in favor of campaign finance reform. Its president, Fred Wertheimer, said, "There’s some irony, given the supporting role he [Soros] played in helping to end the soft money system.” Soros coughed up around $18 million for that worthy cause. However, the left never seems to understand street-fighting. He added, “I’m sorry that Mr. Soros has decided to put so much money into a political effort to defeat a candidate. We will be watchdogging him closely.”

Watchdog away, Mr. Wertheimer. If Mr. Soros truly believes that President Bush is a threat to world peace, it would be irresponsible of him to worry about ideological purity when a compromise can save lives. The ineptitude of the "progressives" in America is why the right has been in the White House for so long (Mr. Clinton counts as a rightist, too -- "New" Democrat). They reject the good while waiting for perfection; they will wear a T-shirt that says "By Any Means Necessary" but lack the guts to act on the slogan.

Mr. Soros, of course, is not a native-born American, or he could run for president himself as H. Ross Perot did. This is a pity because he is willing to say things (in a tone far too shrill for TV, unfortunately) that none of the Democrats running for president is prepared to say.

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