US billionaires bankroll anti-Bush ads

Guardian Unlimitied ^ | 11-11-03

[Brian S]

Claire Cozens Tuesday November 11, 2003

Two of the world's richest men have pledged up to $5m for an anti-George Bush advertising campaign in an effort to oust the US president in next year's presidential election.

The international financier George Soros and Peter Lewis, chairman of the US motor insurance firm Progressive Corp, are prepared to spend £3m between them on television ads criticising the president.

They have pledged to donate 50 cents for every $1 raised for a planned $10m campaign being put together by the online activists Moveon.org.

The organisation, which has already begun broadcasting ads in West Virginia, is planning a major anti-Bush campaign focusing on the war in Iraq, the economy and the state of the American education system.

Mr Soros is a known supporter of the Democratic party and already contributes $1m a year to the leftwing think-tank the Center for American Progress and famously gave away nearly $5 bn - £2.9bn - to promote democracy in the former Soviet bloc, Africa and Asia.

He told the Washington Post defeating Mr Bush was "the central focus of my life", adding that the 2004 presidential race was "a matter of life and death".

"America, under Bush, is a danger to the world. And I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is," he said.

New legislation in the US bars political parties from spending large sums of money on advertising to vote out their opponents. Instead, pressure groups such as Moveon.org have stepped in to mobilise voters.

It is the first time Mr Soros has contributed such a large amount to a US campaign - in 2000 he gave $122,000, mostly to Democratic causes and candidates.

But recently Mr Soros has become alarmed at a rise in the influence of what he calls the neo-conservatives, whom he claims are exploiting the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US to promote an agenda of pre-emptive war.

"Bush feels that on September 11 he was anointed by God," Soros said. "Rather than defeating terrorism, he's leading the US and the world toward a vicious circle of escalating violence."

· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857

[Az Joe]

Blah, blah, blah.

[jmstein7]

Geez... where are all these "mega-rich" Republicans? It seems like all the millionaires and billionaires are Democrats.

I guess they would have to be to afford the Dem tax hikes. It prevents ordinary Americans from becoming as wealthy as them.

[GOP_Lady]

Oh, how I wish I still worked at Progressive -- it would be worth it to see Peter Lewis' face when he walked past my cube and saw a pic of "W" on it.

[Sister_T]

Gee. And all this time I thought the Republicans were the party of the rich! </sarcasm!>

[Defender2]

Soros, probably paying the enemy to do what their doing. As I have said, demoCommiecRATS, aiders, abetters, comfort givers to our enemies!!!!

[Camel Joe]

Time to drop "Progressive", also a code word for socialist, as a carrier for any of you using them.

[shaggy eel]

,,, did you know that Peter Lewis appeared in an Auckland Court [New Zealand] on possesion of drugs charges? It was a year or so ago... a bit of hooch, if I recall. He got name suppression for a while. Nobody here had heard of him before. He made a suitable donation to charity and walked out of Court.

[My Favorite Headache]

My policy is running out in a month with them...looks like I should drop them.

[CyberAnt]

Let 'em go ahead and waste their money. It will only mean a more sure defeat in 2004. They'll be almost totally out of office and totally out of money to support candidates.

This will not be good for Hillary's run for the Senate in 2006. Maybe she ought to reconsider .. Hmmmm? maybe not!

[white trash redneck]

Remember when the DemocRAT party was the party of the common man?

[GOP_Lady]

Yes, it was all over the news here in Cleveland. Did you know that I had to help him with his Dukakis fundraiser when I worked there? LOL.

[woofie]

Where is campaign finance reform when ya need it?

[YaYa123]

Every party's got it's Sugar Daddy. Ours was (is), Richard Mellon Scaif. Remember how he was demonized and villified by Democrats?

Guess Saint Soros won't get Scaif-ed by the media.

[alloysteel]

Perhaps there was something in the background of George Soros, a factor that keeps him from seeing the contradictory nature of how he views America and the Bush Administration. Soros seems to be of the opinion that if George W. Bush is in favor of some certain view, he must, by almost involuntary reflex, take a position against that point of view. Logic and reason seem somehow suspended when he hear Republicans speak. Despite what he may believe, Republicans share NO affinity with the Nazi point of view. Yet, that doctrine seems to be ingrained in the mindset of George Soros. Nor is he the only person who holds this opinion.

In Soros' eyes, Stalin was not all that bad. And it is not coincidence that Saddam Hussein has more than passing resemblance to "Uncle Joe". Therefore, anyone who would challenge Saddam, and by analogy, Joe Stalin, must be like Adolf Hitler. Thus, George W. Bush "must be" the modern analog of the leader of the Third Reich, and America is the modern Nazi Germany.

I don't believe this, not a bit, but I am just trying to trace some thought processes (or lack thereof) among those who seem to be visceral Bush-haters.

[TexasCajun]

If I had Progressive Insurance I'd be thinking about changing policies.

If in Tx., drop me a line, my wife writes for State Farm.

[junkbond]

Peter Lewis of Progressive Insurance made large donations to Democrats. A definitive agreement was announced 11/6/96 for Progressive Insurance to acquire Midland Financial. The CEO of Midland Financial -Charles H. ("Hank") Gray, III - died in the TWA Flight 800 crash. Gray was on board the flight in order to secure financing in France for a merger between Midland and another Insurance company (Danaher Group?). The possibility of Web Hubbell working for Progressive Life Insurance was also discussed between Hubbell and a White House aide at around the same time.

[alloysteel]

And remember, it is not necessary for a policy to expire before you substitute a policy from a competitor to replace it. In fact, the best of all times for Progressive policy holders to be shopping around for a different carrier is right now, while Progressive is still solvent and able to provide coverage over the short term.

Anybody ready to organize a boycott of Progressive?

[shaggy eel]

Did you know that I had to help him with his Dukakis fundraiser when I worked there? LOL.

,,, surely there's some grounds for you to claim a payout for undue trauma? [LOL]

[atruelady]

We should start a mass boycotting of Progressive Insurance.