INDEPENDENT VOICES RISING IN ADS

WASHINGTON -- The latest independent voice in this year's presidential
campaign is that of an 83-year-old, self-made billionaire who wants to
convince John Kerry and the Democrats that it's politically safe to be liberal.

John Sperling is the force -- and the money -- behind a quirky $2 million
advertising campaign in major newspapers this month. It promotes his idea
that the nation is divided into two camps, which he labels "metro" and "retro."

Retro America, marked by religious fundamentalism and militarism, is the
irretrievable bastion of Republicans, in Sperling's view. The metro states
are the home of racial tolerance, economic dynamism and growth, which
should serve as a roadmap for Democrats to retake political power, he says.

"It seems pretty clear to me that the Democrats had better stop trying to
be all things to all voters and concentrate on a base for themselves," he
said in an interview.

Sperling's ideas are contained in a book, The Great Divide, being
distributed by Amazon.com beginning today. His campaign to shape the debate
is at least the third new independent effort this month and the latest in a
year full of freelance political crusades.

Though there have been no formal studies of independent political ad
campaigns this year, "it does seem like there has been an increase in
activity by wealthy individuals aimed at influencing the elections," said
Larry Noble, director of the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
The increase may be in part a response to a new law that bans large
individual donations to political parties, as well as a reflection of
"people's passion about this election," Noble said.

Last week, a Washington-based group called People of Color United began
airing anti-Kerry ads on radio stations with largely black audiences. One
ad attacked his failure to vote on a bill extending jobless benefits.
Another mocked an assertion by Kerry's wife, Teresa, that she is
African-American because she was born in Mozambique. The group has spent
about $85,000 on the ads so far. Its leading funder is J. Patrick Rooney, a
white businessman who made a fortune selling high-deductible medical
insurance as chairman of Golden Rule Insurance. His business interests have
been helped by the Bush administration's support for medical savings accounts.

Another anti-Kerry salvo came from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group
of Vietnam veterans who aired a harsh TV ad this month that calls into
question whether Kerry deserved the Purple Hearts and Bronze Star medals he
was awarded for his service. The $174,000 campaign in smaller cities in
Wisconsin, West Virginia and Ohio was heavily funded by Texas home builder
Bob Perry, a longtime Republican contributor.

This year's presidential campaign has seen an explosion of political
activity by groups that are independent of the candidates and political
parties, led by several Democratic-allied organizations. Their leading
financial backer is international financier George Soros, who has put up
about $15.3 million to help Kerry -- a number that could increase by
Election Day.

Sperling is an Arizona entrepreneur and self-described "meddler" who made
his fortune as founder of the University of Phoenix, a nationwide network
of campuses and online courses aimed at working adults. Despite attacks
from accrediting agencies and charges that it is a diploma mill, the
university has grown to be the nation's largest private educational
enterprise, with more than 180,000 students.

Sperling has an interest in biological research. He hired a team that tried
unsuccessfully to clone his dog Missy but succeeded in cloning a cat (named
CC, for Copy Cat). Sperling also has invested in research on human longevity.

He has been a significant donor to Democratic candidates and party
committees over the past decade, giving about $344,000 during that time. He
says he has raised about $400,000 in individual contributions for Kerry
this year.

Sperling's biggest role in politics has been as an advocate for medical
marijuana use and other changes in drug laws. State disclosure records show
he has pumped more than $3.4 million into 21 such ballot campaigns in
recent years, often in concert with Soros and Ohio insurance executive
Peter Lewis.

Sperling acknowledges that his effort may be ignored by Kerry as a
distraction from campaign themes. "Let's hope that it is at least as
helpful as it is harmful," he said.