BILLIONAIRE PONIES UP MILLIONS MORE FOR POLITICAL ADS

George Soros, who built a fortune gambling on financial markets, has
upped the ante again in his effort to oust George W. Bush from the
White House, spending $2 million on newspaper ads in 11 key states.

Along with another $1 million for mailers and Web site support, the
latest outlay pushes Soros' contribution to the Democratic
presidential efforts beyond $21 million. He previously contributed
millions to America Coming Together and the Center for American
Progress, which have supported an aggressive ad campaign against the
president.

Soros' lavish spending has drawn criticism from Republicans, who find
his contributions hypocritical, given his financial support for the
groups that championed the McCain-Feingold campaign finance
legislation.

Heather Layman, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee,
said voters also should question Soros' influence on Kerry's policy
decisions.

"It's natural to wonder if John Kerry supports George Soros on things
like legalizing marijuana and saying that the president's words
conjure up memories of Nazi Germany," Layman said.

Soros said he decided to put another $3 million behind Sen. John Kerry
(D-Massachusetts) to counter the momentum Bush generated at the
Republican National Convention and through ads attacking Kerry's
record as a soldier in Vietnam.

The new ads, two pages each in 36 newspapers including the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel, began appearing earlier this week. The ad appears in
today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, along with 15 newspapers in swing
states.