SOROS' $$ TOPPLES DA IN WAR OVER DRUGS

ALBANY -- In an unusual infusion of big money into local upstate politics,
billionaire George Soros poured cash into the Albany County district
attorney's race -- and engineered a stunning defeat of the incumbent
because the DA supports the strict Rockefeller drug laws.

The Soros-founded Drug Policy Alliance Network -- which favors repeal of
the Rockefeller laws -- contributed at least $81,500 to the Working
Families Party, which turned around and supported the successful Democratic
primary campaign of David Soares.

Trying to become Albany's first black DA, Soares on Tuesday unexpectedly
trounced his former boss, incumbent Albany DA Paul Clyne, who has opposed
changing the drug laws. The victory was overwhelming: Soares took 62
percent of the Democratic vote.

"This was more than a local race, that's what the [Soros] funding shows,"
said Assemblyman John McEneny, who supported the challenger's candidacy.

Soros, an international financier and philanthropist who says he is
dedicating his life to defeating President Bush, favors legalizing some drugs.

Clyne backers claim that the Working Families Party, using the Soros money,
illegally involved itself in the Democratic primary. They charge the Soros
cash was used to target Democratic voters with mass mailings and phone
calls labeling Clyne as the reason the drug laws were not reformed, as well
as highlighting his anti-abortion stance.

"A drug-legalization group funds the race for district attorney -- that's
kind of scary. And some of the public bought it," said a disappointed
Clyne, who is still on the November ballot on the Independence Party line.

Soares also received some $25,000 from an array of high-profile
out-of-towners supporting drug-law reform, including former U.S. Sen. Bob
Kerrey, Seagram CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. and music executive Jason Flom.

"This was a very well-organized effort run out of New York City," said
Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings, a Clyne supporter. "Why would they be
interested in an Albany County district-attorney race?"

Working Families Executive Director Dan Cantor denied his party directly
involved itself in the Democratic primary. But he argued that his liberal
party has every right to promote its candidate since Soares is also running
on the Working Family Party's line in the November general election.

A spokesman for Soros, Michael Vachon, said that while the billionaire
supports reforming the drug laws, his involvement in the Albany DA race was
limited to funding the Drug Policy Alliance Network. That group's executive
director, Ethan Nadelmann, said he briefly discussed with Soros the
network's involvement in the DA race several weeks ago, and sent him a note
Tuesday night telling him of the outcome.

All told, Soares spent more than $125,000 on the primary, while Clyne said
his spending will have exceeded $100,000.

Nadelmann said that the Soares victory raises the possibility that the
Soros-backed organization will spend even more money on races involving
other DAs in New York who oppose Rockefeller drug-law reform.

"All 'lock-'em-up, throw-away-the-key' DAs should take notice of what just
happened to Paul Clyne," Nadelmann said. "There will be consequences for
people who advocate inhumane and ineffective laws."

While the Soros family has already donated more than $15 million to get rid
of President Bush, it has also turned its attention to New York politics.

The Post recently reported that Soros' son, Robert, and his wife, Melissa
Schiff Soros, donated $100,000 to state Senate Democrats.