His pledge, which could grow even larger, is the biggest donation ever to the Democratic Party. "George Soros has purchased the Democratic Party for his own political agenda," said David James, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

Soros, who created the Open Society Institute, said he is backing presumed Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry because he sees Bush as a threat to American democracy. "Bush is taking us in a very dangerous direction," Soros said. "Extremists have gained control of the administration after Sept. 11."

Soros, the world's 54th richest man, has supported medical-marijuana initiatives in Arizona and California. While some, like drug policy expert Joseph Califano, call Soros the "Daddy Warbucks of drug legalization," Soros contends that his drug policy is "saner" than the current war on drugs.

Soros acknowledged that his political contribution could provide a wider audience for his views about drug-policy reform, foreign policy, and the war on terrorism.

"My taking this stance will probably also give me a platform for advocating the policies I stand for, and I intend to do so," Soros said. "I don't expect Kerry necessarily to adopt the things that I would like to see adopted. But I hope that I'll have a better hearing for it."

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