Joe Biden On The Record

Back in December, ONE members got all the presidential candidates to go on the record with their plans to fight global poverty. You can watch short video clips of Senator Biden discussing his plans on ONE’s “On The Record” microsite.

This was his response to the question: “If elected president, what would you want your legacy to be to Africa and the world’s poor?”

Below are his written replies to 5 questions from ONE:

On reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis:

“As President, I have pledged that I will provide at least $50 billion by 2013 to combat HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Millions of lives are at stake. We must make an investment that matches the scale of the epidemics.”

On eradicating malaria:

“Over one million people die yearly from malaria, a preventable disease. I have long supported efforts to develop a vaccine for malaria, and as President, I would expand these efforts. And I would make it a priority to increase access to prevention tools — we know they work. In the 21st century, no one should be dying from mosquito bites.”

On improving child and maternal health:

“The health and welfare of women and children are the foundation of every family, community, and nation. As a senator, I have introduced legislation to safeguard women and children in refugee and IDP camps and I am the author of the International Violence Against Women Act. As president, I would build on these efforts to address the interlinked health needs and human rights of women and children.”

On achieving universal primary education:

“I co-sponsored the Education for All Act and I have long supported universal primary education. Its the foundation of democracy, an investment in the future and the most powerful tool we have to empower women. Universal primary education is, simply put, a fundamental need.”

On cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food:

“Water born diseases are one of the leading killers of children under five. Hunger and malnutrition threaten the health and well being of millions more. Global warming will just make these problems worse. As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have seen the consequences of unsafe water and inadequate food around the world. As President, I would invest in helping countries tackle these challenges as part of a comprehensive health and development strategy.”

On additional commitments to the world’s poor:

I am proud to have partnered with Bono on Jubilee 2000 debt relief. We kept at it and the result was the G-8 debt relief actions at Glen Eagles in 2006. I see it as a moral and economic obligation to keep money in countries that have such great need instead of paying off what are often the long ago acquired debts of dictators. As the world’s richest country, we have a moral obligation to increase our share of the effort to eliminate poverty. It’s also strategically smart because it’s in our national security interest to help prevent states from failing. The countries that we help have an equal responsibility to invest these funds in their own people.”

-Virginia Simmons

Bono, Hillary, McCain and Obama

Bono was just on Idol GIves Back encouraging everyone to sign up at ONE.org, saying: “Tonight, save a life. Tomorrow, change the world.”

After, the three current presidential candidates spoke about the importance of fighting poverty. In December, ONE members sent tens of thousands of petitions and got all the candidates to go on the record with their plans to combat global poverty.

Check out their plans on ONE Action’s On The Record site.

Also, see our candidate reel below.

-Virginia Simmons

Saving A Million Lives is Low-Hanging Fruit

A major piece, with a major ONE shout-out, from Nicholas D. Kristof in the Times today.

But President Bush’s record underscores that other policies are difficult to get right as well: Iraq is a mess, and social security reform and immigration reform both failed. Mr. Bush’s greatest single accomplishment is that his AIDS program in Africa is saving millions of lives.

That makes it all the more stunning that Mr. Bush’s proposed budget for 2009 cuts U.S. funding for child and maternal health programs around the world by nearly 18 percent.

Fortunately, all the candidates are saying the right things about malaria, AIDS and support for education in Africa (although John McCain is fuzzier about commitments). You can compare the candidates’ positions on global humanitarian issues at www.onevote08.org.

Voters should remember this: A president may or may not be able to improve schools or protect manufacturing jobs in Ohio, but a president probably could help wipe out malaria. Compared with other challenges a president faces, saving a million children’s lives a year is the low-hanging fruit.

Read the full piece here, and remember to look through ONE Action’s “On The Record” site to learn the candidates’ plans to fight global poverty.

-Virginia Simmons

Today

Historically, as we move closer to the general election, campaigns, media and electorate itself, tends to talk a lot more about the horse race and a lot less about the issues.

Today, with critical presidential primaries in four states, I and my many ONE member friends and colleagues must work that much harder to raise the profile for global poverty in this country.

Remember, you can look at the candidate’s plans for global poverty on ONE Action’s On The Record site. If you happen to live in Ohio, Texas, Vermont or Rhode Island, you could consider talking about global poverty while in the voting line.

And, as always, stay tuned for more urgent actions in the days, weeks and months ahead.

-Virginia Simmons

The Iowa Caucuses Are (Finally) Here!

It’s Caucus Day in Iowa and a great time for Iowa ONE members and all of us to take a look at the what the candidates said in response to our demands that they go on the record on extreme poverty and global disease.

http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord

And if you’re in Iowa and not sure where your caucus site is, check out the links below.

Democratic caucus sites: http://www.iowafirstcaucus.org/caucus_finder.php

Republican caucus sites: http://www.iowagop.net/inner.asp?z=4

Rudy Pledges to Go “On The Record”

New Hampshire was still digging out from a weekend snow blast, but that did not stop Rudy Giuliani from campaigning this week…nor did it stop Michael Castaldo, ONE’s Marine, from making it out on the campaign trail for the poorest people on Earth.

Mayor Giuliani had only one scheduled campaign event on Monday - and it was at a NH business and closed to the public. But Michael figured that the mayor may make some “unannounced” stops while he was in the Dover area.

He send me this:

I called a friend that was “in the know” about Rudy and he told me the Mayor was going to do an editorial board meeting at Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, but that right now, he was on his way to the “Christmas Dove” in Barrington… 5 miles from my house! So a quick shower and shave, and I was on the move! The owners of the shop are ONE members and were sad they did not have their ONE shirts on! But they were glad to get another band as was their two year old daughter.

When the Mayor arrived, he shook my hand, and I was able to ask him if he would agree to make a video to go “On the Record”. He told me he would be glad to, and that he would get in touch with HQ on the subject. Later after choosing a Santa clause character for his house, he posed for a photo with me.

The snow is here in NH but that doesn’t stop ONE Vote ‘08 and the voices of 2.4 million ONE members that are making sure the next president of the United States is a leader in the fight against global disease, and extreme - stupid - poverty. Way to Michael!

-Matthew Bartlett, Regional ONE Organizer

ONE to one - Letter 5!

ONE member Brianna Shepard from Santa Monica, CA, wrote this letter to a likely Iowa caucus-goer. We liked the letter so much that we’re amplifying her voice by mailing it to 8,000 more Iowans.

I am writing you from Santa Monica California, a long way from Iowa. You may have guessed in this political season that this is a political note — it is, but with a different message which I am hopeful you will read.
In this letter I am not asking you to vote for a particular candidate, or even a party. I am asking you, a fellow citizen, to take a few minutes to consider extreme poverty and global disease and how our presidential candidates plan to put the leadership of our great country to work, to help millions of people around the world lift themselves out of poverty.

As a concerned ONE member, an organization with 2.4 million members including thousands in Iowa, I am asking you to find out where the candidates stand on issues of extreme poverty and global disease by visiting ONE Action’s On The Record campaign at www.onevote08.org/otr which has video from the presidential candidates and a tool that lets you compare their plans to achieve the following goals:

• Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis;
• Eradicating malaria;
• Improving child and maternal health;
• Achieving universal primary education;
• Cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food.

Helping people help themselves, by ending extreme poverty and global disease, is the right thing to do, no matter which candidate you vote for. So, when you go into your caucus, I ask you to please think about which candidate has the best plan to tackle these important issues and to help change our entire world for the better.

Thank you for your concern.

Sincerely,
Brianna Shepard, ONE member
Santa Monica, CA

ONE to one - Letter 4!

ONE member Jillian Slater of Minneapolis’s letter to Iowa caucus-goers.

I’m not going to be caucusing on January 3rd. In fact, I don’t live in Iowa and I’ve never met you. I’m not a member of the U.S. government, or being paid to send out a mass letter to a number of people on a list. I’m a hair stylist from Minnesota, a typical 9-5er, so to speak, and I’m taking the time to write to you today because there is an issue that I care deeply about.

I’m not asking you to vote for a particular candidate, or even a party. I’m just hoping you’ll take a few minutes to learn about extreme poverty and global disease and how the presidential candidates plan to put American leadership to work to help millions of people around the world lift themselves out of poverty.

I know it’s hard to involve yourself in such an issue when it doesn’t hit close to home, but it shouldn’t have to! Imagine yourself in their position…no way out. If we find it necessary to get involved with issues in Iraq and the Middle East as a whole, why should we not take concern with the masses of people around the world hurting as a result of poverty and disease? I’m not a saint, or anything close to it, I just have a heart that beats with a passion for those less fortunate. I know you do to. You have an amazing chance to do something about it.
ONE has put together a pretty interesting website called On The Record www.onevote08.org/otr with video from the presidential candidates and a tool that lets you compare their plans to achieve the following goals:

• Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis;
• Eradicating malaria;
• Improving child and maternal health;
• Achieving universal primary education;
• Cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food.

Ending extreme poverty and global disease is the right thing to do, will make the world a safer place and is within our power. When you go into your caucus, think about which candidate has the best plan to tackle these issues and to help change our world for the better. Remember, it’s not as far from home as you may think. Please reach inside your heart and take action… It’s up to you!

Sincerely,
Jillian Slater, ONE Member
Minneapolis, IN

ONE to one - Letter 3!

ONE member Pamela Kombe of Kissimmee, FL, wrote this letter to a likely Iowa caucus-goer as part of our “ONE to one” campaign. We thought it was great and decided to maximize her voice by mailing to 8,000 more Iowans.

My name is Pamela Kombe. I’m writing today to talk about extreme poverty and global disease - issues I care deeply about.

First let me tell you I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, slightly upper middle class. In the beginning I saw my parents struggle and I thought we were poor. But as I grew up, I understood more about poverty. In 2004 I married a man from Kenya, Africa, a wonderful man, with strong family values and an unbelievable work ethic. This man knew first hand of poverty in its ugliest meaning. All of my husband’s family still lives in Kenya, the challenges they face everyday are unlike anything you and I could ever imagine.

To imagine your own mother missing meals for days, to be sick with malaria, and not be able to get the medication because it’s so expensive. To not have clean drinking water. To watch her 25 yr old son die of AIDS, in an agonizing way that is preventable with affordable medical care. These are things we deal with, and we do everything we can to make their life easier in any way possible.

As a concerned ONE member, an organization with 2.4 million members including thousands in Iowa, I am asking you to find out where the candidates stand on issues of extreme poverty and global disease by visiting ONE Action’s On The Record campaign at www.onevote08.org/otr<. This is a way that you can have a say in the life of someone not as fortunate as you and I.

You may have seen ONE members at campaign events or our ads in newspapers or on TV. We're committed to making sure the next president of the United States is a strong leader in the struggle to end global poverty, and I hope you will join us and caucus for the candidate that you think has the best plan.

Sincerely,
Pamela Kombe, ONE Member
Kissimmee, FL