Michael Castaldo, better know as “ONE’s Marine”, has an Op-Ed in yesterday’s New Hampshire Union Leader, the only statewide newspaper in NH.

In his piece, Michael mentions ONE, and lays out the reasons why the US cannot turn away from the world’s poorest people even in these tough times.

Many of you may remember Michael from his work on the campaign trail and when he joined ONE in DC last month to help accept the CGD award. He is a cook at a local restaurant, a former Marine, a husband, and a father to 3 boys.

He is also a tireless and brilliant advocate for ONE and the world’s poorest people.

Here’s an excerpt from his Op-Ed:

“I KNOW Americans don’t have it easy right now. Among my own circle of family and friends, I can count many who have lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings, their retirement portfolios. These are challenging times. So, it might be a bad time to talk to my neighbors about why it’s important for Americans to continue our generosity to the world’s poor. However, the moment could not be more appropriate to stay the course in the fight to end global poverty because, what happens there affects us here. It’s not an either/or decision: We can help the world’s poor and ourselves.

The U.S. government provides less than one-half of one percent of the entire federal budget to support international development efforts, amounting to $22 billion in 2007. For those who’d say that those dollars are better used here than in faraway places, let me tell you why the reverse is just as imperative.”

You can read the full piece here.

Go Michael!

Go ONE!

-Matthew Bartlett

As ONE members across the nation continue to take action and urge their elected leaders to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, we are exploring more and better ways to support ONE members in their own community.

If you live in New Hampshire or Vermont, please join us in the first of a series of local ONE Conference Calls to update you on important local actions, events, and opportunities. Your voice is critically important in making sure that our nation is doing all we can to help save millions of lives around the world.

Please RSVP and join us for these calls and look to the ONE blog for more local calls and actions in your community.

We hope to hear from you soon!

-Matthew Bartlett

Today, the 111th Congress was sworn in, and in it are many new representatives and senators that will need to hear from ONE members about the importance saving lives in the developing world. I am in DC today, so I decided to swing by the office of my new senator from New Hampshire, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

When I got to there I noticed that former Press Secretary to President Clinton, Mike McCurry was in the room and I immediately noticed the ONE band he was sporting. We spoke briefly about the ONE Vote ‘08 launch in New Hampshire that he attended back in 2007. I also ran into New Hampshire Representative Paul Hodes and spoke with him about the campaign trail back in the Granite State.

Then I briefly spoke with Sen. Shaheen about ONE and our efforts to fight global disease and extreme poverty, and I am sure that she will be hearing from ONE members as she has been named to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Today I met my new senator, and urged her to take action to help save millions of lives. But ONE members everywhere should call, write, and meet with your new members of Congress to make sure they know that saving lives in the world’s poorest places is not only possible, it is a priority!

-Matthew Bartlett

This week, Gov. Palin made her first trip to campaign in New Hampshire. And just like every candidate before her since late 2006, she was greeted by ONE members from all over the Granite State celebrating our nation’s efforts to save lives in the developing world, and asking the next President to accelerate these historic and heroic efforts.

In Dover, ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo made it out to the campaign rally with his son Louis. Although they did not get a chance to speak directly with Gov. Palin, Michael was able to snag a quick photo with NH’s Senator Sununu, who most ONE members know from his work as an original co-sponsor of the newest global AIDS, TB, and Malaria Bill called PEPFAR.

Later on, I caught up with Gov. Palin with some ONE members in Laconia. We were poised and ready with ONE bands but unfortunately did not get a chance to speak with her. Either way, I’m sure that she saw our ONE shirts in the crowd!

As we head into the final days, ONE members everywhere should be proud of all the efforts we have collectively taken in this election cycle to make sure that the next President of the United States leads the fight against global disease and extreme poverty. From taking action online, to letter writing, to meeting the candidates at various campaign rallies, we are raising our voices together as ONE, with the world’s poorest people.

-Matthew Bartlett

Sen. Joe Biden was in New Hampshire yesterday to campaign in Dover and Manchester. ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo made it out of bed early for the world’s poorest people and caught up with Sen. Biden at the Dover event. He was able to briefly speak with Sen. Biden, who was one of the original co-sponsors of the new global AIDS, TB, and Malaria bill- called PEPFAR- that President Bush signed a few months ago. Michael even snapped a quick photo with him on the way out.

In Manchester, I caught up with Sen. Biden with some ONE members too. After his speech, we made a quick dash to the rope line and we were able to briefly thank him and celebrate the new PEPFAR bill. We also encouraged him to accelerate efforts to save lives around the world by providing full funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation – a new and more efficient way of creating partnerships in development between the US and desperately poor nations.

Our efforts to save lives in highly impoverished countries reflect the best of American values and traditions. But it is also a very wise effort to help make more friends and allies around the world and prevent further instability and despair.

-Matthew Bartlett

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson came to New Hampshire today to hold a foreign policy town hall meeting and speech on behalf of Senator Obama.

Gov. Richardson is very familiar with ONE from his own days on the campaign trail and this was no different. As soon as he came to the podium he saw ONE members in the front row, and immediately commended us on our tireless efforts throughout the NH Primary, and beyond, to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty.

After a brief speech, ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo asked Gov. Richardson if a potential Obama administration would work to ensure the full funding and appropriations for life saving programs like PEPFAR – the newly enhanced and expanded global AIDS, malaria, and TB Bill, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation which partners responsible, but highly impoverished nations with more and better aid for healthcare and infrastructure projects.

You can see it here:

Even in such a divisive political year and in the midst of economic uncertainty, ONE members everywhere should take pride in our non-partisan commitment to the world’s poorest people. Whether it’s at the UN General Assembly, or town halls in the Granite State, good people from both sides of the political aisle are realizing what our nation can do to help save millions of lives around the world.

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Field Organizer

New Hampshire ONE members were up early on Saturday as Sen. Obama held a rally in Veterans Park in Manchester.

I ran into some ONE members that were in the front of the line a little before 7am for an event that wouldn’t begin until 10:30am. The ONE Bus was there too, and we parked around the corner from the park to talk with people about ONE and US efforts to save lives in the poorest countries on Earth. Many ONE members made it out in their ONE shirts and even more were excited to see the ONE Bus, gladly taking ONE bands and ONE literature with them.

There were over 8,000 people in the crowd and I was not able to get close but I received a text message from ONE member, Tucker Jadczak who was up front, saying that a few ONE members made it on stage with Sen. Obama in their ONE shirts! Even more ONE members called to tell me that they saw the ONE shirts on stage. Looking out in the crowd you could see black ONE shirts everywhere!

As the event ended, I ran into blogger Chaz Proulx and NH Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. I spoke with her about ONE and her support of the AIDS-fighting PEPFAR legislation in the US House and snapped a quick photo for the ONE bog. Then we took off for another ONE event at Brandeis University with the ONE Bus.

It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent. Your voice can help fight global AIDS and extreme poverty, and people everywhere are realizing the power of ONE!

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer

The UNH for ONE student group at the University of New Hampshire held a rally yesterday with our giant ONE Bus on campus in Durham. Over 400 students came out and joined ONE in the fight against global disease and extreme poverty!

UNH for ONE President Rachel Cope taped a brief message during all the action

ONE members everywhere are working with their campuses, co-workers, and communities to make sure our leaders are taking urgent action to help save millions of lives around the world. Keep it up, and you never know where you will find the ONE Bus next!

Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer

Sen. Obama was in New Hampshire this weekend and so was our giant ONE Bus! We met up with him Friday night in Concord, NH at a campaign rally.

Although it was raining, we spoke with many people in line about ONE and our non-partisan effort to fight AIDS and extreme poverty in the developing world. Almost everyone had heard or seen ONE through the NH Primary and our new ad.

Before Sen. Obama came out, NH Rep. Paul Hodes made his way through the crowd and we were able to thank him for voting for the new global AIDS bill, PEPFAR, that smashed its way through the US House with great bi-partisan support.

Sen. Obama finally made his way to the stage and gave his stump speech. He could clearly see our ONE shirts and ONE bands throughout the crowd. Afterward, he shook hands and we were able to briefly thank him for voting for PEPFAR and for talking about PEPFAR at the Service Forum in NYC the night before. You can see a quick clip of him with us in the crowd here:

We were not able to give Sen. Obama a ONE band, but his aide, Reggie Love, came back and grabbed one for him. And as we were leaving, Sen. Obama’s bus pulled away and he our ONE bus a big wave!

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer

Last Wednesday, Vice Presidential Candidate Sen. Joe Biden came to Nashua, NH to hold a town hall meeting. Just like we did during the NH Primary, I made it out to the event with some ONE members to make sure that the world’s poorest people were not forgotten in the battle-ground state of New Hampshire.

ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo was there, as was NH blogger Chaz Proulx who has blogged about ONE in the past. During the town hall Sen. Biden spoke about the global challenges that face the world today and right behind him was ONE member Penny Warren in her EDUN shirt and ONE band. You could see her and her shirt clearly on the NH newscast that night!

After the town hall ended, I had a chance to speak with Sen. Biden and thanked him for his leadership in passing the new global AIDS bill, called PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which has helped save over 2 million lives around the world. He told me that he worked hard to pass PEPFAR in the US Senate, but that President Bush deserves a lot of credit for it as well. I agreed with his bi-partisan comment and asked him to make sure that the Millennium Challenge Corporation – a new program that pairs responsible, yet highly impoverished countries with new and better aid – gets full funding during appropriations as it only has about a quarter of its proposed funds this year.

As election season heats up, you can bet that ONE members will be hitting the campaign trail to make sure that both of them know that fighting global disease and extreme poverty is not only possible, but it is a priority. Stay tuned to the blog for future ONE Vote ’08 updates!

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer