ONE volunteers seized this opportunity to send these presidential candidates a message when they arrived at the forum. Each volunteer got one sign that said one of the following words, "What will you do to end extreme poverty and AIDS?" We set up across from a sea of presidential candidate supporters and signs. We could tell that lots of people were intrigued by our unique message. Cars slowed down while they passed us on busy Georgia Avenue to see what we had to say! Our group traveled a few blocks down the sidewalk (in order!), shouting our message so other groups saw us, too. A few limos and town cars with dark tinted windows passed by us, so we can only speculate on who may have been inside!

An hour into our demonstration, our shouting was overpowered by a torrential storm, but that didn't stop us until our signs were dripping ink and unintelligible!

This was just one of many times the candidates and their supporters will see ONE in the crowd urging both to make ending extreme poverty and AIDS a top priority in the 2008 elections.

By the way, a similar forum with the Republican candidates will occur in September at Morgan State University in Baltimore. Read more on the presidential forums here.

When I spoke with the Congressman, he and his wife Elizabeth expressed their enthusiasm for ONE and Kucinich proudly wore a white ONE band throughout the event.

California ONE members will continue to meet presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle to make sure that poorest of the poor are not forgotten during the 2008 election cycle.