Stories in today's Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Sun, Reuters, ABC News Political Radar, and The Politico cover Senator Hillary Clinton's participation in yesterday's conference on global AIDS and the church, which was organized and sponsored by Rick and Kay Warren of Saddleback Church. Meanwhile, Clinton has posted more details regarding her plans to address global AIDS, malaria, and poverty. I've pasted in excerpts from each of the news stories below the fold. (Some of yesterday's coverage of this part of the Saddleback program is here.)
UPDATE: A WorldNetDaily Online story includes some of the most detailed reporting that I have seen on the videotaped messages that the other invited presidential candidates sent to the conference. I've pasted in that part of the WorldNetDaily story as the last item in the list of excerpts that appears below the fold.
Here are the excerpts. Apologies for the font irregularities.
From the Los Angeles Times:
"AIDS remains a plague of biblical proportions," the New York senator told hundreds of church members gathered at the annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest. "Where ignorance and prejudice builds, AIDS thrives. Stigma is one of the real evils that has to be combated."
During her lengthy appearance, Clinton cited Scripture, talked about the role faith played in her upbringing and value system, and reiterated a $50-billion plan announced days ago to fight AIDS and malaria.
The plan would increase U.S. spending to fight AIDS by about 20%, according to David Bryden, a spokesman for the Global Aids Alliance. All of the Democratic presidential candidates have committed to the same funding proposal, he said. . . .
Though one part of Clinton's plan calls for affordable medication for global AIDS treatment, she did not emphasize the point Thursday. By contrast, former North Carolina Sen. Edwards and Illinois Sen. Obama hammered on their desire to curb pharmaceutical company profits on AIDS drugs and make lower-cost generic medications more widely available.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Romney and Arizona Sen. McCain praised AIDS-fighting efforts initiated by President Bush, with McCain saying he would favor continuing an "abstinence-only approach" to education about sex and sexually transmitted diseases in U.S. humanitarian efforts abroad. . . .
[Clinton] noted that when it comes to AIDS, the poor, minorities and women are most vulnerable. Part of the solution, she said, is to teach "abstinence, be faithful and use condoms if necessary." She detailed her plans to wipe out mother-to-child transmission and to launch public education campaigns to eliminate the stigma of the illness.
From the Associated Press:
There was a sprinkle of criticism from conservatives in response to Clinton's appearance at the church, but it was muted compared to last year when more than a dozen conservative leaders signed a letter urging Warren to rescind an invitation to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who supports abortion rights. The church defended his appearance.
Warren is theologically and socially conservative, but he is known for avoiding the scrum of partisan politics. The author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" has devoted much of his time in recent years mobilizing evangelicals to fight AIDS in Africa.
The speech gave Clinton a chance to appear on stage with the popular pastor — who greeted her with a hug — as well as talk at length about her own faith.
From The New York Sun:
Speaking to a conference organized by one of America's most popular authors and evangelical ministers, Rick Warren, Mrs. Clinton declared that showing compassion for those with AIDS is what Jesus Christ would do.
"He never asked why someone was sick. He just healed and ministered to those in need," Mrs. Clinton told about 1700 activists, ministers, churchgoers, and relief workers gathered for the Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. The senator and Democratic presidential candidate opened her half-hour speech by trying to convince the religious audience that she is one of them. Mrs. Clinton, who was raised a Methodist, noted that her mother taught Sunday school and her father prayed nightly before going to bed. "It's wonderful to know that the sustaining power of prayer is there for so many of us," she said.
In a something of a snub to secular humanitarians, Mrs. Clinton suggested that deep commitment to improving society can only be fueled by religious conviction. "I have concluded that works without faith is just too hard. It cannot be sustained over one's life or over the generations," she said. . . .
Just before Mrs. Clinton took the stage, [Rick Warren] suggested that his followers should embrace all those who share the goal of eradicating AIDS. "Hear me on this. I don't care why you do good as long as you do good," Pastor Warren said. "Some people do good out of a political motivation. It's not my motivation, but it's not a bad one." Mrs. Clinton told the audience she supported programs that urge abstinence, faithfulness, and using condoms "if necessary." She did not mention directly her opposition to abstinence-only programs favored by the Bush administration. . . .
One of Mrs. Clinton's rivals for the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama, got a rousing reception at the same AIDS conference last year. During his visit, he also submitted to an HIV test. Such tests were on offer yesterday, but Mrs. Clinton chose instead to visit a traveling exhibit run by a relief group, World Vision, depicting the odyssey of an African child infected with HIV. . . .
Three Republican presidential hopefuls, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and John McCain, sent videotaped messages to the conference, as did two Democrats, Mr. Obama and John Edwards.
Mr. Edwards got a rousing cheer when he struck a populist chord by railing against greed on the part of pharmaceutical firms. "We have to stop protecting the profits of the big drug companies by paying three times more for medicine than we need to," the former senator said.
In Mr. Obama's video, he called for an additional $1 billion in funding for AIDS relief in Africa and Asia. The Illinois senator also called for changes to patent laws in order to make AIDS drugs more available, but he used less confrontational language than Mr. Edwards.
From San Francisco Chronicle:
The Democratic candidate did not shy away from more controversial ground, telling congregants "it is long past time that we do everything we can to stand up for the proposition that women's rights are human rights."
"Girls denied their human rights are girls at risk for AIDS. ... Even in our own country today, women are now the face of AIDS," she said, arguing that world and church leaders must address the sexual trafficking of girls worldwide.
From The Politico:
At a news conference before the summit, the wildly-popular [Rick] Warren, author of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life,” responded to objections over pro-choice candidates appearing at his evangelical site by saying, “This is not a church service and, second, there isn’t a pulpit on stage.” . . .
Clinton also discussed her intentions to end all malaria deaths in Africa if she is elected president in 2008 and reelected in 2012.
Clinton said she would commit $1 billion annually to fight malaria, with the goal of completely conquering the disease on that continent by the end of her second term.
(When Clinton used the optimistic phrase “the end of my second term,” the approximately 1,500 attendees murmured, mumbled, chuckled and many applauded.)
“As president I will fight against AIDS with the passionate urgency it demands,” said Clinton, saying she would “build on" the Bush administration’s efforts and also address the scourges of malaria and tuberculosis.It’s “appalling,” she said, “that 1 million people die every year from a bug bite, and nearly all of them are children.”
From Reuters:
Clinton won a standing ovation from the audience of some 1,500 Christian pastors, nongovernmental groups and church members, despite opposition in some parts of America's 60 million strong evangelical community to her presence because of her support of abortion and gay rights.
Others saw Clinton's appearance as a bid to grab votes from the religious right, which generally leans toward the Republican Party.
"What Saddleback is doing is helping raise her profile as a legitimate presidential candidate in the eyes of evangelical Christians, and I think that is a huge error," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, which has 2.8 million supporters. . . .
Said Saddleback member Christie Mayles afterward: "I wish I could have met her afterward. She is my new hero." . . .
Saddleback pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling inspirational book "The Purpose Driven Life," said ahead of Thursday's meeting that there were many issues on which Clinton and his church disagree.
"But when millions are dying each year we are interested in lives, not labels," Warren said in a statement. "We want everyone to become concerned about the AIDS pandemic." . . .
Despite scathing attacks on some Christian message boards, the invitation to Clinton did not spark the organized protests seen a year ago when Obama visited Saddleback. That controversy also centered on abortion.
From ABC News Political Radar:
Warren offered praise to Clinton before the crowd of more than 500 people for showing up. "Most of you know that we invited all of the leading candidates, presidential candidates, to come to Saddleback Church to share about their view on AIDS." Warren said to the crowd. "Four of the candidates said they would send a video, but one of the candidates said ‘I’ll come.’" Warren went on "she was the one that showed up" clearly a boost to Clinton over her rival candidates. . . .
Warren, asked Clinton "Why'd you show?" Clinton responded "well first you asked me, and second in a burst of enthusiasm I said I would and I have been looking forward to this."
Five other presidential candidates spoke by video - Huckabee, Edwards, McCain, Obama Romney. The video speeches given by other candidates did not elicit nearly the applause or attention that Clinton received. The democratic frontrunner spoke of her travels abroad – speaking powerfully about one visit to Bangkok and meeting to a 12 year old girl who had contracted AIDS from a brothel. Clinton also spoke about the unjust way that men in the 1980’s were treated when they were too ashamed to tell their loved ones that they were sick with the disease. "We are taught to heal the sick to love them as our own but 25 years ago too many of them died alone."
Clinton gave a sermon of sorts and praised the church in which she spoke for their work. "If you read those moments when Jesus is presented with someone who is ill it becomes abundantly clear that Christ had a choice he could have been too busy he could have thought this is not the message of the day, I don’t need to do this, I’ve already done this," Clinton said. "But he made the choice – he never asked why someone was sick – he just healed and ministered to those in need. That is what Saddleback has chosen to do."
Clinton, wearing a small cross pin on her lapel, spoke about religion in her life. "My faith journey is approaching a half a century and I know how far I still have to go." . . .
Clinton said she would build on the leadership that the "president and Mrs. Bush have shown [to combat malaria]," giving a rare nod to the president she often criticizes multiple times in an average campaign swing.
From WorldNetDaily Online:
In his videotaped message to the summit, Huckabee injected some of his trademark humor into references to his longtime friendship with Warren going back to their studies together at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
"Rick, some of us from your class didn't turn out so well, so I'll just do the best with what I've got," Huckabee quipped.
The former Arkansas governor advocated covering not just AIDS under Medicaid, but HIV, and pointed out the disease affects minorities disproportionately. Three out of five cases are minorities, and the problem is 10 times worse among African-Americans, he said.
Edwards came next, declaring, "We have a moral imperative to do much more," including a goal of universal access to treatment by 2010. He drew some scattered applause calling for a halt to "protecting the profits of big drug companies."
McCain said, "I want to thank Rick and Kay Warren for their leadership on this worldwide problem," pointing out the "Gospel tells us to recognize life as sacred and to love our neighbors as ourselves."
He advocated supporting President Bush's AIDS initiative, saying he believes in the abstinence plan it supports.
As president, McCain said, "I will fund HIV/AIDS programs at levels befitting a wealthy nation."
"Lifting nations out of poverty is essential," he said, "but first step is raising awareness, and this summit is an important part of that step."
Obama told the conferees "how blessed I feel to count Rick and Kay Warren as friends."
The Illinois senator said "it's time to increase our contribution to the global fund" to fight AIDS, expanding it by $1 billion a year over the next five years.
Obama called for adopting "humanitarian" drug licensing policies, to make it easier to license generic drugs. He also pledged to double foreign assistance for AIDS from $25 billion to $50 billion by 2012.
"With prayer and hard work, I believe we'll make real strides addressing this scourge and doing God's work on earth," he said.
Obama ended with, "Please keep me, my wife and my family in your prayers."
Romney called for leadership "on behalf of what Jesus in Matthew called 'the least of these.'"
He referred to Warren's opening statement in "The Purpose Driven Life" that "it's not about me," calling for "servant leadership."
One of his first acts as president, he said, would be to call a "summit of nations" to address issues of poverty around the world.
"America is blessed and has been a blessing to nations staggering under poverty," the former Massachusetts governor said.
"Thank you Rick and Kay," Romney said, "for responding so passionately to God's call."
DVD to Help Battle AIDS in Africa .
In 1993, I produced a documentary a film entitled, TRACY'S CHOICES. This is the story of the first person, in the state of Illinois, to be sent to prison, for the knowing attempt to transmit HIV. It's more a film about the choices young people make, and AIDS was the backdrop.
Soon after the release of TRACY'S CHOICES, I learned two realities. The secular world wasn't very interested in the Christian message, and churches refused to admit that activities, leading to HIV infection, could possibly be present in the church. So the program languished. Then a third reality set in. I thought to myself, and began saying to others, "TRACY'S CHOICES is a film that was simply produced too soon. In time, conditions will change, and a market will develop." Well, that's what seems to be happening.
A couple of weeks ago, I shipped 500 DVD copies of TRACY’S CHOICES, to an international ministry, for their use in AIDS education in Africa. While I’m very pleased by this development, TRACY’S CHOICES was produced, primarily, for showing to American young people, because as we say in the film, “It’s time we told our kids that some of the choices they make can kill them.”
Since the sale to Operation Mobilization, and my promotion of that event, I have been asked for preview copies by Urban Ministries, and The National Baptist Convention. Then yesterday, a large ministry in South Africa asked to become a distributor. To say the least, things are picking up speed.
So, I simply wanted to let you know about this film, in the event there are others you can inform.
Learn more about TRACY’S CHOICES here:
http://www.assistnews.net/strategic/s0107059.htm
http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/photo2.html
http://www.videcomp.com/fsnet/tracy_review.html
Sincerely,
Max Elliot Anderson
Producer
P O Box 4126
Rockford, IL 61110
(815) 877-1514
Mander8813@aol.com
Posted by: Max Elliot Anderson | July 02, 2008 at 05:27 PM