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ONE Vote '08 launches in Nevada: Movement could impact presidential election

By DOUG McMURDO — Associate Editor
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 8:19 PM PDT

ELKO - With wholesale optimism and stunning bipartisan support, the ONE Campaign launched its ONE Vote '08 mission Tuesday in Nevada with a clear goal in mind: Make the global fight against disease and extreme poverty key foreign policy issues in next year's presidential election - and for reasons that transcend building good will.

Not surprisingly, Nevada was chosen as one of a handful of states to be chosen for a formal launch given the fact early caucuses will be held in the state, which, in turn, will put Nevada at the forefront of choosing the country's next president.

"Millions of people will be thinking of the world's poorest people this election," said Jack Oliver in a Tuesday interview with the Free Press. Oliver is a Republican strategist who worked for President Bush and now is co-chairman of the ONE Campaign.

To illustrate the bipartisanship, U.S. Reps. Jon Porter,

R-Nev., and Shelley Berkley,

D-Nev., served as honorary chairpersons at the launch, which occurred at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory School in Las Vegas. Tennis great Agassi is also an honorary chairman.

The voter mobilization effort has been driven by former Sens. Bill Frist, a Republican from Tennessee and Tom Daschle, a Democrat from Nebraska, both former majority leaders. Two other key leaders are Bill Gates and Bono, the frontman for the rock group U2. Both men have long pushed top world governments to aid the world's most vulnerable citizens.

The ONE Campaign's motto is Saving Lives, Securing our Future. The mission to provide basic health care and economic opportunity to the chronically downtrodden is as pragmatic as it is humanitarian.

Details are specific, from mosquito netting to help protect children in Africa from malaria, to providing drugs to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, this is a political movement that appears to offer solutions rather than rhetoric.

A visit to www.onevote08.org reveals key political strategists on both sides of the aisle are on board, including military figures, pastors and others involved in religion - and 2.4 million Americans, 17,000 from Nevada have joined the movement.

The humanitarianism is obvious. The pragmatism less so, but equally promising. According to Robert Uithoven, Gov. Jim Gibbons' campaign manager in 2006 and a key member of Nevada's ONE Campaign charter, retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Jones has said it is "vitally important" and in the "strategic interest" of the United States to fight poverty and disease around the world.

Uithoven said the early caucuses - both Jan. 19 - will highlight Nevada. His involvement with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain's campaign and the Republican caucus brought him to the ONE Campaign. "I thought they were a good match," he said. "The early caucuses do have national implications and I think the timing is good." Uithoven said more voters could be introduced to the movement during the caucuses, along with candidates.

"The idea started as a way to engage candidates in the '08 election," Oliver said. "The bipartisanship is amazing and the opportunity to work with Democrats has been wonderful."

Hardy said he recently returned from a two-week visit to Africa. While the problems are as complex as they are tragic, he said there are affordable solutions.

Hardy cited Bush's plan to fight AIDS as a worthy example of what could be accomplished. The president, he said, has been credited with saving millions of lives. Once prohibitively expensive even for those with insurance, AIDS drugs can now be administered for about $1 a day. More than 6 million AIDS-related deaths have been recorded in the past 25 years.

Netting to keep mosquitoes from transmitting malaria to children is another very affordable measure. The disease, which can be controlled, claims more than 500,000 lives every year.

"This is a unique time in history. We don't have a sitting vice president (Dick Cheney has not announced an intent to run)," said Oliver, indicating the race to be the most powerful leader in the world is wide open.

While the ambitious campaign hopes to put the spotlight on disease and abject poverty, Hardy said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would understandably be the top priority of any commander in chief. Still, placing the two issues in the "top 10" would be ideal.

"We'll be able to get close to all of the candidates," Hardy said. "And we'll be able to have an impact on those candidates."

Mary Conelly, a leader in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Nevada team and a Democratic strategist, told the Free Press, also cited Nevada's early caucuses as a call for action.

"This is a great opportunity for people interested in grassroots campaigns," she said, noting people who have never been involved in the process before are now vested. "The message and the bipartisanship has attracted them," she said. "This is an amazing opportunity with both parties having early caucuses interest is so high."

Nevada is not alone.

"Across the county people have shown a willingness to engage," said Oliver. Candidates have likewise shown an interest. Oliver said candidates from both parties have been approached, and frontrunners have voiced support, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards on the Democratic side and Republicans McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.

For information on the campaign or to join the movement, log on to www.onevote08.com.

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