U.S. Presidential Candidates issue statements on domestic epidemic in wake of incidence announcement

obama's comments make me feel fairly confident that he (or his people) know what's up, especially his highlighting of homophobia. though i think our next step is to call on him to elaborate a bit on this sentence: "Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health." like, "hey Sen Obama, are the gaps you're referring to the institutional inequalities like racism, poverty, lack of housing, a healthcare system that only serves the wealthy, and mass incarceration that continue to fuel the epidemic? hope so!"

Hey Julie..Obama gets it, yes he does. As for McCain, his commentary is the same rhetoric we have heard from the status quo since 1981, and I'll bet he will 'target those communities with high infection rates' alright. Too bad he wasn't tuned into the Opening Ceremony remarks from Pedro Cahn of the International AIDS Society, when he said, "It is time for political courage! Leadership, science and community must do better! What we need is more funding, not more COMPETITION!!"

Howdy, The fact that the major party candidates responded so quickly to the new CDC figures is a testimony to the hard work of activists who have helped keep AIDS relevant when people might rather sweep it under the rug. Congratulations! Okay, it might also be a little bit of opportunism on the part of candidates. Unfortunately, infection rates have been politically manipulated since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic. McCain will certainly continue the Bush tragedy in these regards. Obama might stand for change cosmetically and he does say some decent things about HIV/AIDS. I believe this is one of the few issues Obama can and will make a difference on. But... Obama's call for an INCREASED military and his bellicose stance regarding Iran, Pakistan, Cuba, etc. demonstrate that he will continue U.S. imperialist policies and further bankrupt this country. We are already the biggest debtor nation. Where will the money come from to make help people with HIV/AIDS, carry out effective prevention programs, and lead us toward universal health care? I doubt those resources will exist under either McCain or Obama. I wish Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente of the Green Party stood a chance at getting elected... --MaxZine Weinstein

McCain does not and will not have a progressive HIV/AIDS policy, but he will have one. It will be divisive, backwards and will put Americans at risk for increase HIV/AIDs cases especially in people of color and MSM communities.

This is a comprehensive issue to be sure, I believe that until we as a nation begin to focus our attention on the very real disparity between the funding of foreign treatment programs and domestic treatment programs which are underfunded in the US, we will continue to see a higher rate of infection. Even with the revised figures, we are not seeing the big picture here, these numbers are very likely still under estimated. The truth is that people are scared to death to even take the test which could indicate a much higher number. It is all well and good to help nations with providing medication, however there is a very real need in this country. A need that has largely been ignored, even medical professionals are unaware of the difficulty in obtaining medication because of its higher cost. The general statement is that now people living with HIV can live long lives, what has not been stated is that most people cannot afford the inflated cost associated with taking these medications. There are too few programs in existence, along with a stringent bar that is held far too high. In other countries, one dose can be sold for as little as .87 cents, while in the US the same medication is $50.00 per dose. This should be a condemnation on our leaders and the drug companies. The very idea that by leaving the US you can obtain treatment for less money is something that defies the imagination. The cost of medication is set at such a high level that for most it is out of reach. that is the true shame.