thestar.com: Canada doubles AIDS funding to $70M a year
Prime Minister Paul Martin got some priceless pre-election publicity today as rock star Bono hailed him for increasing AIDS funding to Africa.
The U2 frontman, sitting casually in Martin's office with his legs crossed and wearing his trademark dark wraparound sunglasses, said he's not in Ottawa to campaign for the prime minister.
"I'm not here to elect Paul Martin or the Liberal party," he said. "I'm here to elect our issue - the AIDS emergency. . . . I'm here to elect that to office, that's really it."
But some of his other comments could have been scripted by a Liberal speechwriter: "We've come to say thank you . . . We have to compliment the prime minister and his team. It's not just the easy money before an election . . there's some cleverness going into this money."
Bono told a news conference later that he is being used, but he's happy to be. "That's my job," he said, "is to provide applause when somebody does the right and courageous thing and to provide criticism, when they don't." [
more]
Prime Minister Paul Martin got some priceless pre-election publicity today as rock star Bono hailed him for increasing AIDS funding to Africa.
The U2 frontman, sitting casually in Martin's office with his legs crossed and wearing his trademark dark wraparound sunglasses, said he's not in Ottawa to campaign for the prime minister.
"I'm not here to elect Paul Martin or the Liberal party," he said. "I'm here to elect our issue - the AIDS emergency. . . . I'm here to elect that to office, that's really it."
But some of his other comments could have been scripted by a Liberal speechwriter: "We've come to say thank you . . . We have to compliment the prime minister and his team. It's not just the easy money before an election . . there's some cleverness going into this money."
Bono told a news conference later that he is being used, but he's happy to be. "That's my job," he said, "is to provide applause when somebody does the right and courageous thing and to provide criticism, when they don't." [
more]
