Food costs rise as White House rivals talk poverty

from Reuters South Africa

By Jeff Mason

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., With food prices rising and economic woes dominating the U.S. presidential race, White House candidates are focusing attention on an issue that does not usually grab campaign headlines: poverty.

Republican John McCain, the Arizona senator who has wrapped up his party's presidential nomination, spent last week touring "forgotten places in America" to highlight his commitment to helping the poor.

Among Democrats, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton promised earlier this month to create a "poverty czar" as president while Illinois Sen. Barack Obama called last weekend for rich nations to increase their food aid dramatically.

Though all three have drawn attention to the issues, they disagree along traditional party lines.

McCain argues that cutting taxes and reducing wasteful government spending could free funds for training programs for the unemployed. He has proposed a program for better Internet connections for poor people in small towns.

On the other hand, Obama and Clinton have laid out programs that include raising the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011 from $7.25 in 2009, investing in early childhood education and boosting affordable housing.

University of Virginia historian Guian McKee said despite McCain's trip, the Democrats' proposals were harder hitting, especially in the area of job creation.

"The connection between fighting poverty and creating jobs is something that has been ignored for way too long by both Republicans and Democrats," said McKee, who is affiliated with the university's Miller Center of Public Affairs.

Environmentalists often link climate change and poverty prevention and all three candidates have made proposals to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Asked about the growing worldwide food crisis on Sunday, Obama stressed the impact of climate change on food supplies.

"We've got to examine long-term how do we make sure that our food supplies keep pace with a growing population," he told reporters. "Part of that, I think, is global warming."

PRAISE FROM ACTIVISTS

The candidates' policy proposals, both domestic and international, have drawn praise from activists.

"Sens. McCain and Clinton have both made strong commitments to fight and ultimately eradicate malaria while Sen. Obama's overall platform to fight poverty is the most comprehensive," said Kimberly Cadena, of the anti-poverty group ONE Campaign.

The Democrats welcome such endorsements but what they really want is votes, especially from supporters of former presidential rival John Edwards, who made poverty the signature issue of his campaign.

Clinton and Obama are campaigning in his home state of North Carolina this week ahead of the May 6 primary election. Edwards has not endorsed either candidate.

Hoping for that valuable endorsement, both have lavished praise on Edwards. Clinton "admired his focus on issues surrounding poverty throughout the campaign," said Neera Tanden, Clinton's policy director.

She said Edwards had praised the former first lady's proposal to appoint a "poverty czar" to report to the president on programs across the government.

"The idea ... is to have a cabinet-level official who is really focusing attention on this issue," Tanden said.

Obama, who often talks about his experience helping poor people as a community organizer in Chicago, also praised Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth.