CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

Interview

CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

BLITZER: Tragically this type of killing is by no means common. It's -- it's -- unfortunately happens all too often. It is not uncommon, we should put it like that. The United Nations estimates some 5,000 of these so-called honor killings happen every year worldwide. We're going to stay on top of this story for you, honor killings.

Let's turn now to another pressing problem that affects millions of people around the world. That would be poverty. An important anti-poverty campaign co-founded by the rock star Bono of U2 has enlisted some powerful support including Bill and Melinda gates. Earlier I spoke with two men who signed up. Both once served as Senate majority leaders. The former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle and the former Republican Senator Bill Frist.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about One Vote '08. This is a new initiative that has brought the two of you together. Tell our viewers what you're doing, why you're doing this.

BILL FRIST, (R) FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Wolf, one vote '08 is an initiative that was kicked off just today. It will last 18 months and it's an unprecedented approach whereby using high tech and using the American people, we will engage millions of people surrounding poverty, extreme poverty and using medicine and health care.

BLITZER: And you're going to allow all of these 18, maybe 19, maybe 20 presidential candidates to get committed. Let me put up on the screen the five areas that you want action taken, including these fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, improving child and maternal health, increasing access to basic education, particularly for girls, providing access to clean water and sanitation, and reduce by half the number of people worldwide who suffer from hunger.

Enormous challenges, Senator Daschle. But tell our viewers how you hope this can get done.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE, (D) FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, I think it can get done in large measure because the American people are beginning to realize, wolf, that this isn't just a humanitarian issue. It isn't just a question of compassion. Our own national interest is at stake here. Our own national security to the degree we can stabilize economically some of the developing parts of the world, to the degree we can address the tremendous problems we have economically and politically as a result, is the degree to which we ourselves are going to be a lot more secure. That's in part what this is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And both of these former senators are vowing to press all of the presidential candidates, 18 of them right now, to get this item on their agenda.

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