In the News

It's a national issue, but the campaign's focused here in Obama's new backyard. Those who created it acknowledge the president has a lot on his plate, but they say he should make AIDS a priority.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation created the campaign. The ads are popping up at D.C. bus stops. The campaign compares D.C.'s AIDS epidemic to the neglect associated with Hurricane Katrina.

"To date, President Obama has been silent on aids," said Myers. "He's not indicated that this disease, this epidemic, is a priority for his administration."

Folks FOX 5 stopped on the street reacted to the ad with surprise and interest. One person told FOX 5, "Personally, I think it's bringing too much politics into a problem that needs to be corrected in the city. I don't think they're concentrating as much on the healthcare as they are on trying to play on peoples' feelings against Bush."

Another passerby said, "I agree with the ad and I think that it clearly articulates that we have a serious problem here in the District of Columbia. If you look at the statistics and the empirical data it clearly shows that enough is not being done to combat it. The same with the Katrina catastrophe. Enough wasn't done."

The group that created the ad says about 1 in 4 people who are HIV positive don't know it. They want Obama to push CDC recommendations designed to increase HIV testing during routine doctor visits.

FOX 5 called the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to get a response to the ad campaign. No one returned the calls.

To watch video of the new ads, follow this link. <http://www.changeaidsobama.org/> 

- Fox News DC
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/about_us/personalities/Beth_Parker

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