Obama's absence at AIDS 2012 gains attention of activists, Bloomberg reports

Noting that President Barack Obama's "only presence [at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012)] is a 50-second cameo in a three-minute video welcoming delegates," Bloomberg reports that his "absence ... has activists talking." The news service discusses Obama's campaign schedule, interviews advocates about his decision, and talks to policy experts regarding U.S. global AIDS funding. "Administration officials defended the president's priorities and his attention to the issue," Bloomberg writes, adding, "Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for Obama's National Security Council, said in an e-mail that 'the most important metric for PEPFAR is lives saved, not dollars spent, and through smart investments we are delivering results'" (Brower, 7/25).