Revealing Announcement

A key component of this year's opening session of the United Nations (next week) is to re-affirm global support for the U.N. Millennium Development goals, which focus on halving poverty by 2015. You might recall recent stories about "Ambassador" John Bolton's attempt to gut the document leaders will be asked to sign on to, which calls for a more significant contribution to global poverty-alleviation efforts by rich nations: 0.7% of GNP.

Now, here's the announcement of what the president will do in New York next week, from the White House Web site:

President to Travel to New York to Participate in 60th U.N. General Assembly

President Bush will travel to New York September 13-14 to participate in the 60th United Nations General Assembly. The President will host a private reception for leaders on the evening of September 13. On September 14, President Bush will address the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly, which will precede the opening of the General Debate. He will also participate in a Security Council Summit; and will meet with Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Ambassador Jan Eliasson, who assumes the presidency of the General Assembly this month, to discuss a range of issues. During the course of the day, the President will stress the United States' commitment to a broad international agenda that recognizes the connection between freedom, democracy, trade and development, and security. To that end, he will meet with leaders from democratic states in support of the recently established U.N. Democracy Fund and sign the Convention for the Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism, as well as attend a luncheon hosted by the Secretary-General.

Not a single mention of global poverty or the Millennium Development Goals.

Priorities, anyone?