Columbia University president Lee Bollinger confirmed that presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will appear together at the university for a forum sponsored by ServiceNation. The Columbia Spectator describes ServiceNation as a "non-partisan coalition devoted to increasing the commitment of citizens to public service to 100 million people by 2010."
The forum will be on September 11 evening (it is not a debate), and the candidates agreed not to campaign that day out of respect for 9/11 victims and their families. Obama said, "Making that call to service will be a central cause of my presidency, because we need the active citizenship of the American people to meet the challenges of the 21st century." McCain said, "The Summit will be an important remembrance of those that made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country and others as we focus on how to inspire others to serve causes greater than their own self-interest through national and community service."
McCain and Obama's forum will be broadcast on CNN. The two-day event (9/11 and 9/12) will also feature Governor David Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Arnold Schwarzengger. And the summit's co-chairs include Caroline Kennedy and Alma Powell. You can submit a question for the candidates--one possible question for McCain, "Why slam community organizers?" (Some are, justifiably, very insulted.)
