Meetings

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is showing his love for U2 lead singer Bono.

Rubio tweeted Friday morning that “#U2 & #Bono took time to mention plight of Cuban dissident #Biscet & human rights abuses in #Cuba.”

Oscar Elias Biscet is Cuba’s leading dissident and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. The singer made the remarks at a U2 concert in Miami.

But it’s not the senator’s first run in with the rock star.

Bono was on Capitol Hill June 21 to meet with lawmakers about issues relating to his advocacy group The One Campaign.

Rubio was one of the lawmakers he met with and Rubio’s office tweeted a picture of the two.

The freshman senator was born to a family of Cuban exiles and often talks about the plight of dissidents.

Source: The Hill

ONE’s cofounder Bono came to Washington, D.C., today to meet with House and Senate lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to thank them for their bipartisan commitment to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease -– and to talk about the importance of continued support for effective programs that are saving millions of lives in the poorest places on the planet for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.

More photos here.

We had very good meetings in the Senate and House. US leadership in the fight against extreme poverty has been a global game changer. Thanks to effective programs, more than four million African men, women and children are on life-saving AIDS medicine and malaria deaths have been cut in half in countries across the continent –- all in a few years.

Bono is also meeting with members of the Obama Administration while he is in town to discuss these same issues. Urged on by ONE members, President Obama made a strong commitment last week to help fund vaccines that will ensure kids in poor countries don’t die from preventable, treatable diseases like rotavirus. Now we need the Congress to do its part as well on vaccines, and based on our meetings today and the support of champions on both sides of the aisle, I believe it will.

It was great to have Bono in town today to help make the case that this stuff works, and it’s more important now than ever.

Source: ONE.org

Los Pinos, May 12, 2011

The President of the United Mexican States, Felipe Calderón received at the official residence of Los Pinos, Paul Hewson, Bono, the lead singer of the band U2.

President Calderón and Bono talked about the warm and fraternal welcome that was given by the Mexican public upon U2’s arrival in Mexico and in the first concert, held yesterday at Azteca Stadium.

The president praised Bono for his 51st birthday and appreciated the encouraging words expressed from U2 to the people of Mexico in the struggle for security. Also told him that their country work together in building a stronger, secure and peaceful nation.

On the other hand, both exchanged views on global issues of great relevance, such as poverty and development financing, as well as the importance of synergy between society and governments face the great challenge of climate change.

In this context, the Executive and Bono referred to the next annual meeting of the G-20, which will be chaired by Mexico and will take place in their country in 2012. Both agreed to be a great opportunity to define and strengthen arrangements for a better world order, especially in fighting poverty and activities to promote health, and transparency as a solution to corruption.

Bono said during that meeting of G-20, Mexico must lead the efforts of the international community, as it did in the COP-16, to reach agreements on behalf of humanity.

U2.com report here

Source: Presidencia De La República and Milenio

(google translate)
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr Back in Argentina to play tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday in La Plata, the Irish quartet put together a roundtable with local journalists in Palermo which attended Clarín. Wine and beer through the talk went through the game, punk and trees in Buenos Aires. How to prepare the fans.

We know that U2 is a rock band different: concerned about poverty, human rights, war, hunger, injustice in the world. They even sent pizza to the fans before the shows, camping for days outside the stadium to see them up close (note: here also promised that they will). Unsurprisingly, then, that his contact with the press is not confined to a cold conference, this time the call is “an informal lunch.” Guests: journalists from four newspapers and two TV channels, no cameras, to which they are asked discretion, and to access the event should send a brief resume with copies of some of their stories. The new place is revealed in the morning: the garden of a Palermo boutique hotel owned by a descendant of Irish who spent several years in Dublin and became friends with the band.

U2 arrive separately, each in his own van driver. Bono – is not equal to Robin Williams? – Wearing a green military cap of using Fidel Castro, their arch-colored glasses they are purple-and boots that add a few inches but not enough to hide it short. The Edge carries the indelible black cap hiding who knows what a mystery of his scalp, Adam Clayton looks like a friendly old man who got the wrong place, and Larry Mullen Jr., worked biceps and boots, a fitness buff punk . They smile, shake hands and sit at the table begins function.

The only condition placed by the publisher as to the talk is that there are also questions for Mullen Jr. and Clayton (“If not, get bored”), but in a band everyone has their role and that of spokesman U2 touched Bono and to a lesser extent, The Edge. Drummer intervene only occasionally and bassist will remain silent for the next hour and a half. The idea is to create an atmosphere of camaraderie, so execute steps of comedy and at times seem old neighbors who became famous and a day pass through the neighborhood and, brochettes and came through (except for Bono: “I take beer when I have a hangover; Emergency call it beer “), anecdotes about celebrities. Talk about when they dined at the home of Frank Sinatra, while crack Irish Bono met George Best, Maradona (“it is poetry, others are athletes”), Banksy, rugby, the competition between Bono and Mick Jagger to see which one best Bob Dylan imitation.

At one point, when asked how their relationship changed during the last 35 years together, The Edge said to have a “genuine friendship” (“Our relationship is very consistent. We were friends before the band was professional again, and after that was maintained through the years. The friendship has been our secret weapon “) and Bono gives the key of the match. “We became best in the sense that we open up more. This luncheon is part of that. Outside there are interesting people: politicians, scientists, novelists. And I want to know. We try to be less self-conscious, out of that prison. The worst thing about being a rock star is to live a confined and judging by the quality of room service, Wave Is Russia? I did not like, the eggs were cold. Argentina have the chemistry and, as we are curious, try to understand why. We love this country for its beauty. There is much thought into the planning of Buenos Aires, including changing color of trees in different seasons. May have more serious things to worry about, but maybe not. ”

Bono takes a few holders to show how they thought the structure of “the claw” and explains that just sitting at a table, they got the idea for this show to the stage in the middle of the crowd. Then, for some bread on the tablecloth, “All the shows of Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, all are well: talking here, and the public front of the stage. It is always the same. It is wonderful to break that. It took a long time and work, because you have to be responsible: people pay expensive tickets. We came from punk rock, we saw The Clash, and everything changed for us. It was a movement against progressive rock where the musicians came from outer space as a sanctity that blessed us with his presence and did not give a damn what happened. It was a general way. Previously, the rock stars were not people. His mood was what mattered: if they were in good spirits, gave a good show, if they were in a bad mood, did not care. There was no connection. ”

See other changes in the rock: “I’m jealous because the actors took the role of former rockers, saying things that nobody said. Now do comedians like Chris Rock and Zach Galifianakis. The rock became very predictable. A group Arcade Fire is interesting because it explores the human spirit. ” The Edge agrees: “People are a bit sleepy. I like that in Europe and the United States was more awake rock politically. Look what is happening in Africa: the young people there are showing that change is possible. ”

From Africa to Latin America there is a passage: Bono invited to note that shows the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, that “maybe” today to meet with Cristina Kirchner and ask how we look at Argentina. “To succeed as a country and people have to deal with the past. In the United Kingdom investigated the deaths of Bloody Sunday to the merits, and that improved our relationship with the country. Although 35 years may seem long, we must look, if not, is like a dysfunctional family who does not speak of a certain subject. ” The fruit dessert is finished, the coffee is gone. Just no time to criticize the mp3 (not compared to the vinyl “), for the photos (Bono does not deny anyone a smile) and to sign autographs outside the hotel a few onlookers can not believe it.