Hillary Clinton has accepted an invitation to participate in the third annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church later this month at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, and Sam Brownback and Barack Obama spoke at last year's event. Hopefully this is a sign of the continuing political importance of fighting AIDS.

Edwards, Obama, Huckabee, Giuliani and Romney also were invited to the summit but have yet to commit, although all have expressed interest.

Warren says

Inviting politicians from different perspectives to the Summit is not a political decision -- it is a humanitarian and Christian action. When millions are dying each year, we're interested in lives, not labels. We want everyone to become concerned about the AIDS pandemic.

With an endless litany of issues and events to address, presidential candidates are only able to focus on the things we tell them are most important. That's why the Global Summit on AIDS is important -- it helps keep the disease on both parties' political agenda by reminding them how much people of faith care about the plight of the people and nations being destroyed by AIDS.

Clinton should be commended for seizing this opportunity, as should other candidates if they follow suit.