This special presents live coverage of the first joint appearance of Senators John
McCain and Barack Obama since accepting their respective parties' nominations.Held at Columbia University in New York City, the Service Nation Presidential Candidates Forum gives each candidate an opportunity to discuss, in-depth, their personal experience with service and their views on national service and civic engagement in the post-September 11, post-Katrina world.
The audience, welcomed by New York Governor David Paterson, will be comprised of family members of 9/11 victims, military veterans, opinion leaders and Columbia University students.
Moderators Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent and political editor fromThe NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and TIME's managing editor Rick Stengel, will question the presidential candidates separately in back-to-back interviews lasting roughly 45 minutes each. The candidates are expected to call for the designation of September 11 as a national day of service. The candidates also will address additional questions submitted via the forum organizer's Web site, http://www.servicenation.com/.
Service Nation is a coalition of 110 organizations dedicated to strengthening American democracy and solving problems through civic engagement and service. The presidential candidates forum will kickoff the bipartisan, Sept. 11-12 Service Nation Summit and Service Nation's national campaign to expand voluntary community and national service opportunities for all Americans.
This special will repeat on Sunday, September 14 at 6 a.m. on WGVU TV & WGVU HD.
