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WASHINGTON : Democratic presidential hopefuls on Thursday vowed to fight the scourges of AIDS, poverty and discrimination afflicting African Americans, and to get tough with Sudan over Darfur in their third live televised presidential debate.
The forum, before a largely black audience here, came hours after the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court sparked outrage among civil rights activists by dismantling a key plank of "affirmative action" programs that promote racial diversity in US schools.
Senator Barack Obama, striving to make history by becoming America's first black president, paid tribute to civil rights leaders who fought for the integration of America's public school system.
"If it hadn't been for them, I would not be standing here today," he said at the debate at Howard University in Washington.
Senator Joseph Biden, a long-shot candidate, warned President George W. Bush's appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito had "turned the court upside down."
"The next president of the United States will be able to determine whether or not we go forward or continue this slide. It's the single most imperative generational decision the next president will make," Biden said.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, vying with Obama for the African-American vote, said much progress had been made towards racial equality in America, but not enough.
"If HIV/AIDS were the leading cause of death of white women between the ages of 25 and 34, there would be an outraged outcry in this country," Clinton said, sparking a standing ovation.
"For anyone to assert that race is not a problem in America is to deny the reality in front of our very eyes.
"Yes, we have come a long way," said Clinton, whose husband and former president Bill Clinton was highly popular among African American voters.
"Yes, we have a long way to go. The march is not finished."
Former senator John Edwards said "the truth is that slavery -- followed by segregation, followed by discrimination -- has had an impact that still is alive and well in America.
"It goes through every single part of American life."
The candidates also vowed to stiffen US attempts to crack down on violence in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan.
"We should make it very clear to the government in Khartoum we are putting up a no-fly zone, if they fly into it we shoot down their planes, it is the only way to get their attention," Clinton said.
"We have stood by and watch this carnage," Biden said.
"We should have already two years ago imposed a no fly zone, we should have two years ago put American troops on the ground to stop the carnage."
According to UN estimates, at least 200,000 people have died in war and famine since the conflict started in Darfur in February 2003 when an ethnic minority rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, which enlisted the Janjaweed militia to crush the rebellion.
Clinton currently has a double digit lead in most national polls of the eight-candidate Democratic field over Obama in second place, with Edwards mostly in third place.
In polls in the early primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa, which will decide the Democratic nominee next year, all three candidates run strongly, but are closely bunched.
The other candidates are in a distant chasing pack, trying vainly to match Clinton and Obama for fundraising and visibility.
- AFP /ls
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