Bono, the lead singer of U2, has a guest editorial in the New York Times today defending the Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Peace Prize to President Obama. It might seem odd to have a rock star comment on whether Obama deserves the prize, except it’s Bono, who has used his celebrity to raise public awareness and gain audiences with political leaders around the world in order to advocate for his main causes of Africa and the AIDS pandemic.

Bono makes particular note of Obama’s goal of eradicating extreme poverty. Bono believes that goal, along with the president’s work on nuclear proliferation, climate change, Middle East relations and domestic issues like job creation and health care, constitute “rebranding in action.” Here is an excerpt:

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