Attended Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, D.C. Spent time speaking
with President Bush, Karl Rove, Clay Johnson, Donna Shalala, Tim Russert, Sam Donaldson, John Neroponte, Cokie Roberts, etc. The topic was often concern and dismay on the part of people (non-White House) that Bush was not going to offer me the NIH job. Most felt that it really was the litmus test issue and not the 2 jobs issue. Clay Johnson, who I believe is behind all of this, actually volunteered to me that ”Dr. Zerhouni is no Tony Fauci, but then again, there really is only 1 Tony Fauci”. It is tough for me to figure out just how much the Social Conservative/Sen. Sam Borwnback issue played in Clay Johnson’s insistence to the president that I not be NIH Director.
Mar 9, 2002
Dr. Fauci’s released records hold 1 diary entry filed under Saturday, March 9, 2002, from the Diary Prequel. 131 words in total, reproduced below exactly as released. The diary text appears on p. 44 of 2026.07.27_Diary-Prequel-.pdf.
Correspondents named on this day2
Matched by surname against the 108 correspondents in the release, so a common name may match more than the person intended. See the whole of 2002 as a calendar.