Thursday, October 6, 2005

A fever pitch is on about the Pandemic Influenza preparedness related to the heightened awareness of the potential, the fact that new cases were seen over the past few weeks in Indonesia, the POTUS giving a speech before the UN General Assembly about the need for international preparedness, the meeting of Sec. Leavitt and I and others with CEO’s off pharmaceutical companies, and a series of briefings that Leavitt, Bruce Gellin and I have been giving to members of Congress and Senators. Many media appearances by me despite the above steering to Leavitt. Leavitt himself has been terrific. We are quite a team with the media and the briefings. Today, Leavitt and I briefed the POTUS in the Oval Office at 1:00 PM. Hot sticky day for October. The POTUS had the usual extremely attentive and warm receptions for me. He joked that he had mentioned my name at a press conference that he held yesterday and he does that whenever he wants to appear smart. He just mentions my name and people assume that he knows what he is talking about. We had a few laughs about other things also. At the briefing were the usual cast of characters including: the VP, Andy Card, Josh Bolten Scooter Libby, Dan Bartlett, Scott McClellan, Fran Townsend, Tevi Troy, Rajeev Venkayya, Candi Wolff, etc. We briefed him in preparation for the meeting that is will have tomorrow in the Roosevelt room with the CEOs of Pharma to encourage them to help us prepare for pandemic flu.