Friday, October 21, 2005

Much press regarding trip and updating on pandemic flu. The whole world is getting exorcised. Chickens now infected in Russia, KazakstanChina, Romania, Turkey. Clearly, migratory birds are bringing the disease West. Was on CNN, C-SPAN, NPR, Bloomberg News, etc. Oct. 24 – 28, 2005 – Hectic week with bird flu and grand jury indictment of I. Lewis “Scooter Libby” for perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements in the investigation of the leak that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent. She is the husband of Jim Wilson who has been criticizing the war in Iraq. Oct. 24 – briefing by me , Julie, Bruce Gellin and Secretary Leavitt (MOL from here-on) of several cabinet members in the Cabinet Liaison Office in EEOB. Subject – pandemic flu. Oct. 25, 26 – Boston to deliver Baruj Benacerraf Lecture at Harvard and Dana Farber Cancer Center. Nice dinner at Harvey Cantor’s house to celebrate Baruj’s 85th birthday. Say Jenny in Cambridge after the dinner on Oct. 25. Wonderful time with my amazing daughter! Oct. 27 – continue briefing of Hill members. Briefed Tom DeLay, Steny Hoyer, and others. Incredible attention to pandemic flu in this country. Oct. 28 – Briefed Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. The POTUS will unveil the Pandemic Plan at NIH on Nov. 1. I have been doing considerable press.