Friday, December 16, 2005

Paradoxically, mostly favorable responses to the WSJ article. Most people interpreted it as indicating that I was a powerful player. Publicity dying down about bird flu around holidays. MOL went on the first of the State trips to Minnesota. With the help of Rich McKeown, I got out of the trip. Julie Gerberding went and feels as I do that these series of trips will be a waste of time for us. Article came out in WSJ by Sarah Lueck on Stewart Simonson with major quote by me defending him. It was a fair article and will likely reverse the trend of bad press that he has been getting as being the “Michael Brown of Public Health preparedness”. Went to the VP’s mansion for a Christmas Party on Dec. 15 and then went to Lessons and Carols at the National Cathedral right afterwards. Took Stewart Simonson and his parents (who are in town for the holidays). Dec. 16-31, 2005 – Reasonably calm. Still doing press regularly related to pandemic flu. On Dec. 27, 28, 29 did Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN “The Situation Room”, respectively. Bush popularity polls going up slightly after a terrible year related to Iraq, prison abuses, Valerie Plume leak (Scooter Libby, Karl Rove), Katrina, etc. POTUS speaking more to the press and admitting more that certain things have not gone well. Am still trying to be low profile in requirement to travel with MOL on his 50 State tour. Dec. 27-28, 2005 – Drove up to NYC with Chris and the girls to do Christmas sightseeing and to visit my father who does not travel down to DC/VA for the holidays the way he used to do years ago. Had a great time. Went to Bryant Park around 42nd Street and 5 Avenue (near NY Public Library and saw the Kenneth Cole tented exhibit in the Park. It was a series of photos and plastic molds of foot imprints of people who had devoted themselves to fighting the AIDS epidemic. My footprint was up there along with Angelina Joli, Brad Pitt, Whoopie Goldberg, Larry Kramer, Bono and a large number of other notables.