A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Dec. 13, 2007 - Two issues today: Went down to White House with Mark Dybul to visit Dan Price (new SHERPA for the upcoming G-8 meeting in July, 2008). Dan, at the suggestion of Gary Edson, was looking for some bold initiatives for finish off the legacy of the POTUS over the next 11-12 months. Gary mentioned to Dan how I had developed the PEPFAR program. We discussed various options. I brought up several such as elimination of TB and malaria, and aggressively addressing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Mark had the great idea of using the PEPFAR infrastructure that has been built up over the past 4 years to deliver the meds for NTDs. The bulk of the costs for attacking NTDs is the delivery systems since the drugs are free (ivermectim) or very cheap. In addition, Mark suggested major tax breaks for private sector corporations that donate their expertise such as computer programming, etc. Mark and I were charged with putting together a proposal. This matches nicely with what HHS, NSC, and HSC are asking me to do with putting a bold program together for TB together with CDC, FDA, USAID, and DHS. After talking to Dan, we walked over to Josh Bolten's office and described briefly the plan to him. He likes it a lot and urged us to go forward. Seems strikingly similar situation to what we did with PEPFAR 5 years ago. This evening I went to the Christmas Party at the Vice President's mansion. Chris is in Boston having given a lecture and ran into a big snow storm. She is stranded in Boston and will have to take a train home that will get her in during the middle of the night. I took Ali to the VP party and she had an exciting time meeting the VP and such notables as David Addington (Chief-of-Staff to the VP), Joel Bagnol (HSC), Bruce Miller (VP's Staff, Carol Kuntz, etc.
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Dec. 14 - 19, 2007 - Series of the usual (now becoming enjoyable since I remember names after seeing them so often) holiday parties, mostly centered around NCS/STA. Weather unusually mild. Looking forward to Jenny and Megan coming home
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Dec. 20, 2007 - Meeting (pre-PCC) at EEOB run by Mike Magan of NSC and Bob Kadlec of HSC to flesh out possibility of putting together a major POTUS initiative on "Control or Elimination of Tuberculosis" to announce at the State of the Union Address in Jan. 2008. After having various agencies present a totality of a program that would cost billions, it was decided that since there really will not be any new money, or if there was, it would be very little, we should focus on the well-circumscribed topic of TB Vaccine research. I was tasked to do this and to write language for the State of the Union Address. In my proposal, I presented the case that this would cost relatively little. NIH spends $150 million in 2007 on TB research ($120 M is NIAID). Of this $20 million is on TB Vaccine Research - this is about 25% of world's TB vaccine research spending with Gates spending about 45% (they spend most of their TB money on vaccine). The Global Plan to Stop TB - 2006-2015 calls for $184 million in 2009 (the FY that we are talking about). If we tripled our spending by adding $40 million to the $20 million, this would give $60 million. Right before the meeting Rajeev Venkayya (who left HSC and will be joining Gates) called and e-mailed me saying that he has arranged a call between Secr. Leavitt and Tachi Yamada from Gates to agree that Bill Gates, Jr. will commit to a significant increase in Gates funding for TB if the USG puts up more money. I have submitted a proposal for a $40 million increase for FY 2009 and I have included language for the Address. Let us hope that this flies. Then I will have had impact on PEPFAR, the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) and now the TB initiative.
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Dec. 22, 2007 - Has breakfast at Panera in Chevy Chase with Terry Lierman who is now Chief-of -Staff to House leader Steny Hoyer (an old friend). We discussed the usual politics and I mentioned that the only job that I would take in a new administration is Secretary of HHS. Terry said that everyone knows in the democratic party that I am most qualified, but that I have "a Bush problem" in that I am too closely associated over the years with the Bush's. Such is Life; I am not at all upset about this since who knows what will happen and besides, I do not covet the job.
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2007-12-23 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Dec. 23-27, 2007 - Discovered that Megan has an 8 mm left ovarian cyst - likely a dermoid that needs to come out for fear of torsion/twisting since it is so big. She is seen by Mark Reiter's group and Mark is arranging to have it removed on Dec. 31 laparoscopically by a woman in his practice. He will assist. He is giving her the VIP treatment, but I know too little about the laparoscopic skill of the people in his practice. I do not want to upset the apple-cart, but ordinarily I would get David Jacobs involved; yet I do not want to interfere with the natural flow. David would probably insist that someone else outside that practice do the procedure. Mark wants to be in charge since he delivered Megan and feels a strong responsibility to her. I am conflicted and will hope for the best.
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Dec. 28, 2007 - Lucky for us that Dr. Sedghi (Megan's primary GYN doctor asked for a repeat sonogram. Turns out the "cyst" was a loop of bowel. She has a normal pelvis on repeat sono. Welcome to medical practice in the USA! The radiologist actually called it a dermoid cyst based on "calcification", which now turns out not to be present.
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Dec. 28, 2007 - Jan. 4, 2008 - The White House is getting excited about the possibility of pushing my TB vaccine research intitative for the G-8 and for the SOTU Address. Met on Jan. 3 with Mike Magan and Patrick Marcham of NSC about pushing forward my TB intiative. Also, Mike wants me to put together a similar initiative for a malaria vaccine. I will present this to Dan Price (with Gary Edson present) on Monday at the White House. Possibility exists for a two-fer, i.e. TB + Malaria vaccine initiatives. A lot of activity (e-mails, phone calls, meetings) going on similar to the time right before we went ahead with PEPFAR in Jan. 2003. There is the usual concern on the part of NIH, HHS, and OMB as to where the new money will come from. I have been very open in keeping Elias Zerhouni and HHS informed of my White House meetings. Jan. 5 - Jan. 18, 2008 - Democrat and Republican primaries getting very hot. No clear leader with the GOP. Fred Thompson dropped out; Rudy Giuliani counting on Florida as he has done poorly so far in Iowa, NH, Nevada, Michigan and SC. Romney dropping and McLain bouncing back with wins in NH and SC. Dems race ugly with Bill and Hillary attacking Obama. This is causing racial tensions and blacks are getting pissed at Bill and Hillary. Bill is acting inappropriately in attacking Barack in an angry fashion. He is also clearly lying about what Barack has said and done. My initiatives are still percolating at the WH. Now they have asked me to put together a malaria vaccine and malaria drug discovery proposal. Will discuss these on Jan. 28 at the WH. Weather has been bitter cold in DC - very sunny, but freezing.
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Jan. 19, 2008 - Dinner at Capitol Hilton Hotel to celebrate Sam Alito getting the Lido Award. Dinner sponsored by NIAF. John Salamone (Executive Director of NIAF) asked Chris and me to sit at Alito's table along with Gen. Peter Pace and his wife Lynne. Had nice evening speaking with Martha-Ann Alito (Sam's wife). She is starting an "Italian Dinner Club" and invited me to join. I am considering it.
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Jan 25, 2008 - Gave lecture Global health at USA Families Conference at the Mayflower Hotel. The speaker before me was my friend former Senator Tom Daschle. Tom gave a great talk on health care in the USA based on a book that he has just written. Of note, he is the health advisor for Barack Obama. This is good since Tom likes me a lot and this could be my entry into getting to know Obama a bit better since I know Hillary much better than I do Obama. This evening went with Chris to an elegant "private" dinner (black tie) at the Academy of Achievement Town House at 1222 16th Street, N.W. given by Catherine and Wayne Reynolds. They have been very generous to me in inviting me to these great affairs. In typical Catherine Reynolds style, the details of the evening were amazing. Great food and elegant wines (Montrachet and Margaux) and champagne (Dom Perignon). Guests were terrific. Sens. Daschle, Cochrane, Byron Dornan; Bob Barnett,; Congressman Dingle; Mack McCarty; John Negroponte; Mike Chertoff Steve and Alice Rosenberg, maries. Bruce Miller. etc. Highlight of the evening was the command private performance by Bernadette Peters, who was amazing - talented and beautiful at 60 years old (next month)! I was struck by how short she is in real life. Google lists her as 5'3", but she was about 1.5 inches shorter then I and she had spiked (3 inch) heels on - great looking woman and incredibly nice as we spoke with her after the performance.