Diary Prequel Package — page 129

4434 - Hawthorne Street, which is 2 blocks from my house. Christine Grady accompanied me. Sept. 28, 2005 - Sec. Leavitt, Julie Gerberding, Bruce Gellin, General Gordon (CIA) and I briefed a groups of Senators on H5N1 influenza pandemic potential in a "top secret" briefing at the Capitol. Among the Senators were: Ted Kennedy, Barrack Obama, Tom Harkin, Durbin, Reid, Patrick Leahy, Max Baucus as well as others. Typical Washington phenomenon ensued - two days later they proposed an amendment to a Defense Bill for $4 billion dollars for H5N1 preparedness emphasizing buying Tamiflu instead of the balanced Vaccine/Therapy approach that we had suggested. In addition, they knew (we told them) that we were preparing a big ($7-9 Billion) supplemental request for the HHS FY2006 budget for vaccines/drugs. It was clear that they wanted to trump the Administration since the bill was proposed by Democrats as well as Frist, who is clearly positioning himself to run for President in 2008. I love it!! Sept. 30, 2005 - Appeared again (many times now) on the Lou Dobbs CNN Show to discuss bird flu. He obviously respects me very much. Of note, lately the DHHS people in OC (Bill Hall, Suzy DeFrancis Christina Pearson, and mostly Patti Conrad- I am not sure who is the culprit) have been hijacking the media requests for me when we ask for permission (routine) to accept. Usually these are "rubber stamp"; however they are trying to insert the secretary on shows that specifically ask for me. I feel that this is fine since the Secretary should trump everyone. However, they are lying about it since they are telling us that when they offer up the Secretary, the shows are glad to have the Secretary instead of me. However, I heard directly from Wolf Blitzer of CNN that he had specifically asked for me. The DHHS people called him up and said that I could not do it since I had a prior commitment and they suggest that the Secretary take my place. We had made it perfectly clear to the DHHS people that I was totally free and able to do it. They are really acting poorly. Why do not they just say that they want to insert the Secretary and not lie about it and give the networks the choice of me versus the Secretary. I guess I have no recourse. At the end of the day it will backfire on them. Oct. 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