Influenza Pandemic
(10/6/2005)
Yesterday on CNBC's SquawkBox, I took the Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt to task over scaring the American people about pandemics. (See my blog entry "Political or Bird Flu Pandemic?" below.) I got a lot of wonderful feedback and I wanted you to see the following email from Douglas Duchek in Michigan:
Dr. John
-----------
Subject: Influenza Pandemic
Dr. Rutledge -
Of course one as experienced in speaking truth to image-makers (including power) as yourself knew that your absolutely accurate correlation between a plunging Harris Poll number and the surfacing of the "imminent" Avian flu threat would draw self-righteous protests from those choosing to now capitalize on the news value (arbitrage opportunity) presented by surfacing what appears to be the remarkably competent job this administration may be doing in preparing for an influenza pandemic.
During the presidential press conference yesterday, as Mr. Bush displayed an ability to master and then articulate the arcane specifics of disease communication and the stratagems to disrupt and thereby (hopefully) control that communication, all I could think about was whether some WH credentialed reporter would have the facility to ask the appallingly obvious next question: "Mr. President, if your team can master the potential threat and make plans accordingly for avian flu, what happened to this competence in planning for post-Saddam Iraq?" (The justifiable reasons for the West's concerted effort in this region have surely now been damaged for a long, long time unless Allah performs a miracle.)
Alas, this was not to be. Of course the president so effectively filibustered the WH "press corps" with his command of the flu threat and his administration's potential response that most of the "story of the moment" crowd would not have wanted to risk their producer's ire in deviating from repeating inane Harriet Miers scripted questions lest the prized WH assignment be lost to someone who might have the ability (or gumption) to think on their feet.
By the way, I, for one, can forgive Mr. Barry, for not grasping the real thrust of your question (or observation) and for simply responding (in effect) that his book was a serious presentation of a deadly serious issue -- after all the president handed the guy the thermodynamic opportunity of a lifetime by recommending the book in the longest press conference Mr. Bush has ever held. The heat transfer implicit in this situation is truly breathtaking and, as you so nicely displayed for those who were paying attention, not just for Mr. Barry, but for a beleaguered and largely incompetent administration -- Secretary Leavitt recognized an asset value shift and let Mr. Barry appreciate for the good of the Bush balance sheet.
Thanks for speaking truth -- too bad no one seems to value that anymore.
Douglas F. Duchek
Bloomfield Village, Michigan