Flu blogging

Not to panic, mind you, but I keep an eye on the flu blogs.
These folks tend to be more scientific than political, so I trust their science more than their politics. They do pay attention, however, to how official policies and the response of public officials to threats impact the spread of disease.

Hurricane Katrina highlighted the poor response from US officials in the face of a serious emergency. Bloggers who follow the spread of bird flu were quick to point out that Katrina showed just how unprepared we are to deal with a flu pandemic. Lots of interesting observations, here are a few posts from the sites I read daily: Tyler's reaction at Marginal revolution, Effect Measure on the preparedness of the public health system, and Crawford Killian from H5N1 sharing his thoughts on the events in New Orleans.

These people don't advertise themselves to be partisan, but what's happening in the wake of the hurricane damage is putting off a lot of stink, both literally and figuratively. Yes, I know, Tyler Cowen and others may be partisan, but one can't expect the disease experts never to leave the lab. Their opinions on these matters carries more weight than the average guy in the street.

My guess is that they next several days will be politically important for the next presidential election.
As every politician knows, voters don't just ask "What have you done for me?"
They are more likely to ask "What have you done for me lately?"
Excuse me for bringing it up, but the president has ridden September-11 long enough.
That horse is getting tired. It's time to jump on a new one.
We will see how well the cowboy can ride this bronco.