The Boston Globe had an article in it's Sunday edition about this very topic. Perhaps we read the same article Peter. It is sort of baffling that we'd let it slip to the crisis point in the way we have but I  think this issue has not been on either the Bush or Kerry priority list.

In regards to how it relates to Homeland Security that's pretty simple...we know about the flu and the toll it can take and we face it year to year...if we don't or can't put something in place to cope with something as obvious as that threat then how would we cope with the threat of a sudden bio-terror emergency. It just seems to show a complete lack of forward thinking.

Homeland Security seems to be a joke, what they did was take a bunch of existing agencies and then combine them under one umbrella...basically in name only...I don't think they have even found a way for all these agencies to interact. They put Ridge up there as some sort of figure head/spokesman but in reality what the hell have they done except go around and pat themselves on the back?

I don't know if Kerry is going to say much about this flu thing...he might...but it looks like most of the final push of the campaign will be about Bushco failures, lies and distortions...a lot of stuff about Iraq and failing to keep us safe...they have actually compiled a list of statements the Bush administration has made that they say show how dishonest they have been and they will be trotting those out all over the place.

The Bush campaign likely won't mention this flu stuff at all, they never talk about any issues nevermind something like this. Their strategy for the remaining days will be to continue to repeat the nonsense they've had Bush spewing and Repubilican operatives repeating...that Kerry is a "liberal" (oh my!), that Kerry is a flipflopper, that Kerry isn't credible when he discusses any domestic or foreign policy because (get this) he's a liberal, and in general blah, blah, blah...without ever mentioning a single specific or refering to a single fact. They will continue to lie and distort in ways that are so off the wall it's amazing a single person would listen to them. The "global test" thing is a perfect example. Anyone with ears knows Kerry said it was the "explanation" after you've taken action that needs to pass the "global test" not that before you take action you must put it to a "global test"...and yet Cheney and Bush and a bunch of Republican toadies have repeated this crap again and again...which leaves us to see them in only one of two ways...

1. Either they are total morons who have no clue what the hell they are talking about, in which case why would you want them anywhere near the White House...

or

2. They are a bunch of people that will lie and say anything they can to win reelection. Agian in which case why would you want anything to do with them?

Personally, I think it's clearly option two.

Fat chance they mention the flu thing though, unless it's to lay the blame elsewhere...like say in Kerry's lap, just like Kevin G quickly chimed in to do...