Why isn't the White House web site and blog able to keep up with reality?

Gee, I thought the Internet and Web were supposed to be mainstream technologies, especially with government, and that the Obama administration was supposed to "get it" about all of the new Internet and Web technologies. If so, then why isn't the latest "statement" about the so-called "H1N1 swine flu national emergency" on the White House Web site?

Maybe somebody "forgot" that the Internet and Web are open "24x7".

Maybe one of my readers knows somebody at the White House and can alert them to that... obvious... fact.

According to a Reuters article, "Obama signed the statement on Friday night." That was Friday. It is now Sunday. Why the big delay? And the statement is still not on the Web site.

The White House Web site does have a dedicated section for "Statements and Releases". Why an emergency statement would not be posted there is rather baffling.

Oh, and by the way, the CDC Web site does not have the statement either.

An article on the San Francisco Chronicle Web site says that "The declaration" was "announced Saturday" and "allows U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to waive certain regulations or speed up the regulatory process if health providers are inundated with swine flu patients."

Well, I just checked, and the HHS Web Site has no notice of this "declaration" either.

I even checked the "government flu Web site", flu.gov. No sign of any "declaration" or hint of an "emergency."

Helloooo... wake up somebody.

Or... maybe this so-called "emergency" is not really an... emergency.

Remember the good old days when an emergency was was an... emergency?

And if this is not really an emergency, why is the media reporting it as an... emergency?

What is wrong with this picture?

As I write this, the headline "Obama declares swine flu emergency" is the top headline on Google News.

Obviously there is a major disconnect somewhere along the line here.

-- Jack Krupansky