According to MSNBC the US Senate has just voted to confirm confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Human and Health Services.  The Republicans were forced to abandon their obstructing the Sebelius confirmation vote (she is pro-choice).  The message was starting to successfully form that the Republicans were playing politics while a very serious disease was spreading.  The top level government positions that are suppose to deal with health issues have remained empty as a result of various procedural maneuvers of the GOP.

The Republicans saw the writting on the wall with this one.  For all of the beatings they have sustained over the last few years they could not afford to be painted as the party who created a situation that made the Swine Flu problem potentially worse.