McCain’s elusive medical records

April 3, 2008

In 1999, during John McCain’s first presidential campaign, the senator, then 63, couldn’t have been any more forthcoming when it came to his medical history. Months before a single vote was cast, McCain instructed his campaign to release 1,500 pages of medical and psychiatric records. What’s more, journalists with additional questions were given direct access to McCain’s personal physician.

That was then; this is now. The NYT’s Lawrence Altman, a physician, reported a month ago:

[T]his time around, Mr. McCain has yet to make his full medical records or his physicians available to reporters. At least three times since March 2007, campaign officials have told The New York Times that they would provide the detailed information about his current state of health, but they have not done so. The campaign now says it expects to release the information in April.

That was the standard line in early March. McCain sat down for an interview with Scott Pelley on “60 Minutes,” and was asked about his health. McCain said it’s “excellent” (three times), and said his campaign would be “doing the medical records thing” soon. Pelley followed up, “There has been some criticism that you have not released your medical records. You’re saying in this interview that you’re about to do that.” McCain replied, “Oh, yeah, we’ll do it in the next month or so, yeah.”

With this in mind, it came as a bit of a surprise when CNN reported yesterday, “The McCain campaign said Wednesday the Arizona senator’s medical records will no longer be released by April 15. They now say the new timetable is ‘sometime in May.'”

My hunch is that there’s probably nothing to this. If McCain had a serious medical problem that would interfere with his campaign or his ability to serve, it’d be insane for him to try to conceal it now.

But why, then, play these games?

It was just March 10 — a few weeks ago — when McCain had what he said was a routine doctor’s visit in Phoenix. He told reporters afterwards, “Everything’s fine, everything’s fine,” adding that he’d make a full disclosure on April 15.

And now the date has been pushed back again. I wasn’t inclined to be suspicious about this issue until McCain started acting suspiciously.

Reporters started asking for medical records months ago. First, McCain’s aides said they’d release the information in March. Then, without explanation, they changed the date to April. Then, again without explanation, they changed the date to May.

For a candidate who has nothing to hide, he’s acting like he has something to hide. And given that McCain is running to be the oldest president ever elected, and he has a history of medical problems including melanoma, this is a little unsettling.

If McCain had a history of secrecy, it’d be easier to just chalk this up to a character flaw. But his previous disclosures actually make the problem worse. He was an open book during his first campaign, and now he can’t even explain the delays in releasing his records.

As I said, there’s probably nothing to this. But the campaign’s conduct on the issue raises questions, doesn’t it?

Yes, it does.

This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.

  • If McCain had a serious medical problem that would interfere with his campaign or his ability to serve, it’d be insane for him to try to conceal it now.

    Noted without further comment.

  • How much of a done deal is Hon. Sen. McCain’s nomination? Could there be some sort of revolt at the convention with GOP unpledged delegates or are they stuck with him regardless?

  • The thing that keeps popping into my mind is that while McSame is the, what’s the word, presumptive gooper candidate, he isn’t officially so until the convention. And Mitt, with his suspended campaign, is there eagerly awaiting something to happen to old Mr. Dazed and Confused about pretty much everything.

    Does anyone else see the Mittster reappearing to pick up the pieces when McCain faulters do to whatever?

  • Funny how transparency is a good idea sometimes, but not always. Reminds me of how Hillary’s slow-walking her tax returns (and refusing to release the Clinton library donors) after she so publicly demanded to see Lazio’s tax returns.

  • But why, then, play these games?

    If your administration is going to be bush III, you’re gonna have to extend the policies as well. This just seems to be more of the same. We need to make sure he doesn’t get elected, period.

  • People need to understand that McCain’s medical records are as much of a maverick as he is. They can’t be tamed! Or read!

  • OTOH, it could be a trap. McDildo knows his health will be an issue, so he’s waiting for the right time to release the purportedly vindicative report. He’s hoping that if it is released right after strong questions are raised, preferably by the Dem nominee, it will decide the issue; that any further questioning will be perceived as ageist, mean-spirited harassment.

    In a similar vein, I’m wondering if he will shed a judicious tear(hey it’s work for others) if he’s getting his ass kicked in the debates.

  • McCain’s health will make itself an issue during the campaign. I’ve been struck how often people who have seen clips of him on the news remark about tired he looks already. I have the feeling John will need to find a veep soon just so he can maintain a presence on the campaign trail without collapsing.

    If the Dems can wrap-up their primary fight and ratchet up the campaign against McCain, John will be a worn-down mess well before November

  • Everything about McCain has changed since 1999, he clearly has caught whatever mental disorder Cheney and Bush are afflicted with. Excessive secrecy is obviously a symptom.

  • No big deal, McCain just can’t remember where he put it. Besides, the only medical problem it mentions is short-term memory loss.

  • Reminds me of how Hillary’s slow-walking her tax returns (and refusing to release the Clinton library donors) after she so publicly demanded to see Lazio’s tax returns.

    The 2000 Senate election was eight years ago. Why don’t you move on? Isn’t there anything more current you can discuss? Besides, Senate races are different than presidential races. Hillary knows that we need to see where possible senators are getting their income, but it doesn’t matter where presidents do because the White House provides everything you need while you’re living there and there’s no need for outside money. I’m sure there’s no bias in the fact that everyone is very interested in where the woman got her money, but no one cares that the man running against her made over a million dollars selling a book about how black his father is.

  • Early stages of Alzheimer’s. They are trying to decide how to spin it, because they want to suggest it will not impact his performance as president. After all, consider Bush.

  • If McCain had a serious medical problem that would interfere with his campaign or his ability to serve, it’d be insane for him to try to conceal it now.

    Unless they are planning backdooring a VP into the Presidency when McCain has to retire for medical reasons.

  • I agree with #6 and #10 – this is probably just a symptom of “presumptive Republican nominee”-itis. You can’t become the party’s leader if you’re willing to be frank or open about anything.

  • “But why, then, play these games?”

    To keep attention focused on himself and away from the Dems.

  • Johnny Boy is just too damned old! Some of the footage of him walking around in Iraq showed him taking the stumbling, short steps of the frail and feeble. Hell, his mom looks younger than he does sometimes. I don’t say this from any bias of being disrespectful of the elderly. But when you have to run with the horsemen it is best not to pick from the glue factory corral.

  • Hey Insane Fake Professor, you don’t think it mattered that Bush’s wealth depended on Big Oil and Saudi relationships? At least Obama’s book money was self-reliant money. Hillary also wrote several books, if I remember correctly.

  • McCain does have serious medical problems.

    For one thing, he has cancer — recurrent melanoma.

    For another, he has some significant mental deficits. Has anyone listened to his speeches? The factual errors and logical contradictions are consistent exceed the requirements of Republican electoral politics enough to indicate serious mental deficiency.

  • Good Point #14. McCain himself has mentioned he would only serve one term. This is all being set up for the GOP VP.

  • Or of course the Maverick in his pants could have caught something and they are trying to make sure Mrs McCain and the whole world doesn’t know a certain lobbyist gave him rectal herpes.

    Here is the thing I am curious about, why medical records ? I get the vested interest, but if he hides something, how would anyone find out ? His doctor sure as hell isn’t going to say anything and I can’t imagine too many people have access to a Senator’s file.

    So McCain rips out a few pages, who is going to know ?
    So what is the point ?

  • There are skin cancers and there are skin cancers — basal cell doesn’t metastasize, and is just one step more than a cosmetic problem. Malignant melanoma is one of the more virulent cancers, and that’s the one McCain had. Since he’s already had two outbreaks, sooner or later reporters are going to ask difficult questions if he doesn’t disclose his records. But he only has to stall till after the convention. With a VP in place, it won’t matter so much. That’s probably what it’s all about.

  • Okay so let’s be clear – he had a very very serious illness- not the flu- he had melanoma- and if you look at photos- the left side of his face is/has been looking more swollen again…and there are times he has trouble opening his mouth- there appears to be nerve damage? He has been having “senior” moments susposedly….BUT also the biggest risk with melanoma- that has had reoccurances….( and his has)….is METS….and the biggest risk is METS to the brain….it is a fact- and the repugs would be wise to very much question his history-and medical records- very serious issue….My suspicion is that he will not release the records until he has a VEEP selected…..

    (believe me- I am not wishing more illness on him- but it is an issue that needs scrutiny)

  • So who McCain chooses as his V.P. makes all the difference in the world.

    Suppose he chose someone who would stand only a snowballs chance in hell of being elected Pres.

    Maybe he could choose Condi for V.P. – that would make an interesting development.

    Suppose he knew he was going to kick off – maybe that would be his parting B.J. to the republicans, getting someone in that would carry on the Neo-Con agenda.

  • Kind of hard to straight talk about going 6 ft. under. I wouldn’t want to talk about it either. It would be unfortunate if he croaked right before November b/c everyone would blame Obama for getting “lucky” again – which would be true. TKO’s still count.

  • McCain is nasty and belligerent as much of the video on the Internet shows him
    to be.
    Phoenix was an economic mess in the 80’s when he was part of the
    Keating Five who tried to get Charles Keating off the hook from being a
    cheating, lying crook.
    John McCain was of course implicated in the crime and fined.
    His wife’s money and political clout with Arizona politicians got John
    McCain off from further prosecution.
    HE WAS GUILTY!
    There was so much empty commercial real estate in Phoenix at the time it wasn’t funny!
    AND THIS SON-OF-A-BITCH WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT?
    He will further bankrupt the WHOLE US.!

  • Have you noticed how Cindy McCain is by the Senator’s side most of the time. Watch how she whispers or in his ear and then he nods his head as if she were directing him. Also, if Cindy McCain isn’t there Joe Lieberman or Lindsey Graham is. He always seems to have someone near him. I have watched this happen for months and one does wonder about his health, mental and physical.

  • McCain is a phoney war hero. PERIOD!
    No one can survive 5 years of toture in a concentraton camp,
    and be mentally stable.
    JOHN MCCAIN IS NOT MENATLLY STABLE!

  • The only thing I can think of is that there may be test results that are unconclusive until further tests/examinations. Thus, it would be dumb to release records and needlessly lose the nomination over something that might not turn out to be anything at all.

    -JH

  • i am a 68 yr. old nurse. someone who has suffered recurrent episodes of melanoma has no business running for president.

  • Ok, was he confused or deliberately mis-leading about Al Qaeda being supported by Iran?

    If the former, and Lieberman having to step in and whisper a correction to him supports the confusion theory, then that’s clear evidence his mental abilities are failing.

    If the latter, then he’s still sharp, calculating that the public is stupid and can be confused about who we are fighting, and that’s Bushian.

    So, pick your poison. Or not.

  • His past history included Melanoma? That’s pretty serious if you don’t catch it early and cut it out. Melanoma likes to go to the lungs and brain. Like Elizabeth Edwards said, under his health plan he woulndn’t be covered if he had ordinary insurances like we do.

  • Judith, your comment is the wisest one so far. All the on-the-job training a president goes through is a waste of taxpayers’ money on someone who is not likely to last a term. If we had known Reagan had Alzheimer’s do you think he would have been elected by a landslide?

  • I cannot get this McCain guy’s stand on issues together. Now McCain says he is pro abortion and the heck with the religious right in the GOP. Huh? Who can trust what McCain stands for?

    McCain just flip-flops and slides around. Who knows?

  • McCain has had a serious medical problem with melanomas in the past. His profile has been visibly altered from surgery to remove them. Given that melanomas spread rapidly throughout the body, secrecy feeds speculation that he has had a recurrence. Release of medical records would put that speculation to rest, and would be a wise course for McCain to follow.

  • Plus, if McCain is really sick already and will not tell anyone his vice presidential candidate is really the one that will be the next president. The voters will not really be electing McCain if they vote for him this November. So, it becomes, really important to know if McCain is healthy or not. If McCain lies about this issue to the voters then he really committed the worst kind of fraud.

  • John McCain has cataracts. A few weeks ago on TV he complained about the lights in his eyes. I also saw a shot of him coming off a plane with the usual cataract sunglasses. This is not a serious thing, but it does show signs of age.

  • doesn’t bode well on a number of levels.. even the way he answers the question is pretty telling…. ‘doing the medical records thing’.. sort of like the ‘economics thing’ and the ‘war thing’ etc…

  • I don’t think McCain is mentally sound and I’ll bet he’s been treated for mental issues (POW aftermath). He’s part of that old Washington crap that goes on and there will be a coverup.

  • If there was nothing to hide, the McCain campaign would have put these records out if only to show that he’s a completely healthy manly specimen.

    I’m betting on something embarrassing and geriatric. Maybe prostate or anal leakage.

  • we all know he has skin cancer. And the way he walks you can tell he is old . But
    Bush was young and full of vigor but was empty in his head. I don’t understand why
    the GOP didn’t go for Romney. This will forever be a puzzle to me. He is smart, young, healthy and knows economics. but I guess they wanted someone they can
    pull the wool over his eyes, and also who let’s people like Liberman and the Israeli
    lobby tell him what to do. McCaine is the man. He is a yes guy as long as he gets
    into the White House. His wife is also old. And half of her looks like lady of the night, the other half is old also. An average rural housewife in Kansas or Indiana can’t identify with her. What a mess. It’s between a preacher who has his own agenda and this old man. Get a grip America.

  • Malignant melanoma is cancer and people sometimes forget this. It can easily metastasize to other organs of the body and is virulent.

    Maybe he isn’t releasing his medical records because they have found positive lymph nodes which would suggest spread of the disease. Otherwise, why allow this to become an issue? At his age, the last thing he would want questioned would be his health.

  • At the very least it is politically stupid of the 71-year-old McCain to raise suspicions about his health IF he doesn’t have to. IF he has no reason to feel threatened by the release of his medical records, then why delay releasing them? What does time buy him? Are there genuine physical or mental health issues that he’s afraid to make public now but not afraid to make public in May? Cancer? PTSD? Or is he inviting attacks from Democrats in the hopes of embarassing them when his doctors give him a clean bill of health? At this point, the leading Democrats shouldn’t even comment on his health or the releae of his health records. If his health is bad, it will come out well before the general election. But I smell a Karl Rove rat in the woodpile, and don’t think it would be to our (Democrats)advantage to take what could be nothing more than political bait.

  • Yeah, it would be insane for someone holding high public office to try to conceal a debilitating medical condition for years……..isn’t that right, FDR?

    Man, you’re a dupe if you don’t think these things are being hidden from us.

    Ronnie Reagan was in the first stages of Alzeimers disease before he left the White House.

    What a dupe you are. Or are they paying you to lie for them?

  • Why the delay?

    There would be two possible reasons that they would accept the hit of appearing to be hiding something that they have incurred by delaying the announced release of medical information.

    If they are going with a full, “unedited”, release of medical records, there might be some medical issue whose work-up is incomplete that they want to see completed before they release the records. The downside to releasing early would be that the record would be incomplete, and leave open questions about McCain’s health that might become an issue in the campaign.

    The less benign reason would be that, unlike 1999, they have decided that an unedited release of medical records would be to risky. This would be either because he has accumulated more, and more serious, medical problems since 1999 (between 1999 and today, he has traversed the age range in which the medical problems do tend to accumulate rapidly), or that they think that any medical problem will now receive much greater scrutiny in a candidate 9 years older than he was in 1999. Partial release, especially considering the sheer bulk of the records involved (reportedly they were up to 1500 pages even by 1999) would involve a lot of work with the record, and a lot of executive decisions about how to approach inclusion and exclusion, and what form of inclusion/exclusion, of different medical issues.

    His melanoma would actually probably not be the most difficult such issue to resolve. This would be because we already know enough — first melanoma in 1993, most serious recurrence (two locations!) at stage IIa in 2000, then another recurrence in 2002 — to know that he has a worrisome but imponderable risk. Melanoma is predictably unpredictable in its risks anyway, and so has a less well-defined “typical case” profile, but this history is so quirky that there really aren’t enough similar cases to generate any risk data terribly applicable to the particulars we already know. The survival expectations that Altman cites in the NYT article referred to are simply for the single IIa in 2000. Nobody can say how much worse the other recurrences make his prognosis.

    The presumption would have to be that there are other problems that leave them still wrestling over the right disclosure strategy. But these could be anything from the truly life- or health-threatening, to the merely embarrassing or awkward. Either would generate delay as they wrangle over exactly what to reveal and what to hold back.

  • So what, he willingly released his medical records to the media once. So what if he decided to push their release back. Despite what his party would have you believe about privacy, he is entitled to the safeguarding of his medical files. And so what if he decides not to release them altogether. Maybe he will decide he just doesn’t want people to get that personal with him. And this is coming from a McCain-hating, ultra left wing liberal.

  • In hollywood its called a re-write. He looks, acts and behaves much older than he is. He should not even be in the running. What’s wrong with the Republicans? Not that the democrats are doing much better. They all seem to be frustrated. Did you happen to see Obama being manhandled by that photo seeker? Something seems wrong with that picture.

  • Being very familiar with the Veterans’ Administration, I would assume the John McCain is service-connected for his injuries. This is to include mental injury as well as physical. I don’t know of any POW at least, that isn’t service-connected for PTSD suffered under their capture by enemy forces, including John McCain. A disability percentage is awarded based on many factors described in the DSM-IV Mental disability manual. When you review the criteria for the different percentages, you will get a complete picture of the veteran’s capacities. This being said, John McCain should also reveal his VA file in addition to his private medical records. I wouldn’t hold my breath trying to access the VA files however. IMHO, if McCain is service-connected for PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), he is not capable of running this country. We know for a fact that he has anger management issues and combine this with his age and other issues, you really don’t want his hands anywhere near our Nuclear devices.

  • Stage II One of the following scenarios is true:
    The cancer is between 4 to 6 cms in diameter and has not spread into the surrounding tissues or to the lymph nodes in the region.
    The cancer is no more than 4 cms in diameter and has spread into the surrounding tissues including the skin, soft tissues, bone or nerve near the gland, but there is no spread to the neighboring lymph nodes.

  • If McCain wasn’t hiding something, he would have already released the records and certainly wouldn’t be playing these asinine games.

    An honest man wouldn’t behave like this, but then an honest man wouldn’t have had an affair for a year before dumping his first wife and mother of his children.

  • I think the delay may be tactical. Assuming that, once the Democratic nominee is known, part of the Democrats’ campaign will focus on his age, health etc., McCain is stringing them along to think that there is something to hide. Once they gear all the attention to his health in the campaign proper, he will be able to deflate one of their principal attacks with a clean “bill of health”, thereby wrong-footing the Dems.

  • I think it is a little invasive to ask candidates to give out their medical information.

    However, since he offered it up last time, and gave a timeline of when they were going to be released this time, it DOES seem odd.

    With McCain, his running mate will be very, very important. He carries extra risk.

  • Martin,
    I don’t claim any great confidence that I know the particular reason that they have delayed release of medical info, since there are many possible particular explanations. But I think that your scenario, that the delay is a trap, is unlikely. They woudn’t be able to counter-attack against Dem questioning of McCain’s health with a clean “bill of health” unless they do a total release of all records. If they only do a partial release, the Dems would be able to claim that the unreleased material conceals evidence of serious health problems. Yet if they do a total, “unedited” release, it is unlikely that there will not be something there, that, even if not particularly severe or concerning, would at least provide a fig leaf of rationale for having raised questions about McCain’s health.

    Just new information about the melanoma recurrences that we already know occurred in 2000 and 2002, by itself, would provide adequate cover to folks who had made an issue of his health. These recurrences happened after his supposedly complete release of records in 1999, and while the fact of the recurrences was disclosed, I don’t believe that his full records from those incidents was released, as it had been in 1999. These full records, if released now, would have to contain at least new tidbits of information that would justify prior questioning of a condition, recurrent melanoma, that is definitely life-threatening.

    In fact, the more I think about this, the more, despite what I posted earlier about the murkiness of the potential reasons for delay of releasing medical information, the more clear it is that we already know a strong enough reason for them to want to time very carefully the release of medical records. There may be other, previously unknown, health issues at play here, but just the melanoma history that we already know is scary enough that giving the media the fresh excuse to discuss it again that a release of medical records would create, even if there is nothing more scary to add to what we know already, could be very damaging. They’re probably waiting for some other news story big enough to crowd the release off the front pages, then they’ll release on a Friday afternoon and hope it gets ignored in the rush to cover the other story.

  • The likeliest explanation is the simplest: His last visit required more tests and he’s not going to admit that, nor reveal anything until those tests are done and the results known. And those results might not be definitive, so why would McSame raise concerns that about something as iffy as recurring melanoma.

  • What a choice we have here…the youngest president ever who was at the top of his class at Harvard Law or the oldest president who graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy (not like he would flunk out with his pedigree).

    Even under the best circumstances McCain has an intellectual disadvantage to someone nearly 30 years his junior. Statistically there is a 5-8% chance he will develop dementia at his age, and that number goes up to 20% after he turns 75. I don’t know about the rest of the electorate, but I really don’t want to play Russian roulette with our country right now, especially with a war and recession.

  • As a Ron Paul supporter I can’t help but wonder what would happen at the Republican National Convention if McCain’s health would be so bad as to preclude him from the ticket. There will be numbers of committed Ron Paul delegates at the affair. Well, anyhow, I do wish McCain good health, but I also hope that if it does become a serious problem he will not deposit baby Lieberman on our doorstep.

  • BTW Where are McCain’s tax returns? Why is the press giving him a free ride on this as well?

  • In my opinion as a registered nurse, McCain has information in his medical record that would indicate that he is not out of the woods yet with respect to the three cases of melanoma he has had in the not too distant past. The fact that he had three episodes of that disease is highly indicative of metastatic disease that may spread and kill him while in office. My guess is they will pick an extreme right wing conservative to be his vice president for the possibility that he does not survive his term of office. In fact, I suspect there may be some assumption on the part of party leaders that this is likely to happen, given his age. This may explain why McCain is running as a “moderate” – to dupe middle of the road voters into voting for him and the Cheney clone who will actually wind up in power. Very clever, really. Please don’t be fooled.

  • Steve, thank you for this sensitive discussion of this important issue. Sadly for Sen McCain, his brain has been subject to: 1) repeated traumatic injury from boxing; 2) possible cognitive impairment form his repeated binge drinking; 3) possible cognitive impairment from chemotherapy (so called “chemo brain”) and/or radiation to his recurrent malignant melanoma. Moreover, the fact the senator was a torture victim introduces yet another risk factor; sadly, torture (and the resultant PTSD, if present) is yet another risk factor for emotional lability. POW torture victims have also been shown to be at increased risk for cognitive decline.

    Functionally, a recent article at Salon revealed that McCain’s brothers-in-arms (retired Admirals and Generals) have taken the extraordinary step of stating they feell he is unfit for command. For reasons I’ve recently discussed in greater depth in two pieces at FDL, McCain’s medical history as well as his multiple indicators of impaired cognition and affective dysregulation (emotional lability) are of such severity that his current medical records are imperative to allow voters to select the best possible choice for the Oval Office.

    At a time when candidates now routinely reveal the results of cardiac function tests and colonoscopies, surely access to candiates’ full medical records is a reasonable basic expectation. As we are actually choosing candidates for Chief Executive based upon their executive (brain) function, I would also strongly suggest that Presidential candidates undergo – and release – basic neuropsychiatric testing to assess cognitive function. These basic and well-standardized tests are the opposite of subjective assessments, and provide objective measures of cognitive function such as short-term memory and reading comprehension.

    Parenthetically, nothing would prevent either Sen Obama or Sen Clinton from taking such action in the upcoming general election, even should Sen. McCain decline to do so. At a time when candidates challenge each other to release their tax returns, candidates can certainly provide the voters with objective evidence that they have sufficient cognitive function to serve as President – and then politely invite their opponent to provide the same.

    Would the expectation that candidates provide their full medical histories and basic cognitive function assessments be a violation of their medical privacy? No: these professional pols are before us for a job interview. Release of their medical records and cognitive assessments is strictly voluntary. If they don’t wish to meet the basic requirements for us to assess their fitness for the position, there is no reason to simply lower the requirements. Canidates who do not wish to allow voters to know if the candidate does or does not have sufficient cognitive function to serve as President simply need not spend the years and hundreds of millions required for this job application.

    Thank you again for raising this important question.

  • I agree with all the critiques of John McCain, political, philosophical, economic and medical. The problem as I see it, is that most Americans still believe the “maverick/hero”. They don’t get the problem with his melanoma. They don’t know that he voted with the Bush administration 89% of the time.
    http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/mccain_bush.cfm
    They don’t know that his laissez-faire economics are the same ones that got us into trouble this time, as well as in the freaking Great Depression. They don’t get that he doesn’t understand anything about Middle East politics, especially the relationship between Al Qaeda and Iran, Shiites and Sunnis, Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Oh, wait. That’s almost all of it. They don’t know that the army has a huge recruiting problem that puts any plan to keep troops in Iraq in jeopardy.

    The reason? Well beyond the usual smoke-and-mirrors crap about “PATRIOTISM” “WARRIOR” “HONOR”, it’s the fact that the mainstream media gives this man a pass like nothing I’ve ever seen. I mean, I support Obama and the media’s treatment of him makes even me a little queasy sometimes. It pales in comparison with the way they fall all over McClone. http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/79426/
    I don’t know if we can do anything about this, but Media Matters is on the case. Maybe all of us who get that McSame would be a White House Disaster could help them out. It sort of worked for a while to help out HRC (although I think the press has a serious leftover 90s hard on for bashing Clintons).

    PS I love this website. It give me a reason not to slit my throat after reading posts at WSJ, CNN or RealClearPolitics.

  • After 8 years of Bush & Cheney, any candidate for the presidency needs to be as open and transparent as possible and avoid the appearance of potential embarrassment by the release of health and financial records. But what has been particularly noteworthy for me has been McCain’s overall lack of vitality. He always appears wan and lacking in the spark and sharpness of mind that he once had and that voters should expect from anyone who covets the Oval Office, especially when we consider all the challenges on the intellect that its occupant must be prepared to meet. Bush has been an excellent example of what damage can be wrought when a high level of intellect and mental energy are not present. Would 70-year-old McCain, as president, also require an 8:30 bedtime? What would be the likelihood of a serious resurgence of his cancer over a 4 – 8 year period? Does the nation need to endure the disrptive invoking of the 25th Amendment to transfer power to a vice-president? And, would McCain be able to handle the stress of overseas travel and strenuous talks with other leaders? We should remember the frail FDR’s inability to deal effectively with Stalin at Yalta and a rattled Reagan, with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, claiming he was unaware that his own people were running a secret military operation in violation of the Boland Amendment and without Congress’s knowledge.

  • The fact is John McCain died years ago and his place was taken by a look-a-like provided by the William Morris Agency. However, his campaign staff promises to release all medical information just as soon as a seance is performed and he grants his permission.

  • John McCain is a liberal Democrat in disguise. He is a pea from the same pod of Clinton and Obama.

    Clinton, Obama, McCain all vote for unbalanced budgets, tax increases on the working middle class, and funding of the Iraq war. Peas from the same pod.

  • THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT MELANOMA IS THAT THE STATS ARE GOOD UP UNTIL 10 YEARS,THEN THE STATS GET REAL BAD,,,SO MCCAIN MAY BE DOING OK BECAUSE HE HAS SURVIVED UNDER THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS BUT IN 2-5 HIS PROGNOSIS IS LOUSY

  • Eight years ago Republican voters told us that they thought George W. Bush was more qualified to be President than John McCain. Now that Bush-43 has demonstrated that he’s the worst President since Herbert Hoover, Republicans are going to proceed to tell us that in the last eight years they haven’t managed to find anyone better than the guy who was second-best to Bush in 2000.

    I can see the Republican campaign slogan already:
    “McCain: almost as good as Dubya, and* he’s healthy”.

    * “(as far as we know)”

  • I’m always amazed that most people still seem to think that the people select the candidates for President. The media has been selecting your candidates for you for years. This year, they have selected McCain and Obama. Most Republicans probably would have selected Rudy Guliani, and most Democrats would have picked John Edwards, but the media loved Obama, and they felt McCain was not likely to beat him, so they picked McCain. The media has turned on Hillary with a vengance. And as soon as Obama is nominated, they will turn on McCain.

    So what difference does it make if he has cancer or not?

    But be prepared. If Obama loses the nomination to Hillary, there will be rioting in the streets. And if Obama happens to lose to McCain in November, there will be rioting in the streets. This election has now become about race. What is good for the country no longer matters. Our national security no longer matters. Your taxes or your general welfare no longer matter. And your grandchildren will pay for what happens in November. One way or the other.

  • Did Bill Clinton ever release his? If that didn’t matter then why do McCains?

  • “Hanoi Hilton” Commandant Bui Tin told me, the late Col. David Hackworth, and others that McCain was never tortured during his period of solitary confinement.
    Refer to the Washington Times Insight Magazine of March 27, 2000. To my knowledge, McCain has yet to release his medical records which could shed light on this allegation. McCain has been publicly very friendly with Bui Tin. McCain has also been very hostile to the families of POW familiies and activists. He has threatened to have POW activists prosecuted for fraud but the Attorney General has never acted. Anyone with access to such records on Mc cain is invited to write me at vetsgovact@live.com.

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