McCain Restricts Medical Records: Limited Access To Reporters, NYT Not Allowed

John McCain is scheduled to release 400 pages of medical records this Friday, after having promised to release the records for more than a year. Doing so on the Friday before Memorial Day makes this look like a classic document dump. To make matters even more controlled, McCain will only allow a limited number of media outlets to view the records. Notably absent from the list is the New York Times. Could this have anything to do with wrote the paper's controversial article about McCain's ties to lobbyist Vicki Iseman? The Washington Times reports on who will get to see McCain's medical records:

The McCain campaign has selected a handful of news organizations to review the records today in a conference room at the Copper Wynd Resort in Fountain Hills, Ariz., near the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.

Reporters from all five major news networks -- CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and Fox -- will be allowed to take notes from the records, as will wire reporters from the Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg news agencies. Just two print newspapers will be among the pool: The Washington Post and the Arizona Republic.

McCain campaign officials said yesterday that the high level of interest in the records meant they had to limit access by reporters

Update: Politico's Michael Calderone reports that the New York Times requested, but was denied, access to McCain's medical records:

"When we learned of the arrangements for the release this week, we made a number of very specific requests to be included and they turned us down," said Times political editor Richard Stevenson.

Asked about whether the aforementioned incidents have strained relations, and could be a factor, Stevenson said, "We've gone about doing our jobs the way we always do."

Stevenson added that the Times has requested medical records "for a very long time, predating the arrangements of this particular release."

Comments

[NursePatric]

As a nurse and medical provider (Nurse Practitioner) I have a hard time understanding how someone's medical record is the business of anyone but the patient and the professionals he/she chooses to confide in. Oh, I understand why a lot of people might want this information. They are not entitled to it and it's very inappropriate for anyone to ask. This is still America isn't it? My understanding is that part of the job of president involves being medically certified annually. That is consistent with many employment parameters. To expect any individual to reveal the entire contents of their record is wrong, unconstitutional and dangerous for all of us.

[95flhtcu]

I have to disagree. This is a reasonable request for someone applying for the job of President of the United States. Asking for tax information and medical information is not uncostitutional. These records were asked for, not siezed. He could have said no. His wife did regarding her taxes. I don't think that it's inappropriate to want to know if he's healthy enough to withstand the rigors of the job he's applying for. There is no danger to anyone if you're being asked for information.

[rbenjamin]

All true. So if McCain states it as you have, I respect the principled position. I also walk away wondering what that big lump in his cheek is, and the long term consequences to mind and body of a rough ejection and years of brutal treatment by the North Vietnamese. I guess that's what we have vice president for.......

Delaying the release of his medical records for a year, then fudging the release should be beneath his dignity.

[americanwhocares]

NursePatric:
We only see what the President wants us to see. (medical records, and they never get a mental health evaluation that we see) Please get REAL. Politicians lie all the time so they can get what they want. Please stop being so naive. America is waking up to the fact that republicans hate to tell the truth. No more trust me crap. I want to see it for myself.

[sigmademocrat]

If Obama's pastor is fair game...i would think that McCain's health should be as well!

[ctmommy]

But I bet you scream when we try to listen to terrorists placing phone calls.....­..phone calls no, medical records yes! Let's start with yours!

[ched]

400 pages of medical records = about a day or two of hospitalization. Nothing for a man with three melanomas removed to date.

Restricting access to a few hours viewing, no copies, on a Friday = something to hide.

If you expect Americans to vote for a senior citizen with a history of the most lethal of cancers and severe health problems secondary to imprisonment, you need to be more transparent than anyone else, not less.

What are you hiding, Mr. McCain?

[NoahVail]

The man has no heart. He is completely heartless.

[SaulGoode]

Huh? He is giving access to all major news networks. He banned the NYT for good reason considering how they lie to try to smear him.

So what if it's done on a Friday? What does that matter?

We're still waiting for Bill Clinton's records...­16 years and counting

[aaronburr]

New alert: He's not hiding anything. 1,173 pages - not 400 - reviewed by pool reporters and even the AP - hardly a stronghold of McCain supporters, reports:

"Three-time melanoma survivor John McCain appears cancer-free, has a strong heart and is in otherwise general good health, according to eight years of medical records reviewed by The Associated Press. The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting remains at risk for developing new skin cancers, and gets a thorough check by a Mayo Clinic dermatologist every few months."

He's been melanoma free for over 8 years and with the frequent dermatological check ups the odds of any new lesion getting beyond an early stage is minimal.

Now let's see Obama and Hillary's complete medical records - we never did get to see Bill Clinton's.

[gonavy]

HuffPost moderators,

If you keep scrubbing posts, for no reason what so ever, people will stop coming to this site. No people means no job for you.

Have a nice day!

[Tommygun264]

So much for the whole "open and honest" policy. Guess that's gone the way of Grampy McSame's pledge to run a clean campaign. You remember that - he made the pledge right before he started talking sbout Reverend Wright again, and again, and again.

[Chris7982]

This is OLD MAN MCCAIN version of Maverick and Straight talk Express!!!!! He is nothing but an old fool whi is losing it and needed another old pathetic fool like Lieberman to fill in the facts for him in Israel earlier in the year. He has done nothing but lied to the american people about his straight talk....he voted against Bush's tax cuts then for it, he was against water Boarding and now he is for it, he will not vote for his own Immigration bill(against it), he will now bring troops hom which he called surrender before....­the list just goes on and on....

Of course he will not let NYT see the records...­he has got something to hide!!!!! He has a lot to hide...the cancer will come back and it is just a matter of when....He can never be cancer free...he has Malignant tumors....­people in AZ thinks he is a walking cancer candidate, and do not know why the MSM is not speaking about it!!!! There is the double standard being played when they say he has experience­...you want experience, look at the combined years of Cheney, Rumsfeld, wolfowitz, pearl etc and you will see where experience got us...an endless war!!! Also why did Mccain set a limit of 3 hrs to see all the records? I did not hear one complaint from the media?

This shit has got to be explored!!!

[ctmommy]

LOL!!!!

[mahoner]

I think Hillary Clinton should release her medical records. I'm sure we'd find traces of something the way she's been behaving.

[iPolitics]

John McBush goes after his base the NY Times.

[venicesurfer]

the AP got a hold of it. new york times might twist and turn the truth about mccain. they arent fans of mccain.

[wm1066]

But now we can speculate all we want and there is no official record to say we are wrong!
We can now imagine the worst and McCain cant refute it.
You see, if you are honest to begin with you get to state the truth, and your detractors lose, but this way McCain will always be on the defence.
McCain is dumb. We have had our fill of dumb in Bush.

[Heyman]

I know why McCain doesn't want the New York Times to see his medical records. Diversion. There's something more sinister.
The C.F.R. controls the New York Times. In fact, all major newspapers. Why all the hype about this losers medical records? Trivial to say the least. He's got zero chance of winning.
Diversions are fed daily to us. Keep your eyes on the prize.
And it sure isn't John McCain.

[rjean]

good for john...i wouldnt give the ny slimes access to anything..­.they LIE DISTORT SPIN and THEN LIE SOME MORE


with ya johnny boy....

good freaking move dude......­..........­.

[jkminwa]

Yeah, they might report he had THREE surgeries to remove melanomas.

How do you distort medical records?

[thecanadian]

What about his big deal about transparency? Why would he ban NYTimes.?
What about freedom of the press?

[blueinannarbor]

It kinda looks like a bit of road kill that forced the "straight talk" express just a tad off course, here. McCain looks so republican-esque doing these kinds of things that it makes you want to feel sorry for the guy. Every time I see him on television genuflecting at the altar of the very people whom he formerly categorized as 'agents of intolerance', he grimaces and spits out his obligatory double 'praise the lord' as if he's hissing out invective. Sadly, the presidential election of 2008 represents the death of a political maverick and the birth of one more political hack.

[SaulGoode]

The NYT cannot be considered part of "the press" any longer. It's nothing more than the propaganda directorate of the far left of the Democrat Party.

[xargaw]

You don't select a portion of your medical records. You turn over ALL your medical records. That's like saying, other than that serious medical issue he didn't tell us about, he is perfectly healthy. This alone, should disqualify him. Apparently, he has paranoia or something real to hide.

[ctmommy]

when do we get to see yours?

[mystic]

This morning's NYT DOES have his medical report, or rather most of it. McCain has had THREE episodes of malignant melanona--never a good sign-- and three surgeries, the last in 2002 on his temple .The report does not decsribe the radical neck dissection done at that time, nor does it state what grades the melanomas were. His doctor's give a "rosy" assessment, always a bad sign because melanoma is unpredictable e.g. Having a skin mapping exam every 3 months sometimes misses melanoma in hidden areas like the nasal, anal or conjucnctival mucous membranes. If he became president with a medical report where they don't disclose the grades of the melanomas, I think it sounds like a good chance that his VP-Let's-B­omb-Iran-A­nd-Every-O­ther-ME-Co­untry-Lieb­erman will become the next dictator of this country.He­il mein Fuhrer.

[KeysDan]

Senator McCain's physical and mental medical history, including his current medications, is too important to permit a "document dump" on a holiday weekend, or to allow a let's pretend vice-presidential gala become a distraction. The NYT, for example, should run a series over the next week or so, presenting and discussing his history in lay terms. That he had melanoma surgery is inadequate without further explanation; his noticeably unsteady gait needs to be considered; and his mental status, especially his notorious spiked temperament should be analyzed. The medical status of this 72-year old candidate, who would be the oldest president to be elected, is the particular issue this weekend, however, the same scrutiny should apply to the Democratic candidate.

[HeIsTheOne]

"McCain campaign officials said yesterday that the high level of interest in the records meant they had to limit access by reporters. 'We had to do it at the Mayo Clinic and the doctors there probably didn't want 200 reporters running around,' said senior McCain adviser Charlie Black.

Charlie Black? I thought he was shown the exit door this week?

"200 reporters running around"...­.well there's quite a difference between 200 and the 8 media representatives they will let view, but not photocopy, his medical records. Ever try to take notes from multiple 4 inch files filled with lab, radiology, surgery etc. reports? Quite a task.

Maybe they wouldn't let the NYT in because they wanted Mrs. McCain's tax returns. Maybe Charlie will set up the next meeting at her accountant's office to go over those in the near future.

[StevieRae]

Where is our notion of access to the press? It's time for these same limited members of MSM to tell McCain that his qualified release of information to everyone is unacceptable and not attend his news conference. Who is in control of information rightfully belonging in the public domain?

[TheGuarantee]

Please explain how anybody's private medical records "rightfully belong in the public domain".

[Eoin45]

They belong in the public domain if that person is running for any high office. The president is our employee and as his employers we have a right to know the state of the president's physical and mental health.