The mainstream media ask Obama why he doesn't wear a flag pin, but they aren't asking McCain why he doesn't release his medical records. McCain, who would be the oldest man ever elected president, had surgery for melanoma, a potentially fatal skin cancer, eight years ago -- the scar is still prominent on his face. He has promised several times to release the records, but each release has been postponed.
It makes you wonder: is there something in McCain's medical records that he doesn't want you to know?
The McCain campaign's explanation: his doctors are too busy. "The reason for the delay is because they want to gather all his doctors for a press conference to answer reporters' questions," CNN reported, "and May is the soonest that can be done." Three doctors are expected to answer questions, according to the Arizona Republic.
You'd think that it wouldn't be that hard to get three doctors together to say that the Republican candidate for president was in good health.
The last news about McCain's medical records came in a short item on CNN.com on April 3: "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.'" That was the fourth time this year that the promised release of medical records has been postponed.
In March the New York Times ran a page one story about McCain's cancer and the chances that it might return. The reporter, Leonard K. Altman, who is also a physician, spoke not with McCain's physicians, but rather with melanoma experts who had not treated the senator. Those experts told the Times that "his prospects appear favorable," because he has survived this long without a recurrence of the disease.
But "with melanoma, a patient is never completely clear," said Dr. Richard L. Shapiro, a melanoma surgeon at NYU. "If melanomas do recur," the Times reported, "standard treatment options are limited for many to surgery and a difficult form of chemotherapy. The chances of long-term survival diminish."
McCain's surgery in 2000 lasted five and a half hours -- a long time. The official explanation from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, where the surgery was performed, was that his surgeons were looking to see whether the cancer had spread from the skin on his temple to "a key lymph node in his neck." They concluded that it had not.
But, according to the Times, "Since the 2008 campaign began, doctors not connected with Mr. McCain's case have expressed intense interest in the extent of the face and neck surgery he underwent." Those doctors told the Times that "the surgery appeared to be so extensive that they were surprised his melanoma was not more serious -- perhaps Stage III, which would give him a bleaker prognosis. These doctors said they would be surprised to learn that such an operation would be performed without evidence that the melanoma had spread."
Other doctors interviewed by the Times disagreed. Release of the records would resolve this question.
If McCain is free of cancer and otherwise healthy, why doesn't he release the medical records that document those facts?
And why hasn't the mainstream media been asking for the records? The key Times piece ran on March 9, more than six weeks ago. That same day, McCain was asked on "60 Minutes" about the records, and he replied, "we'll be doing the medical records thing with the media sometime in the next month or two."
Since then the Times has mentioned McCain's medical records only once -- in an opinion piece by Frank Rich on Sunday -- one sentence in paragraph 20 of a 21-paragraph column. George Stephanopoulos didn't mention medical records to McCain in his Sunday morning TV interview, and the Washington Post ran a page one piece on Sunday about McCain that also failed to mention the missing medical records.
Why isn't this an important issue to media pundits, voters...Americans in general???
Now I dont discriminate against the elderly --my great-grandmother is Sen. McCain's age and she's just as fiesty as she wants to be. But even she brought up the point that he has made entirely too many "mis-statements" (according to the media, but they were blantant errors to me because he repeated the statements even after being corrected by Sen. Lieberman and is continuously provided with excuses why by the media), has an infamous temper, and (no offense) will probably not make it through his Presidency if elected.
This legislatively challenged but couragous patriot went through God-knows-what when he was a POW - who knows the effects that time may have had on him. I dont know about you, but I'd want to know if the future leader of the free world had any post traumatic mental issues.
THIS is an issue that matters to me as a voter - not some most likely "Made in China" label pin??!!
Obama is a recovering chain-smoker. His family history includes severe alcoholism and cancer. Hillary seems to be in good health, but who really knows without seeing the proof in the medical records.
The public should demand that a candidate's life be a complete open book.
Your example of FDR gave away your motives. FDR was one of the greatest presidents we have ever had, he lead this country through one of it's most difficult eras. While there may have been other motivations, the media's non disclosure of his wheelchair was out of respect for the man and the office.
Maybe Kerry had the same right to privacy when he was being hounded for his records, who knows?
Respect goes both ways.You have to give it to get it.
"McCain Declares Himself Cancer-Free
By GLEN JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP) - John McCain declared Monday he has been cancer-free since a bout with skin cancer 7 1/2 years ago, although the pending Republican presidential nominee underwent a full medical examination - including a cancer screening - earlier in the day.
The Arizona senator pledged to release the test results before the end of April, the same timeframe for releasing his income tax returns.
McCain cast the doctor's visit as a routine part of his medical regimen, but the 71-year-old senator has faced questions about whether he is beyond the risk of a recurrence of cancer.
In August 2000, doctors operated on the left side of his face to treat melanoma, the source of a cancerous growth on his temple. The surgery marked him in such a way that McCain often jokes, "I have more scars than Frankenstein."”
Which leads to something I've thought for a very long time. The Presidency is THE most important and dangerous job in the world. Among other things that aren't done with candidates for this office is, no drug testing. Why? Politicians are the ones who established drug testing, in direct violation of the Constitution (it denies due process, presumption of innocence and privacy), and yet they are not drug tested. If you drive a bus, you are drug tested. If you sell Slurpee's at 7/11 you are drug tested. Don't you think that having access to the end of the world button might qualify as an appropriate reason for drug testing of ALL Presidential candidates? I also think the President should have to take a drug test EVERY morning...regardless of political party! It's too important an office to take it on faith that they're not doing drugs. And if you ask me, Bushemada is on drugs...and alcohol...be afraid...be very afraid!
And how about some vetting in the form of standardized psychological evaluation? I think this would be particularly important for Mad Dog McCain, because he is known to be, shall we say, runnin' on three wheels. When it's obvious that all the dogs ain't barkin', you might consider some form of medical evaluation that at least establishes a minimum standard for behavior.
I seriously doubt that a sane, competent, intelligent, sober or reasonable person would be willing and/or able to fill the job requirements of:
Pave way for poisoning the planet with industrial waste
Torture dissidents
Conquer and occupy all territory not friendly to unchecked capitalism
Destroy all labor and consumer protections across the globe
(Some say Cheney was not so dimented before he hooked up with Irving Kristol)
I'm counting on Obama to be as brave as he is eloquent so he has what it takes to tell the Status-Quo Oligarchs to go _ _ _ _ themselves.
Politicians started drug testing average Americans for no good reason...why shouldn't they be tested as well?
I would imagine there are other things lurking in his records. How can a person with extensive torture in his past not have PTSD or other mental issues? Would the diagnosis of PTSD or depression rule out a commander in chief? Certainly you would not see a top general with PTSD in a position of importance, would you?