McCain's Age, Melanoma, Mental Lapses...and Palin -- Demand an MRI Before November

John McCain is 72 years old, and despite showcasing his 95 year old mother and his own protestations to the contrary, 72 is, well, 72. Couple that with the aging process that inevitably occurs under the stress of 5+ years of deprivation and torture in prison, and there is enough reason why anyone professing to put "country first" would have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain to assuage that country's concerns.

McCain has also displayed many signs of inattention. The 'expert' on national security and Iraq could not get straight the relationships among the Sunnis, Shia, al-Qaeda and pro-Iranian militias on several occasions close in time. He makes statements absurd on their face such as "Sarah Palin knows more about energy than anyone in the United States". The Chairman of the Commerce Committee did not know that the SEC is an independent entity, not subject to being fired by the President. He rolls from one inconsistency to another, and he has no anchor. Just today, he petulantly rejected conversations with the Spanish Prime Minister, one of our NATO allies. He chose Sarah Palin with one telephone conversation with him.

Of course, McCain could just have attention deficit disorder (ADD) to explain his inattention, lack of focus on detail, persistent gaffes and impulsiveness. And, he may just be a pathological liar. But, an MRI would reveal the degree of brain atrophy and whether there are early signs of other degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's. A negative MRI would assuage such concerns.

McCain has also had melanoma. While melanoma has been portrayed in the press as a "skin cancer", that characterization is misleading. Unlike typical skin cancer, melanoma can spread widely in the body to almost any organ, including brain, lung, bone and liver. It is very true that brain imaging only occasionally detects metastatic melanoma in patients without symptoms ("asymptomatic"). Thus, it is not an efficient screening mechanism for all patients with melanoma. Moreover, the only treatment is palliative, and the median survival in patients with melanoma spread to the brain is measured in months, not years.

Nonetheless, McCain wants to be President of the United States. If he is serious about putting country first, he will have an MRI to provide assurance that, for now at least, he has no brain metastases. The detection rate in asymptomatic patients is low, but not zero.

And, finally, Sarah Palin. She seems genuinely convinced that she is ready to be President of the United States and that is what is truly scary. The less one knows about what another job really is, the easier it seems. We just went through 8 years with another "President" who had shown no evidence in his entire life of actually thinking through complex matters (and that, really, is the key deficit).

She is, as Bush was, shielded from questions so that his lack of thought would not be revealed. She declared her knowledge of foreign policy based upon being able to see Russia from her State, and Bush determined that we could work with Vladimir Putin by looking into his eyes and glimpsing his soul. Before invading Iraq, Bush did not consult his own father, the only man in the country with direct experience making a similar decision against the same foe--instead he looked to a "higher father". Sarah Palin believes that our Army is in Iraq on "God's mission".

Palin, like Bush, brims with confidence of her ability to do the job. Indeed, it is only because George Bush has so demeaned the Presidency that Sarah Palin is not rejected out-of-hand. Chuck Hagel, Republican Senator and a friend of McCain's, said her choice was an insult to the American people.

McCain, therefore, has a greater obligation, putting country first, to have that MRI because he chose Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat, or degeneration or metastasis away from the Presidency. McCain should also relinquish his privacy rights so that the MRI can be viewed by all of us.

Note: An MRI is safe and would take less than 30 minutes.

Comments

[pertello]

There are other tests to detect if it's in his brain. The major test being a Pet Scan (with contrast of course). The spots that light up will be the cancer.

Demand Sen. McCain get a Pet Scan. NOW!

[alabaman]

I don't think a MRI alone is enough. The man needs to be examined by an impartial panel of neurologists, psychiatrists and gerontologists and given a battery of tests. Of course, he would never submit to that.

[lgillooly]

He chose Sarah to get the Evangelicals out. Sadly,they have been used and abused by the Republicans on the issue of Abortion. For all their talk,the only thing they say is "Abtinence only".When will the Christian sheep realize the party of Pro Life is the Democrats. They have a comprehensive plan to reduce teen pregnancy,abortions and poverty. All of which will mean lower abortion rates. David Kuo worked in the white house woth Bush's faith based initiative for 2 yrs. He wrote a book called Tempting Faith and tells the world that Bush and his cronies LAUGHED behind ther backs of Evangelical leaders. Calling them useful idiots. When will people see through this charade. If abortion is a big issue for you please read his book and vote for Obama.

[whiteboyblues]

The funny thing is my grandmother is a Republican and an evangelical type, but I get the feeling from her that she isn't too sure about Palin.

[XME]

I agree...but am not holding my breath. McCain hasn't been putting his country first for quite a while now!

[wyomingrev]

In order to be ordained an Episcopal priest, I had to submit to, and pay for, the following: (1) an extensive psychiatric evaluation by the psychiatric appointed by the bishop -- not by me; (2) an extensive physical evaluation, with all reports submitted to the bishop; (3) a marriage counseling evaluation of myself and my spouse and our relationship; (4) an extensive criminal background check. I also had to answer any questions posed to me by the bishop, a parish committee, and a committee of church people at the state level, without advance preparation, for hours at a time, multiple times. And I had to release my financial records to the bishop as well.

Now I am in charge of a church numbering about 100 souls.

You would think that someone running for President would have to do at least as much in the way of evaluations and examinations as I did!

[mcamp52]

Amen, my friends. Amen.

[CassandraPriam]

Bingo...
How about a drug test as well....
we know Bush would have flunked that one.

[BobHanssen]

Enough with the mother. John McCain's father dropped dead of a massive stroke at the age of 70. McCain is 72.

[luutzu]

Mccain's formula: McCain = Country; McCain first = Country first.

[Miravanguild]

My question is how did we come to this place? Where is the judgement of the people that he managed to get the nomination in the first place? What of the media who passed over many troubling moments of memory lapse as merely senior moments.. However do we want our president to have senior moments? What will history tell us when all is said and done of the second term of Ronald Reagan? We all know what he died of and it is a disease that must have shown symptoms when he was still president. Thank God at that time he had a Vice President in George H, Bush to help him and perhaps a lot more that we will not know for years yet.. Bottom line is Sarah Palin up to helping an aging man govern?
We should be greatful I guess that these troubling signs of at best old age on a body that has seen more than it's share of abuse now and not a year from now. The question is, will the majority of the people blind themselves to all of this? Many are worried that is why the qualifications of Sarah Palin do come into question... Not because she is a woman, but because if the ticket is elected she could well be the next president.

[Kiwi12]

Kerry's war records were fair game back in 2004, as were his wife's tax records.

Strangely, McCain seems to be less than upfront about allowing the public access to his war records or his wife's tax records. The hypocrisy is staggering. I seriously doubt they'll allow unfettered access to his medical records, let alone an MRI - and if anyone asks for it, the POW card will be played :-)

[laylahb]

Yes, his mother is 95. His father died at the age of 70, of a heart attack. His grandfather died at 61, of a heart attack. McCain has experienced three or four bouts of melanoma. Undoubtedly , he has both physical and emotional issues stemming from his 5 1/2 years in a Vietnamese prison camp (this from the daughter of a man who spent five years in Nazi "work camps" and "concentration camps").

Presidents are required to undergo annual physicals. Why is this not a requirement for Presidential candidates? Why are their FULL medical records not subject to scrutiny? A three hour review of thousands of pages of (incomplete?) medical records by a few reporters doesn't cut it.

The MRI is a start, but there's a lot more we deserve to know.