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McCain's Doctors, Medical Records Say He Is In Good Health
John McCain's campaign has released his medical records, from the last eight years, in an effort to deal with unease about the candidate's age. The documents show the candidate is in very good overall health.
Regarding his past experiences with melanoma, probably the single biggest concern, McCain's dermatologist said: "We don't have a crystal ball, but we have no way to say anything at the present time would preclude him from running for office."
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Breaking:
John McBushCain is still very old, and still a very Cranky War Monger.
May 23, 2008 8:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, McCain is a 71 year-old man who had to fight cancer 3 times in the last 10 years, and the media calls him healthy.
McCain really does get unfairly good press.
May 23, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the proper phrase is "recurring bouts of cancer".
May 23, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is great because it doesn't even matter what the medical records show.
The fact that it was brought up as a concern means it will be in people's minds.
"Sure, nothing is wrong.... yet"
May 23, 2008 8:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
If that were the case, why sequester the records and not allow any reporters to copy them? Why only allow a handful of hand-picked news outlets to have access? And who's to say that these records were not cherry picked. If there was bad news, surely it would have not been included in the dump.
A person in perfectly good health would have allowed full access to records. And not waited a year to do it and dump it all on the Friday before a holiday weekend.
May 23, 2008 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly.
May 23, 2008 9:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did any intrepid reporter as his doctors what the survival rate for his type of cancer is?
May 23, 2008 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's as good an answer as you are likely to get:
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/05/23/whats-mccains-risk-of-skin-cancer-recurrence/
About 7%. That figure, by the way, represents the odds of a recurrence, not the odds that he will die or have to undergo disabling treatment from a recurrence. His previous bouts with melanoma were caught early enough to be treated surgically, and he is getting frequent and thorough follow-up screening. Early stage melanoma is highly curable (close to 100%.)
I sincerely hope that no one here is disappointed by his good prognosis. My blood still boils thinking about the way that Mila troll talked about Elizabeth Edwards.
May 23, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course people are happy he's healthy. We're all going to get old and all have parents and loved ones who've suffered.
And there's always some troll saying awful things on the internet.
That doesn't change that people still have to pass the torch and that 72 is just too risky. Not just for heart disease, but stroke, mental fatigue and mental rigidity, etc.
Reduced mental clarity at that age is universal. Nobody, not even the most talented musicians, are as nimble and capable mentally at 72 as they were at 50. Studies show mental aging can be offset by good habits, but not stopped. Even the most mentally active people at that age become more rigid and less capable of absorbing new information. It's going to happen to everyone, denying it won't help.
May 23, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
And do the records tell us he has the mind and body of a 217 year old?
May 23, 2008 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Gosh that IS rude. He doesn't look a day over 215.
I think what these records do tell us is that if John McCain hadn't been the beneficiary of publicly funded healthcare he would be a dead man.
May 23, 2008 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's in great health. In addition to the melanomas he has has several basil cell cancers removed - some as recently as Feb. 08. He has had surgery to reduce the prostate and to remove bladder stones. He has kidney stones and cysts in both kidneys. His recent colonscopy revealed 6 polyps of the pre-cancerous kind. His blood pressure is somewhat elevated and his lipids are not great.
I'm comforted.
May 23, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
The psych reports on PTSD and chemical dependancy diagnoses are the relevant ones - check out your DSM 4.
May 23, 2008 9:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't have a DSM4.
Care to elaborate? Please?
May 23, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
My grandfather's medical records showed him in great health too about a month before he died of heart failure. It doesn't mean anything. Oh yeah, he was 71 at the time as well.
May 23, 2008 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've watched several people now close to me grow old and die and it's quite true that someone can and they usually do, go right along rather well until they hit some kind of barrier that no one else is aware of and then they start to go downhill extremely quickly and they turn really old almost overnight.
animals do this to - I've watched 3 cats die of old age now and they all did the same thing - they were fine, until about 6 months to a year before they died and they went completely downhill really fast.
The bottom line here, AFAIC, is that McLame is too damned old to run a country. Most men his age are retired and there are damn good reasons for that.
May 23, 2008 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want men his age driving a fucking car, let alone running the country.
May 23, 2008 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh come on, that's a little crass. We're all going to get old you know. No need to exaggerate what we all know sucks about it.
He's too old to run the country in my opinion. I want someone whose mind is at peak agility and whose body is highly reliable.
But no need to embellish it further. I'm sure he's quite capable of driving. He's not blind or senile.
May 23, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Then why so long to release?
And we all thought Ted Kennedy was healthy too right before he had a seizure and we found out he had a brain tumor. These things happen, and they increase with age. I'm not saying it needs to be a big factor in the election, because there are 10,001 bigger reasons that he would make a horrible president, but it is worth considering.
May 23, 2008 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
That is an excellent, excellent point.
Kennedy has been a very vocal Obama backer. He has to come out and personally make the implication that old men face sudden health problems if he uses himself as an example.
Do you think he will? How should he do it?
May 23, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
And we get this great news from the AP, who we know have given John McCain so many passes in the past, he now has 1 million frequence miles all thanks to the AP.
May 23, 2008 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
I saw a headline on cnn.com that the AP said he was healthy. Yeah right- except for his three bouts with melanoma and one cancerous mole removed from his head in 2002, his high cholesterol, his arthritis not to mention what the hell else we don't know.
May 23, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Eric--since these records were released under such strict conditions, with just a few reporters there, can you let us know how you know? That is, is this the general report from people there, from a reporter source, and do you trust the reporters McCain invited?
May 23, 2008 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
On the one hand, there's people like Arthur Rubenstein, who could still blow the roof off a concert hall at 90, sounding better than players in their 20s...on the other hand, Tena's right about rapid decompensation, and hyper's right about not even wanting him driving a fucking car. 72 is not the new 45, where McC is concerned. Ditto the DSM-4 issue, hootowl.
May 23, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
It sounds snarky but I'm really 100% serious. I can't believe we don't require regular driving tests of the elderly. Or, really, for everyone.
May 23, 2008 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Reduction of services. The licensing authorities in nearly every state are hurting for funds because of tax cuts. I wouldn't work at the DMV for free, would you?
May 23, 2008 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wait, I'm not following. Lack of funds is why they don't have mandatory re-testing every, I dunno, 10 years or so?
Wouldn't charging a small fee for that bring in revenue?
And, no, I wouldn't work at the DMV for free or for a substantial salary. But I'm an elitist like that.
May 23, 2008 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
In Japan senior driver have a red leaf sticker on their bumpers and vision testing and such.
It's an elegant solution to ensure they can drive technically, respect their freedom an mobility, and acknowledge they're a little slower and that everyone else should be respectful and a little more patient. It's good karma all around. We're all going to be old some day.
May 23, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I doubt he's driven regularly in the last 30-40 years anyway, to be frank. He was an officer and an admiral's son. Then, because he was captured in Vietnam he wasn't driving. Pretty soon after that he was a high ranking-DOD official and has then had a 28-year Congressional career. Sounds like he's been chauffered for a long time.
But, ok, that's probably more serious than intended.
And I'm with you on retesting drivers. But it's just one of those ideas that would help but isn't possible, like consolidating city and suburban school districts.
May 23, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know you meant this same thing, but I might as well spell it out a bit better -
being an artist is not the same kind of thing as being a head of state - I know you know that - but artists are unique almost in that they can continue until they die doing what they do, no matter how they have changed, as long as it's physically possible. But even artists will tell you that past a certain age, it's not the same kind of work they did when they were younger.
I hate this - believe me - I'm not that young anymore and I hate it. But I do know what happens and it's stupid to consider electing someone that old.
Chances are he can drive fine and I don't mind someone still driving until maybe 75, but everyone is different and it is a nightmare to have elderly, confused, lost, incapable drivers out there. I know - my dad was one until I finally stole his car.
May 23, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Right, not even the best artists are at nimble mentally as they were earlier. Nobody is as sharp and agile at 72 as they are at 50.
There's good research on why. The brain inevitably loses plasticity, loses the capacity to learn and adapt to new information and situations with age. It tends to specialize more towards existing information and habits. A person can ameliorate that somewhat by deliberately exercising the brain to improve plasticity, but it's impossible to stop the process.
Some tasks can be specialized, such as playing the same piece over and over again for decades on the piano. Interpretations may change over time and even be considered improvements. But, the artist will still have difficulty learning new pieces or new skills. And that's a best case scenario for aging in a highly enjoyable and even therapeutic creative profession.
Being President is highly stressful and accelerates aging. Stress literally shrivels dendrites on brain neurons and causes the body to age much faster. FDR died in office and Reagan went senile years earlier than they would have otherwise.
Being president is a constant challenge to absorb new information and react. It's the mental equivilent of high impact gymnastics or martial arts.
May 23, 2008 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wake up America and come to your senses.
McBushCain's own medical records reveal that
he has to be kept on a permanent regime of
Geriatric Medical Care.
Those are the cold hard facts. Why on earth
would you enter such a person in the world's most
grueling eight year marathon. There comes a time when we have to put the needs of the country ahead of the
absurd desires of some one is no longer fit to do the job.
We do it all the time, in all other walks of life.
The social security retirement age standard has been established for a very good reason. Beyond that age, most people are no longer up to the rigors of full time employment.
Ask yourself this: Would you feel secure about
going on long international jet flights, every day, for the next eight years, if John McCain was going to always
fly the plane?
If not, then why on earth would you let him pilot our future for the next eight years?
Do not tell me that it is only for four years. Why would youi vote for someone to only have one term, because you feel that they would not be vigorous enough to go the distance.
The Presidency of The United States of America ages persons much younger than John McCain. It is the most demanding job in the world. John McCain is too old to take on the world's most important role.
You know that you would not put someone of his age in charge of even a small business. Then why on earth would you even be tempted to put him in charge of all our futures.
The Presidency Is No Country For Old Men.
May 23, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Look at before and afters of George Bush for christ's sake. He looks old as shit now and he napped through most of his 2 terms.
May 23, 2008 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I never expected to see the pressure show up on George Bush cause I really didn't think he had enough brains do recognize pressure.
But you're right - he's aged 20 years in the last 8.
May 23, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, and he spent a good chunk of his presidency playing golf and clearing brush on his ranch.
May 23, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
NO! He did not play golf. He stopped out of respect for the troops. It was literally the least he could do.
:sigh:
May 23, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pressure - or guilt.
May 23, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
My dear, guilt ain't in it - the man is a sociopath - he was born without any empathy and you cannot experience guilt if you have no feeling for the other person and he has none but contempt for everyone who isn't him or a member of his family.
May 23, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Possibly. But labeling someone as sociopath is dehumanizing them to a large degree, and I'm not willing to go that far. It takes some of the responsibility off of him too, to say that he is incapable of feeling the humanity of others. I think it more likely (and more horrible) that he is perfectly capable and yet still chooses not to, at least outside of his family and friends.
Maybe it's just my own desire for him to pay for all the damage he has done in the world, that I would prefer him to feel guilt for what he has done.
May 23, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is it really dehumanizing? I think that assumes that not many humans are sociopaths.
Consider "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout. Check her credentials; she knows her stuff. In it, she argues that one in twenty-five Americans is a sociopath, and that they commonly have success in their field. Politics was given as especially fertile ground.
As such, it's not impossible to think that many/most/all Presidents have had a degree of sociopathy to them.
May 23, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm familiar with the book and its premise, though I have not read it myself. So I'll take a pass on whether or not her argument is persuasive; I'll just say that those I have listened to repeating her argument in some detail and a couple of interviews with her that I have read have failed to persuade me of the usefulness of her ideas.
It is comforting to believe that people who do evil, who treat others badly, or who have done us wrong have some in-born defect that separates them from us: we are not like that. We are not capable of acting so inhumanely.
Trouble is, really, I think we are capable, and as frightening as that is, if we are aware of that capability, we can choose to act according to the better angels of our nature.
May 23, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
And had more vacation time than any of us would get in a lifetime.
May 23, 2008 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, Bush now looks like the oldest guy at his junior high.
May 23, 2008 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
It seems to me like "released" is the wrong word in this case. The records haven't really been released, reporters have been given limited access to them. Released implies they have been made generally available.
May 23, 2008 10:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's a good point, and it should be made an issue of. What's he hiding? Ask him that over and over.
May 23, 2008 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's what the "release" of McCain's medical records consists of, per CNN. The descriptive term here might be "non-transparent," although "cherry-picked" & "cover up" also leap to mind:
(CNN) — Sen. John McCain will give select members of the media a three-hour glimpse at his medical records Friday.
If elected, McCain, the 71-year-old presumed Republican nominee, would be the oldest president of the United States, beating Ronald Reagan by three years on inauguration day.
Presidents and candidates have released records in the past, and some, like McCain, have stipulated that the records cannot leave the room....
McCain last revealed his medical records in 1999, making 1,500 pages of records available to reporters when he was competing with George W. Bush for the Republican nomination. The records spanned his time in the Navy to his failed bid for the White House.
The newer batch of records has strict security guidelines attached. Only certain news networks and newspapers will be permitted to enter the room, and they will have only three hours to examine the papers.
No cell phones or Internet access will be allowed in the room, located in a resort outside Phoenix, Arizona. Copying the records is also prohibited.
Anyone who leaves the room for any reason except the bathroom will not be allowed back.
McCain’s campaign says the rules allow for a “thorough and substantive review” of McCain’s medical history.
Although the document-viewing window closes after three hours, the campaign plans to post some details of McCain’s medical history on the senator’s Web site. This will include summaries from each of the doctors who have treated him.
May 23, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why three hours? What possible reasonable explanation is there?
If the media weren't such whores, they'd insist on more time to do a through job.
May 23, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there a medical diagnosis for Old Man Yells at Cloud?
May 23, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
McSame's problem isn't the condition of his body -- it's what goes on in his mind.
May 23, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Telling how they didn't let the smart reporters over at the New York Times in on this quick medical record fly by... the Times medical staff would obviously have sliced and diced these records.
Some of McCain's changing behavior, flubbing of easy questions and verbal outbursts - "you jerk" do suggest that something is not quite right in his brain. I used to think he sounded a lot smarter than recently, but that could have been the media veil.
Whatever the case, this release was fishy and something is obviously up.
May 23, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
The "you jerk" like was actually a great moment for him, I think. He was totally joking around.
May 23, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Guys,
Does anyone know why TPM is not reporting Super Delegates?
Senator Obama got 2, Clinton lost one and Senator Obama got 2 pledge delegates from New hampshire from Senator Edwards.
It does make a total of 5 for Senator Obama to 0 to Senator clinton
Obama 08
May 23, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought the SD front had been very quiet the last day or two. With Obama so close to the magic number, every SD announcement is a big deal.
May 23, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here is the detail for anyone interested,and they are some good comments especially from Dennis Cardosa, who suggests that some Sds are totally against the nuclear option...
Also note that, Senator Obama should get another 7 Super Delegates coming from the different conventions this week-end
Alaska: 1
Georgia: 2
Wyoming: 1
Hawaii: 3 - 1 Addon + new state party chair + vice chair
California Representative Dennis Cardoza has switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama
Congressman Cardoza said, “This is the most important election of my lifetime. While I continue to greatly respect and admire Senator Clinton and feel she has made history with her campaign, I believe that Senator Obama will inevitably be our party’s nominee for President. He has proven himself to be a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and inspirational leader and will take America in a new direction, which we desperately need.
“I am deeply concerned about the contentious primary campaign and controversy surrounding the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan – two states Democrats need to win in November. I will not support changing the rules in the fourth quarter of this contest through some convoluted DNC rules committee process. Yet, we must find a resolution to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates so these states’ voters are represented at the Convention. I believe we need to avoid this potentially divisive situation by uniting behind one nominee and bringing the party together immediately. Therefore, I have made the decision to support Senator Obama at the Democratic Convention in my role as a super delegate.”
California Representative Jim Costa has endorsed Obama
Congressman Costa said, “It’s been a long presidential primary season, and now is time to bring it to a close. I have tremendous respect for Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton, and all the candidates who ran for the nomination. In my opinion, it is clear that Senator Obama will be the strongest presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.
“I did not come to this decision without careful consideration. Our nation is faced with serious challenges here at home and abroad. Because the next Administration and 111th Congress will face such difficult and divisive issues involving our energy needs, greater fiscal responsibility and international security, it is imperative that we have someone who truly has the skill to bring out nation together and close the partisan divide. I believe Senator Obama has the leadership skills to bridge the differences that exist today.
“In my conversations with Senator Obama, I explained to him that our San Joaquin Valley is the number one agricultural region in the country and in the world. Before the election in November, he needs to come to our Valley and understand the water challenges we face, the diversity of our farm crops, and the combination of the wonderful ethnic communities that make up Valley families, which is truly a reflection of our nation.”
2 additional Edwards delegates have endorsed Obama this morning. We will update the numbers as soon as Green Papers makes the change.
May 23, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
One interesting thing somebody noticed, though I can't remember where I saw it posted, is that the crash which led to his capture wasn't his first. Apparently, he managed to crash during takeoff five times or something.
May 23, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Say "G'night," Grampy McSame!
May 23, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Man. Just look at those pollster trend lines. A thing of beauty.
May 23, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not concerned about his health so much as his need for secrecy. 8 years of medical records, to be viewed for a maximum of 3 hours, only by "selected" reporters is not full disclosure. It's the act of a man with something to hide. Same with letting his wife hold all the assets and refusing to release her tax records.
May 23, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
The polyps are scary.
So is the basal-cell carcinoma the AP says he was treated for in February.
'Cancer-free' - my aunt Fanny. He's likely to be in real health trouble before he could finish one term.
May 23, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Crooks and Liars found this gem from the year 2000.....
"Lehrer: Finally for the record, you have not lost your desire to be President of the United States have you?
McCain: Certainly it’s been put in deep cold storage. haha..
Lehrer: You haven’t lost it?
McCain: Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there."
McCain can't NOT contradict himself. Lovin' it....
May 23, 2008 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cardio health is obviously important. But even more important is mental health and cellular health which are a lot harder to measure and which do gradually decline in invisible ways.
At that age things go rather wrong very quickly and being President ages people even more quickly. And I'm sorry because we're all going to experience it (at least normal aging) but that's reality.
To put this in perspective, he would be 76 by the end of a first term. If he runs for a second term, he would be 80 by the end.
Reagan seemed quick witted entering his first term at 69. By the end of his first term he was experiencing senility and falling asleep in meetings. By his second term he was fairly advanced into Alzheimer's. I'm sorry, it's a tragic disease and nobdy likes getting old. But imo McCain is too old and too much at risk.
If he was a Democrat I'd say the same. I like Jimmy Carter, he's still great, but even he's showing signs of age and not as quick as he used to be. And he hasn't been in the stress of office for decades, leaving when he was a youthful 51. I think he'd fully admit a younger person who shares his vision would be a better choice than himself even if he could have run again.
May 23, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink