Whether it gains traction or not, I can't be the only one who noticed that McCain had the physical appearance of having suffered a "neurological event" when he was giving that announcement about "suspending" his campaign a week and half back. That right eye was wide open, staring and unmoving, and that entire side of his face seemed less animated. I've continued to notice it since, though it's not as glaring.

So, a minor stroke - or just a bad reaction to Botox?

Here's the thing...John McCain has been living off of taxpayer-supplied health care for the vast majority of his life. Both as a military man, and now as a Senator. The American people have a right to know exactly what his cancer diagnoses were. There are large differences between Stage II and Stage III melanomas, and there were conflicting reports as to what he had. This is not as serious of a situation had he actually chosen a running mate capable of running this country in a year or two...without him, his administration is in the toilet. Senator McCain, we NEED TO KNOW.

John McCain has never hid the fact that he still suffers from the treatment he endured as a POW. Where's the story?

Vascular dementia.

Subtle impairment of brain function in a slew of areas.

Sarah is now the pitbull in lipstick trashing Obama anywhere she can.

McCain is less visible on the campaign trail, with the MSM focused on Palin.

Houston, we have a very real problem.

It's time to push John hard on all fronts. The attack methods of Sarah/John are going to drown out any meaningful debate about anything of substance.

Biden/Obama have got to stick to the issues until

a week before the election, then they can attack the attackers with gusto.

By then, hopefully, McCain's vascular dementia will be more evident to everyone.

Where's the story?
How about: "Is John McCain physically and mentally fit to carry out even one term as president or would that office shortly be handed over to a less-than-one-term governor of one of America's least populous states?"

McCain's cancer and incipient senility presumably have nothing to do with his experience in war; even if they do, it still wouldn't matter.

McCain only did like two events last week, and of course he never works on weekends; gotta wonder why he's taking it so easy at this critical time.

Yup, McCain refers to his POW! experience only about 20 times a day. It's his excuse for serial lieing (POW!), not shaking hands with people he doesn't like even though he can use a Blackberry (POW!), blowing his top at the slightest provocation (POW!), hiring lobbyists to all the major positions of authority in his campaign (POW!), ignorance the state of the economy or the number of houses Cindy owns (POW!), complete lack of understanding of the differences between goals, strategy, and tactics (POW!), turning a blind eye to corruption (Keating 5, short circuiting investigation of Indian casino shenanigans (POW!), and as Al reminds us - cancer and possible stroke (POW!).

Wow - sure sounds like a guy whose finger I want on the nucular trigger! Just like Palin sounds like somebody I want a really rapidly (and badly) aging 72 year old POW! heartbeat from the Presidency.

Oh yeah - and "of the state of the economy"...

I can't speak to his overall health, but I can address the left eyelid droop, which is termed, ptosis. Link to the expert opinions at my name.

Oops - the link about ptosis didn't stick. Trying again.

McCain had malignant melanoma on his left temple. Melanoma of the head and neck is one of the worst places it can be. He clearly shows he's not quite tracking right...whatever the cause. The public has a right to know if he has a significant physical or neurological disease that would impair his ability to serve.

Annie - thanks for the link, though for the record, it's the right eye I'm concerned about. I don't notice the left eye drooping so much as I've noticed that the right eye seems open too much and fixed, not moving around in concert with the left eye. I'm not a medical expert so it may indeed be nothing...but it doesn't LOOK like nothing, which is why I noticed it.

Absent some drool coming out of McCain's mouth during a speech, it's unlikely the MSM will cover the health issue. This is due mostly to the rules of coverage that campaigns can dictate to reporters. McCain, in particular, has been aggressive in shutting down unfavorable conversations (witness The Des Moines Register editorial board meeting).

There is an underground whisper campaign, of course. Indeed, there are salient issues here that MUST be vented on some level. If not, the toxic rumors only metastasize. The Trig Palin story is another example of that phenomenon. On some level, the average voter is uncomfortable with the McCain camp's secretiveness. If you're truly on the fence, it might push you over.

John McCain has never hid the fact that he still suffers from the treatment he endured as a POW. Where's the story? Posted by: Al

The story, numb nuts, is that he's obviously psychologically unfit to be president. Call it the cherry on top of a sundae of his complete lack of intellectual qualifications for the job.

Absent some drool coming out of McCain's mouth during a speech, it's unlikely the MSM will cover the health issue. This is due mostly to the rules of coverage that campaigns can dictate to reporters. McCain, in particular, has been aggressive in shutting down unfavorable conversations (witness The Des Moines Register editorial board meeting). Posted by: walt

He didn't shut down that conversation. He made a fool of himself repeating the lie that his campaign had "proof" about Obama favoring comprehensive sex-ed for 5-year olds. He came out looking really bad because he was lying and couldn't hide the fact. Reporters just need to keep asking him difficult questions to dodge, and he's going to explode.

"Reporters just need to keep asking him difficult questions to dodge, and he's going to explode".

What country do you live in?

I can't speak to his overall health, but I can address the left eyelid droop, which is termed, ptosis. Link to the expert opinions at my name. Posted by: Annie

I come from a family that is prone to this. Both my grandmother and great-aunt had to have "eye jobs" in their 70s just so they could see their eyelids were drooping so badly.

If you recall that graphic ad done about McCain's health, the major melanoma surgery he had was on the left side of his face, with sutures extending nearly to his hairline. My guess is that this could have done permanent damage to the nerves in this area.

Beyond that, he's still and lying asshole.

It flummoxes me that we're supposed to have no problem talking about the terrible physical pain McCain endured as a POW, but cannot speak of the psychological results of that experience.

We note that the arms he broke in one of his crashes have never worked right and that the beatings he sustained have left lasting scars. But somehow it's a grave insult and in terrible taste to point out that someone who was imprisoned for 5.5 years and tortured for a good chunk of that time might have some lingering emotional problems that unfit him for the job of president? WTF is wrong with these people?

NYTimes (paper edition) had a full page ad the other day, requesting that his med records be made public. It was signed by close to 3000 doctors (with some better known names in bold) from across the country.

So yes, some people are worried about it. But the polls keep asking the wrong question: "are you worried about his age?" I'm not worried about his age, *per se*; my husband is 84 about as spry as McCain physically and has more mental acuity left than John Sidney (the Third), though he's definitely not the same man I met 38yrs ago. So it's not just age; it's how that age has reflected on one's health.

McCain's bizarre grinning and giggling during the debate ten days ago suggested to me strongly that he was under some kind of weird medication. I really think we should know about that.

I am a physician who has been concerned about McCain's health since he became the nominee. With the choice of Palin, McCain made his health even more of a legitimate issue for the election. Torture has been shown to produce permanent changes in the brain.

Melanoma in my training was "the tumor that gave cancer a bad name." He has reportedly had five separate lesions labeled as melanoma.

To me, to vote for McCain without having full knowledge of his medical history is like playing Russian roulette with all chambers loaded.

Johnny Walnuts went several years without access to his medical records. I think the media can survive thru the inauguration -- barely three months -- without them.

Melanoma in my training was "the tumor that gave cancer a bad name." He has reportedly had five separate lesions labeled as melanoma.Posted by: Paul

As a melanoma survivor myself, I doubt that McCain has had five lesions that were MM. If he had this many, he should be very sick if not dead by now.

My guess is that, like me, he's had a lot of lesions/moles with atypical cells, which is not the same.

"John McCain has never hid the fact that he still suffers from the treatment he endured as a POW. Where's the story?"
Posted by: Al on October 5, 2008

It's interesting you mention that. I've been wondering just how much damage was done to him. I mean, was he beaten, held in stress positions for long periods of time, tortured, etc. He has said (IIRC) that he 'broke'. What would the consequences of that be for a President with the power of our mighty military? I also have to wonder whether he harbors vengeful feelings towards Asians which, if given the opportunity, might force us into a war for his own personal issue resolution -- not unlike Dubya's personal resentment about treatment of his father after 'not completing' the war in Iraq in 1990.

John McCain admits to being damaged goods. Just how damaged is he?