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Should Sen. John McCain's Health Records Be Made Public? (with video)

Rich Bowden

Earlier this year, after sustained pressure from the U.S. media, a select team of reporters was allowed limited access to John McCain's medical records at forty-eight hours notice. The former naval pilot, who has had four bouts with cancer, allowed the reporters three hours to view his 1,173 page file, which only related to his medical history for the previous eight years. Only one of the reporters, Sanjay Gupta, health correspondent for CNN, had any previous medical knowledge.

The snapshot into the Republican presidential nominee's health records revealed he enjoys good health for a septuagenarian, however the fact that the 72-year-old McCain will be the oldest first time President to be inaugurated if his candidacy is successful, has yet again put his health front and centre as a campaign topic particularly with his selection of the combative, yet wholly inexperienced, Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as vice-presidential candidate.

Now a group of doctors, who support the candidacy of McCain's rival Sen. Barack Obama, have called on the Arizona senator to release his full medical records to the public saying the American people require full accountability before they make their decision on Election Day.

Though showing no sign of any fitness concerns having set a blistering pace on the campaign trail, the doughty Arizona senator has had a history of health problems.

"John McCain is a 72 year old man with recurrent melanoma, hyperlipidemia, degenerative joint disease, and recurrent difficulty with certain efforts at recall", a letter to Doctors For Obama states.

"These are the limited facts the American people have had access to. Over 1000 pages of medical records were shown to selected journalists for 3 hours with less than 48 hours of notice."

Pointing out that a serious repetition of previous medical disorders could seriously affect his presidency even the possibility of it resulting in his death, the letter continues.

...A recurrence of metastatic malignant melanoma would essentially destroy John McCain's capacity as the Chief Executive, and the American People have yet to receive a full accounting of the facts regarding his actuarial risk.[source]

While the thought of any President dying in office is an eventuality no one would wish to contemplate, does the letter touch on an important and perhaps obvious right of American voters -- to have all the relevant information at their disposal before a candidate runs for the highest office in the land? Should candidates be required by law to release health records or should privacy concerns prevail?

The point is made by the doctors that the Army scrupulously vets the health of its members prior to engaging them, why shouldn't the same standards be applied to the person seeking the presidency?

However privacy advocates would perhaps say that the president is entitled to as much privacy in his personal life as are ordinary Americans.

While the debate begins to make its mark, it should be noted that the question of disclosure of candidates who have suffered bad health in the past is not limited to the Republicans though. Democratic Vice-Presidential running mate Joe Biden, who is a survivor from brain surgery to relieve a life-threatening aneurysm in 1988, has thus far elected not to release his medical records.

Above video source bravenewfilms/YouTube.

VIEW VIDEO AT:

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/blogs/globaleye/2008/09/should-mccains-health-records.php

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