Politics | October 22, 2008 | 9 comments

Candidates should release more health records

source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/20/campbell.brown.health/?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCText

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Future_America
Campbell Brown's commentary on the candidates' released health records.

On Monday, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden released his medical records. Overall, he's in good health.

But the records detail his 1988 treatment for two brain aneurysms, a very serious condition. My question tonight, though, is for all the candidates: Why are you all being so cagey and so careful with this information?

This is stuff voters really need to know and it is time for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to be a lot more forthcoming.

Let's start with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. At 72 years old, if he wins this election, he will be the oldest man sworn in for his first term as president.

He has survived four bouts of melanoma. In the spring, his campaign invited a handful of reporters to view some 1,100-plus pages of medical records. Reporters were only given three hours to go through more than 1,100 pages of documents and some of that information raised new questions.

Now, to McCain's credit, he has been more forthcoming than any of the other candidates, but it is not enough.

Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama has released almost nothing -- just a one page note from his doctor saying he's in excellent health and some basic test results from past checkups.

Sure, he's a young guy and he looks healthy, but so did John F. Kennedy and he had serious health issues. Voters have a right to a full and thorough vetting.

Sen. Biden today gave us a lot more information than Obama, but he, too, left out some important details that raise questions about his health.

As for McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, she has released nothing. No medical information at all. So, from Gov. Palin, anything, frankly, would be helpful.

Look, I get why they wouldn't want to release this information. It's intrusive. It is personal, very intimate stuff. If it were me, I wouldn't want my medical records made public. But I'm not running for anything and the American people should have the right to know everything there is to know about the health and personal vitality of our next president and vice president.

We are expecting these people to not only be around for at least the next four years, but to be at the top of their game.

To all the candidates, you may all be in great shape, in the best of health, but based on how little you have been willing to tell us, how can we be sure?
  1. groups:
    Politics,   Health,   Election 2008
  2. tags:
    Politics,  Health,  Obama,  Barack Obama,  15 more
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9 comments // Candidates should release more health records

  • barbwire800
    • 0
      barbwire800  

    • Maybe there is something in the medical records she doesn't want her children to know about. If her records are open to the public her children will find out. That's the only thing I can come up with. Oh yeah, I am anti Palin all the way. How could McCain let his party down by doing something so insane as choosing her. Oh yeah, I'm anti republican also.

    • 3 years ago
  • nbcmj
    • 0
      nbcmj  

    • GOV. SARAH PALIN WAS PREGNANT WHEN SHE GOT MARRIED 20 YEARS AGO -
      If you research her marriage date & the birth date of her first child, you will find that 7 months after she surprised her family by suddenly eloping, she had a full-term baby boy. So her health records will show that she was pregnant when got married. This represents a second generation from this family for whom sexual abstinence birth control instruction did not work.

      The health record disclosure of national candidates is standard procedure and anyone not willing to conform to this request can probably look forward to losing. Also, perhaps she or her husband contracted a sexually transmitted disease from outside the marriage, or perhaps there is some question about who the father of her child is. It must be something extreme or she would not be willing to pay the political price of not releasing these records.

    • 3 years ago
  • zcameramann
    • 0
      zcameramann  

    • What scares me, what happens if McCain wins and a month down the road kicks the bucket. We get Palin? Hey John what were you thinking ??
      All he was doing was trying to get the women’s vote/ religious right / anti-abortion people you know the one's who Bomb and Kill doctors. Sorry I got off the subject. You have to ask yourself DO YOU WANT PALIN as President and Does She have what it takes to run our country.

    • 3 years ago
  • barbwire800
  • wlwatkins
    • 0
      wlwatkins  

    • wise-crack-er.ghee did you think that 2000 word reply by yourself or did you copy it from someone....
      as far as Jimmy Carter- go watch the PPS story online about him.

      And...even so...whom cares if they may resemble each other, yet, Carter was a peanut farmer, and Obama is a Chicogo, IL. activist....some dif's there...

      I will take my chances, I take you are that shhh
      that other side, the one no one likes admitting to supporting any longer...

      It's okay to be upset...jump ship...hurry you still have time...."just embrace the love" we won't tell and you too can vote for

      OBAMA=
      O- OUR
      B- BETTER
      A- AMERICA
      M- MEMBERS
      A- ASSOCIATION

    • 3 years ago
  • wlwatkins
    • 0
      wlwatkins  

    • "i don't need to see mccain's or palin's medical records to know they will be unhealthy for america."

      me either, but, what the truth everyone is afraid we will have a soda-pop drama queen that can't answer firth grade questions concerning America....

      I on one hand believe the only relationships McCain has with Palin is the good ole' alaska oil...that's why we have to put up with the dumb shit!

    • 3 years ago
  • edbr
  • cybexg
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