Much ado about nothing, as our current president has amply demonstrated time and again a brain serves as no necessary prerequisite for a commander in chief.
Webster
· 1 year ago
OT: (Picked up off Huffpo)
"PBS has a poll going for people to vote whether they think Sarah Palin is qualified to be president. Right now the "yes" votes are winning, because the right wing is voting en masse.
To change this trend, click on the link below and vote (you don't have to provide email or personal info, just click yes or no in the link and it will give you to vote to date.
Webster - this poll was shown to to be "re-clickable" after closing the window - so anyone can vote as many times as they wish. Forget it.
mikecoatl
· 1 year ago
While it would be nice to 'win' a net poll, it is essentially meaningless. And the PBS people who are running it seem to have a hard on for Palin anyway.
grandma
· 1 year ago
OT
Breaking News
22 Sep 2008 06:36 pm
The Second Circuit has just issued a unanimous decision ordering the Bush administration to release photographs of terror war prisoners, following the ACLU's FOIA request. Slowly but surely, the war crimes of the Bush administration are being brought into the light of day. Justice will come.
next should be allowing photos of our dear departed coming into Dover in their draped caskets
Dianne_in_DC
· 1 year ago
Me thinks you are watching too much "CSI" and "House."
jmcon007
· 1 year ago
My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 73 and within only a day or so after the biopsy we discovered that the cancer had spread to the brain and she passed away three months later. I noticed something was wrong at first because of odd things she'd say that she knew better. The point is, if there is even the remotest chance that John McCain does have a problem, yet Rick Davis (and the other McCain goons with vested interests) decides to hide it and ride it out through the elections, there will have to be a cancelation of the elections and criminal charges brought against the whole bunch.
AngelaChanning
· 1 year ago
My 78 year old mother said that McCain is too feeble to be president. Older people can spot it in other older people.
dacnova
· 1 year ago
My 80ish parents agree, but they were already going to vote for Obama anyway.
Hurrycane
· 1 year ago
It sounds to me like if McCain's melanoma really had metasticized to his brain, he would already be dead by now.
brb915
· 1 year ago
not so.................Look at Sen. Kennedy and the man (help me folks) who hit the pedestrian in DC, claiming he didn't see him
grandma
· 1 year ago
I think that was Bob Novak
brb915
· 1 year ago
Thanks grandma
Hurrycane
· 1 year ago
Quoting from the above article:
"After melanoma is detected in the brain, median survival is 3 months. These metastases are poorly responsive to all treatments."
Brain cancer is different from skin cancer that has metasticized to the brain.
Hurrycane
· 1 year ago
It's spelled "metastasized" -- sorry.
Peaches
· 1 year ago
In medical circles this is known as "mets to the head." That means metastasis to the brain and this is a very real possibility considering his medical history. And, no, we are not watching too much House.
Wolfsinger
· 1 year ago
This is the Presidency we are talking about so it is with that in mind when I say that the Christian right is literally praying that Palin gets the call. Yes. The flat, 6 thousand year old Earth - man walked with TRex, Vote The Bible, End Times Christians are practically wetting themselves at the all too real chance that the Dobson, Hagee ordained "Blessed Sarah" will be the one to lead this nation to: One Theocracy, Under (Our) God, Hypocritical, with Misery and Suffering for All. Amen.
Patriot
· 1 year ago
Perhaps I am just under too much stress but, the lack of concern about McCain's age, health, temper, and judgment makes me feel like I, or everyone else, have gone insane. It feels like being in a burning building with all the doors locked from the outside.
brb915
· 1 year ago
I hate to say it, but Sen. Obama needs to get on and ride McCain's last nerve at every chance he sees Debate Night. McCain has one millimeter worth of temper as we know, and to see him blow his wad on National TV would do wonders
Scottsdalian
· 1 year ago
Why do you hate to say it, brb? I'm dieing to see this happen!
I strongly - VERY strongly - believe that these debates are Obama's plan to needle McCain into exposive eruptions on National TV.....with Obama standing there looking like an angel. I believe this is why Obama continuously takes the high road in this campaign -- knowing he can get McCain to go absolutely bat-shit crazy during the debates. If/when this happens.....game/set/match. Game's over.
brb915
· 1 year ago
......guess I'm hatin 'cause for once in this damn POTUS race I'd just like to close my frikin eyes and imagine an honest discourse on issues, not on an exhausting game of gotcha. I'm off to hug my Hello Kitty doll now. :-)
Scottsdalian
· 1 year ago
Well, from what I've read about McCain's explosive temper, many of his fellow Senators are scared to death thinking about him as POTUS. Since that seems to frighten the people who know him best, it seems pretty important to show to the American Voter. Do we really want an alley brawler having his finger on the nuclear button (so to speak)??? This is not a game of gotcha. Ths is pretty damned important stuff.
Milli
· 1 year ago
No, Karl Rove will be backstage with an invisible poker that will be used on McCain at the first sign of crankiness.........
Peaches
· 1 year ago
I agree with you Patriot. I don't know why my last post was not shown but what this physician is describing here is what is know in medical circles as "mets to the head." This means metastasis to the brain and, no, we are not watching too much House. This is a very real possibility.
bluestockton
· 1 year ago
OK, hecklers need to start turning up at McCain rallies chanting "MRI! MRI!"
Scottsdalian
· 1 year ago
McCain is a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. That Mayo Clinic just got a new MRI machine that gives readings that are 10x more detailed than previous MRI machines. Looks like Mayo got this just in time!
red_dwarf
· 1 year ago
Oh great. We're one molecular event away from potentially having a 44 year old religious fruitcake at the helm if the rePIGs steal the upcoming election.
Oh well, if we had a Democracy we could have stopped this starting with the duty of impeachment when the Dems took back Congress in 2006 (but Nancy said she didn't think we could handle the implications of a remedy (mentioned 6 times in the Constitution) that our founding fathers gave us to protect all our core liberties). Thanks Nancy, for trashing your Constitutional duty to take Bush out and to protect our Constitution. No doubt your legacy will find its rightful spot in history - as one of the many Democratic cowards that lived during this time.
Just somesnark to add to a serious discussion: McCain uses Botox and maybe Rejuvederm. He does not have the forehead of 72-year-old yet he does have sagging in the jowls. I know the press will leave this alone because they must all use it too but he is hiding his age as well as his health.
mf_roe
· 1 year ago
Does Botox paralyze the brain, is it that simple?
katjam
· 1 year ago
Hey--maybe that IS the answer!!
marnied
· 1 year ago
What's up with the excessive blinking? Conjunctivitis, maybe? Or does he wear contacts? If the latter, then he'd better change them out b/c that man must have blinked a thousand times during the 60 Minutes segment. I know there's a school of thought that says excessive blinking can be indicative when someone's lying. hmmm. I'd also be curious to know just how much alcohol Mr. McCain consumes on any given evening. But seriously, check out this blink situation. Here's the link to the 60 Minutes segment which aired last night. http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?r...
greyroadster
· 1 year ago
Can Obama & Biden lead by example and offer to do every test/examine we want McCain do? Maybe that would get this credible and important concern some press.
mikecoatl
· 1 year ago
That is a good idea, actually! If nothing else, it would pressure the McCain camp to do likewise.
aquarius2
· 1 year ago
A nurse who was working at Mayo Clinic at the same time when McCain was being initially treated told me his melanoma was deemed very serious. She only mentioned this because at the time McCain was getting serious VIP treatment and causing a lot of disruption due to security. Word travels fast via the hospital grapevine. While no specifics were discussed it was apparent this was no simple melanoma.
Watching McCain' s facial features change, listening to his altered speech and now seeing his confusion I wonder just how "cured" he is of melanoma.
Milli
· 1 year ago
Reagan's brain turned to mush, Dubya's brain turned to mush, are we seeing a pattern here? Republican puppet presidencies................
Helga3412
· 1 year ago
There is another poll on the PBS page, sadly McCain is winning big time. http://www.pbs.org/now/ vote here
Dave of the Jungle
· 1 year ago
McCain has a fast deciding non analytical approach, by nature.
Add cognitive dysfunction from progressive illnesses and you have exactly what we don't want in a President.
JamesR
· 1 year ago
The most optimistic statistic, from the best read of McCain's partial medical records we know as fact give us already a 10% chance McCain will not live out his term. Or even next year. This gives a REAL possibility that Palin would ass-u-me the rest of his term.
Palin. 10% chance of.
Describing this to a friend tonight I realized - it's just like if you were playing Russian roulette with either a gun with a 10 chambered cylinder and one shell in it, or if you were playing with two guns like .38 caliber revolvers that hold 5 shells each, with one round in one of them. Would you play roulette with those? Just like in the movie the Deer Hunter??
That's what WILL happen to McCain, using the highest possible statistical advantage for his survival. Any more crap comes out about him, (likely,) and more bullets go into those guns. We can call it "Moose Hunter." Still wanna play?
Omyword!
· 1 year ago
We all know what happens if McCain dies or becomes incapacitated after he is elected. What happens to the ticket if this happens before the election? Does the Republican party pick a new presidential candidate and a new VP, or does Palin become the front runner and she picks a new VP to run with her? Any precedent to this? Thanks.
Mark in Florida
· 1 year ago
Yes, something is going on with McCain. He is getting worse and worse.
Losing is not an option, or we will all be eating moose burgers.
ThaiLuc
· 1 year ago
McCain's health is a big topic and the ER physician and Dermatologist are both missing the big picture. I'm an Internist so it's my job to look at the big picture.
Regarding his melanomas, each event was separate and related only to his risk factors for melanoma (age, life time sun exposure, light complexion, history of previous melanoma, etc.). The second, third and fourth melanomas were not metastases of the first event. Whatever the details of the fourth melanoma were, it did not metastasize or he would be long dead. (Yes we can dream) He is certainly at risk for a recurrence, but it has to be said that death from melanoma is a relatively rare event. Most melanomas are caught early and cured with excision.
Invasive melanoma is the Dermatologist's nightmare because most of Dermatology is the diagnosis and treatment of indolent and non-lethal diseases. Invasive melanoma really stands out. JM should be having very complete and very regular skin surveys at least every 3 months for someone in his position and if he is ever President probably monthly. What can happen to someone with his history is that you never see the primary and, he shows up one day with "mets" to the brain. This situation evolves very quickly and ends in death in a matter of weeks or months. This too is a rare event (although maybe not in the life of a Dermatologist.)
What I never hear much about is his psychiatric history. PTSD (Post Traumatic Shock Disorder) from his time in Vietnam seems very likely given what he went through and his personality. Taking into consideration the era when he would have been first diagnosed and his status, it's very likely that he never received a formal diagnosis and never took medications. But someone should ask about this. It's not credible for someone who went through what he went through to say; he's never seen a mental health professional. He's obviously trying to hide something by not releasing his medical records.
In order to evaluate someone's mental status especially if you are trying to rule in or out early dementia, you need to establish a baseline. JM was never the brightest bulb on the Xmas tree. I doubt he would have even graduated from the Naval Academy had it not been for his father and grand father. Do we really have any reason to expect a more coherent or rational person than the one we've seen in the last week? Which is the scarier scenario? That he has early dementia or that he doesn't. Dementia is potentially treatable depending on the cause. Stupidity isn't.
The MRI is a bad idea. Many people with Alzheimer's disease have normal MRIs. MRIs on normal people often pick up incidental findings, which are abnormalities that have no clinical significance. So McCain could have a normal MRI and, Obama's could be abnormal. And in this scenario, Obama could still have an IQ of 150 and never develop any neurological disorders and, McCain could have an IQ of 85 and be suffering from Dementia.
But when I talk to other Internists, we all say the same thing. When it comes to health, there's "a good 72" and "a bad 72." JM is "a bad 72". He looks at least 10 years older than he is. He's had a lot of health problems. He's easily confused and fragile. You don't have to be a doctor to see this. It's just common sense.
yamsel
· 1 year ago
My mom died of melanoma - the time span after which it was discovered to have spread to her brain and her death was six months. She was physically incapacitated at the three month mark and increasingly cognitively incapacitated from the four to five month period onward. I certainly hope McCain doesn't have melanoma - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But if he does, and if it is serious, he should not be running for president.
smallhandff
· 1 year ago
Laura Bush has melanoma & W was at the NIH last year checking out the melanoma ward for a possible Pickles admission for treatment.
As for McCain, he may indeed be terminal & has made his deal-w-the-devil to get himself elected so that he can die in office. Why would he care what happens after he's gone? His term will be so inconsequentially short that it won't matter. Anyone would pale in comparison to Bush, who set the standard.
All Comments
Notice the problems he's have with his left-eye?
"PBS has a poll going for people to vote whether they think Sarah Palin is qualified to be president. Right now the "yes" votes are winning, because the right wing is voting en masse.
To change this trend, click on the link below and vote (you don't have to provide email or personal info, just click yes or no in the link and it will give you to vote to date.
http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html
Breaking News
22 Sep 2008 06:36 pm
The Second Circuit has just issued a unanimous decision ordering the Bush administration to release photographs of terror war prisoners, following the ACLU's FOIA request. Slowly but surely, the war crimes of the Bush administration are being brought into the light of day. Justice will come.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily...
"After melanoma is detected in the brain, median survival is 3 months. These metastases are poorly responsive to all treatments."
Brain cancer is different from skin cancer that has metasticized to the brain.
I strongly - VERY strongly - believe that these debates are Obama's plan to needle McCain into exposive eruptions on National TV.....with Obama standing there looking like an angel. I believe this is why Obama continuously takes the high road in this campaign -- knowing he can get McCain to go absolutely bat-shit crazy during the debates. If/when this happens.....game/set/match. Game's over.
Oh well, if we had a Democracy we could have stopped this starting with the duty of impeachment when the Dems took back Congress in 2006 (but Nancy said she didn't think we could handle the implications of a remedy (mentioned 6 times in the Constitution) that our founding fathers gave us to protect all our core liberties). Thanks Nancy, for trashing your Constitutional duty to take Bush out and to protect our Constitution. No doubt your legacy will find its rightful spot in history - as one of the many Democratic cowards that lived during this time.
http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?r...
Watching McCain' s facial features change, listening to his altered speech and now seeing his confusion I wonder just how "cured" he is of melanoma.
Add cognitive dysfunction from progressive illnesses and you have exactly what we don't want in a President.
Palin. 10% chance of.
Describing this to a friend tonight I realized - it's just like if you were playing Russian roulette with either a gun with a 10 chambered cylinder and one shell in it, or if you were playing with two guns like .38 caliber revolvers that hold 5 shells each, with one round in one of them. Would you play roulette with those? Just like in the movie the Deer Hunter??
That's what WILL happen to McCain, using the highest possible statistical advantage for his survival. Any more crap comes out about him, (likely,) and more bullets go into those guns. We can call it "Moose Hunter." Still wanna play?
Losing is not an option, or we will all be eating moose burgers.
Regarding his melanomas, each event was separate and related only to his risk factors for melanoma (age, life time sun exposure, light complexion, history of previous melanoma, etc.). The second, third and fourth melanomas were not metastases of the first event. Whatever the details of the fourth melanoma were, it did not metastasize or he would be long dead. (Yes we can dream) He is certainly at risk for a recurrence, but it has to be said that death from melanoma is a relatively rare event. Most melanomas are caught early and cured with excision.
Invasive melanoma is the Dermatologist's nightmare because most of Dermatology is the diagnosis and treatment of indolent and non-lethal diseases. Invasive melanoma really stands out. JM should be having very complete and very regular skin surveys at least every 3 months for someone in his position and if he is ever President probably monthly. What can happen to someone with his history is that you never see the primary and, he shows up one day with "mets" to the brain. This situation evolves very quickly and ends in death in a matter of weeks or months. This too is a rare event (although maybe not in the life of a Dermatologist.)
What I never hear much about is his psychiatric history. PTSD (Post Traumatic Shock Disorder) from his time in Vietnam seems very likely given what he went through and his personality. Taking into consideration the era when he would have been first diagnosed and his status, it's very likely that he never received a formal diagnosis and never took medications. But someone should ask about this. It's not credible for someone who went through what he went through to say; he's never seen a mental health professional. He's obviously trying to hide something by not releasing his medical records.
In order to evaluate someone's mental status especially if you are trying to rule in or out early dementia, you need to establish a baseline. JM was never the brightest bulb on the Xmas tree. I doubt he would have even graduated from the Naval Academy had it not been for his father and grand father. Do we really have any reason to expect a more coherent or rational person than the one we've seen in the last week? Which is the scarier scenario? That he has early dementia or that he doesn't. Dementia is potentially treatable depending on the cause. Stupidity isn't.
The MRI is a bad idea. Many people with Alzheimer's disease have normal MRIs. MRIs on normal people often pick up incidental findings, which are abnormalities that have no clinical significance. So McCain could have a normal MRI and, Obama's could be abnormal. And in this scenario, Obama could still have an IQ of 150 and never develop any neurological disorders and, McCain could have an IQ of 85 and be suffering from Dementia.
But when I talk to other Internists, we all say the same thing. When it comes to health, there's "a good 72" and "a bad 72." JM is "a bad 72". He looks at least 10 years older than he is. He's had a lot of health problems. He's easily confused and fragile. You don't have to be a doctor to see this. It's just common sense.
As for McCain, he may indeed be terminal & has made his deal-w-the-devil to get himself elected so that he can die in office. Why would he care what happens after he's gone? His term will be so inconsequentially short that it won't matter. Anyone would pale in comparison to Bush, who set the standard.