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Just found out, my foot. I'll bet they knew all along but didn't say anything until they decided whether or not Sarah could hold her own in a debate. They're raising the book issue now only because it's clear Sarah is a disaster. The so-called conflict of interest is just a pretext to cancel or delay the debate.
I say if they don't want Ifill as the moderator, then go ahead and replace her--with Helen Thomas.
far, far more fun
mind you, Katie Couric's not doing a bad job. Just that she might lose it and ask a serious question...
This is just another way for McCain, Faux News, and Drudge to play the refs.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/10/01/iowa-n...
Isn't he just "winking?" He seems to do this every time he thinks he's "got one off."
He looks like I look when I've got something under them
just a thought, and not necessarily a good one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell's_palsy
What's clear is that something is wrong and no one knows what it is. It could be serious, or trivial.
It's a disgrace that his medical records have not been released long enough for doctors to evaluate them. Bad enough for a regular candidate, but for someone 72 years old and with his health history, the MSM is totally falling down on their job to not make this a big issue. I guess they're afraid of being called ageists.
The left eye blinks with more force and it closes tighter than the right eye.
which country is anyone's guess. it just ain't this one.
We just saw a mini-stroke.
I agree, Hillary would be a good pick for Secretary of State.
He saw the latest polls and figured he'd better jump on board while he still can.
My doctor says it's no big deal unless it happens violently and often. It comes and goes and seems to be related to sleep deprivation and stress. There's medication that can treat it.
I've got it and I'm only 43; I picked it up at 42. At 72 McCain may have a bad case of it.
Well, the media always plays the best section/clip which represents what the candidate was talking about that day.
Well, EVERYDAY, the "Clip of the day" is always McCain misprouncing a word.
Pay close attention next time.....REALLY listen to what McCain is saying....and not just let the "sound clip" go in one ear and out the other ear.
but I think you're reaching a bit. he's old, half of his face is scar tissue... but, c'mon.
I think you're over analyzing and hoping he's having a stroke or something... when he's just an old man being an old man.
there are better things to slam him for that'll stand up to criticism a bit better.
but that'd imply they're actually listening to what's going on in the blogosphere.
Let's set that straight right now.
We are not talking like it's a bad hair day or something like that.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
I find myself watching his left eye while he talks now and when he walks around, keep noticing that his left fist is typically clenched.
Something is going on with the left side of his body....
John, it would be really helpful if you could show the entire clip from about 30 prior to the first instance of whatever you are seeing, because I'm just seeing his general squinty prune with a stick up his butt face.
It's not Bell's Palsy, that's for sure.
He just referred everyone to the blog !!!
McCain: ‘I Always Aspire To Be A Dictator’
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/01/mccain-aspi...
The guy's blood pressure must be off the charts.
Just imagine the damage his blood vessels have taken over the years.
I'm not insensitive to McCain's actual health problems - I definitely wish him best health at all time. It's just too bad he's hidden it all - now if something happens it'd come out of the blue for most people unaware of his problems.
Under the entry for Ptosis it lists people with it - Including Thom Yorke of Radiohead and actor Forrest Whittaker (I actually came across the entry linked from singer Gabrielle from England who also has it).
It lists John McCain as a sufferer - though I couldnt find it in his own entry let alone this was added on the 25th of september per WIKI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptosis_(eyelid)
I DO thing somebody's covering something up. Who knows what. Stroke-eye does seem convincing.
Certainly the facts at least raise the issue of his health and justify the release of his full medical records to determine his physical and mental fitness to lead.
By not releasing the records he raises the question "What do you have to hide, Senator?".
I'm also sick about hearing about Biden going easy on her. This is an election and we need to win. I said hit her hard and keep hitting.
After the 3 lesion were removed the melanoma had sped into her lung and lymph nodes. The surgeon removed the lung tumor and affected lymph nodes. A few months later the scan reveled brain lesions. The Dr. Said that it was inoperable. That was last year Aug. 2007. She received experimental treatment and the brain growths were stable for 10 months. She always maintained her faculties until last April. She did develop a little twitch when she would become stressed. Other then that she never became confused nor did she have any seizures. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he had melanoma in his brain! Melanoma is the most aggressive cancer there is...and there is no known cure...
disabling or fatal. This guy's health is not up to the strain of campaigning or the duties of being president. Has anyone heard his voice? He sounds like he is slightly slurring his speech or is that his natural speech pattern? TIA's can cause temporary memory loss also.
But his policies are making miss Ron Paul: http://www.digitalfuntown.com/videos/104
He is 72, and his blood pressure could be causing this, as blood vessels could be contracting and pushing up the pressure, and any person of that age has to have some atherosclerosis in their coronary arteries after eating American for that many years. The pressure goes up, and constriction in the already narrowed artery increases, and blood flow decreases and control of the face on that side, some confusion, and in some cases, even loss of conciousness ensues.
It could also be from brain metastasis from his melanoma, as well.
This is not the sort of thing one would want to see from a Presidential candidate. His health is very worrisome, and with his personality traits he will only sink further into the less attractive parts of his personality.
I've just seen too many loved ones who have had strokes to not recognize this for what it is, as much as that might make me sound like Bill fucking Frist lol.
Doesn't mean II think he should be running - for reasons of his health, or his policies, or his running mate.
UPDATE: I see that questions about McCain's facial nerve problem have recently been (mostly) debunked by specialists familiar with McCain's history and knowledgeable about the condition he has: ptosis. What we see in the video appears not by itself a cause for concern.
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=386
Still, it is a reminder that McCain's health is an issue.
McCain has damage to his Seventh Cranial nerve, aka the facial nerve, as a consequence of his melanoma surgery and reconstruction. Here is some commentary by a surgical oncologist, and here is commentary by a neurologist.
I thought it was a stroke, too (I'm an ER doc), but they make a compelling case.
this is nothing like a stroke or a mini-stroke. it's not a tic, either. and it's not ptosis -- ptosis is a drooping of the eyelid, not a quick blink.
(neurology resident, 4th year)
Mc Cain has experienced damage to the facial nerve. When nerves are damaged they tend to reinnervate(regrow) in an atypical pattern. So there can be a synkinesis with involuntary facial movements of the upper and lower face. I don't see that ptosis(drooping of an eyelid) is an issue here although there may be some blepherospasm(possible trigger) involved in the facial movement. These things in an of themselves are not necessarily indicative of TIA. Facial droop not synkinesis seems more likely expressed with TIA. It makes more sense that he had pretty radical surgery for melanoma on his face which has caused isolated nerve damage.
And maybe his facial tics are a sign of a serious underlying condition, or maybe not. No question he should have a neurological workup to determine that.
I do agree that he should release his health records. The public has a right to know about his state of health, particularly since his chosen successor is a hockey mom from small town Alaska who can't name a single newspaper she reads regularly, thinks Iraq is a rack for eyes (not to mention a task from God), greets the President of Pakistan giggling and flirting as if she were some thirteen year old twit meeting everyone's favorite adolescent celebrity heartthrob, and believes being able to see some remote Russian island from some remote Alaskan island gives her insight into Russia (note that she has never claimed that she has actually gone to that remote Alaskan island and looked across the water at that remote Russian island - I guess just knowing it is there is sufficient for her purposes).
And the fact that he is not being open about the health question does make one very suspicious.
http://allbleedingstops.blogspot.com/2008/09/th...
http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/2008/09/comp...
The particular tic we see in this clip could be "tic doloreaux." This is also called "trigeminal neuralgia." If the previously-noted symptoms are indeed Horner's Syndrome, then there are few underlying causes for both trigeminal neuralgia and Horner's Syndrome. One cause could be post-surgical scarring and irritation of nerves from his last melanoma removal surgery. However, this surgery was years ago. If this were the cause, the symptoms should be stable over the past few years, not worsening or just developing now.
The other major possibility is local recurrence of the melanoma he had in this area of his face. If so, symptoms would tend to worsen until he has treatment for the cancer recurrence.
If John McCain were an applicant for any normal job, we'd insist on a careful, independent evaluation by a good neurologist. I fear that lower standards apply when the applicant is seeking the position of President of the United States.
It's the law.
The wheels are coming off his campaign (due in large part to him), the CM (corporate media) is turning on him, Palin is becoming way too much fun for the Democrats (and SNL!), and what must be the most stressful part for McNasty is that he knows that if lets lose his temper, he's done for. That old man is stressed and pissed; he's going to explode well before election day! I can hardly wait.
Do you think you're accomplishing something?
It would be important for someone on his campaign to see that he has a checkup ASAP.
Mass media, yeah you, pay attention to this and ask questions. More than one question, please.
McCain wins the election, then becomes incapacitated before he's sworn in? What happens then?
BOSTON (AP) -- The treasurer of Massachusetts has asked the federal government about lending Massachusetts money under the same favorable terms it has given banks and firms during the financial crisis.
Treasurer Timothy Cahill's requests to the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston this week were prompted by the state's inability to borrow from the short-term debt markets, The Boston Globe reported Saturday. The financial turmoil has caused credit markets to stop lending, or to charge prohibitive rates.
California has made a similar request
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Credit-Co...
Arnie promised to fix state finances. He's had six years to do that and the state is in worse financial shape now than when Grey Davis was recalled.
There will probably be an initiative on the ballot next year to end the 2/3s requirement. Rethugs will scream like hell, but I think it may pass.
Usually you just kind of slink out and see if anyone notices. You do not take the weekend off at the start of the last month of the election. The first is irrational, the second points to a health problem, exhaustion at the very least. Whatever it is 2 or 3 days is not going to heal it. My guess McCain is getting ready to withdraw "for health reasons". This opens a whole new can of election worms. Palin running, not likely. Postpone the election legally? Allow the repubs to chose another? It can be done. I hope not.
I was just at a small rally here with Bill Richardson. It was cold wet, raining and hurriedly organized and still there was a good crowd for this small town
The election happens: the ballots are printed and machines programmed with McCain's name. Alsa, voters would be asked to consider voting for a near-dead man who had otherwise dropped out.
http://www.h-net.org/~hns/articles/2004/072004a...
Basically congress could demand it but the states could resist and the results muddled.
I think the Repubs have a mechanism for changing their candidate but you are right it is most likely too late, but not completely impossible.
I would join with others in calling for his health records being made public. When a candidate is that old and has his health history, he should be required to show he is healthy enough to run this country for the next four years.
Sorry, nothing is going to be done about this in the Corporate Media unless he literally falls down on stage and convulses. The media is too cowed.
Maybe because our national media make billion$ from advertisers of crap to make us pretend to feel and look young but put forth a meme of 'don't go questioning the age of one man'....Age makes you wise, just buy our products to look and feel young with your wisdom. Snakeoil.
Thanks~
I think he just wants the presidency as some kind of capstone to outdo his father the Admiral, since McCain himself was such an incompetent airman.
(Gee, where have we heard about a jealous son wanting to outdo his father's legacy by getting into the White House before?)
As you note, he's had several surgeries, including surgery to the left side of his face. It is entirely possible that he simply suffered some minor nerve damage as a result of the facial surgery. There are any number of possible explanations for this facial tick, both mundane and alarming.
In my job, I frequently see people making presentations on stage. At least a couple times a month, a speaker gets momentarily befuddled figuring out which side to exit off of. A few times I've seen it happen to several people in one day. If you are concentrating on what you are giving a speech about or answering questions, it isn't all that uncommon to forget which way to go when you're done. It is a low priority, and sometimes underlings forget to tell them which way to go ahead of time, so it isn't even always their own fault.
Yes, McCain should release his medical records. Yes, it is worthwhile to question the reason for these facial ticks. But it is ridiculous to leap to the assumption that there is something seriously wrong with him based on this alone. To make these assumptions makes you no better than Bill Frist.