McCain Owes America An Alzheimer's Test

[Flabbergasted]

http://www.democrats.com/mccain-owes-america-an-alzheimers-test

While Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama were rocking the Democratic convention in Denver, John McCain made his 13th appearance with Jay Leno to joke about his age. McCain joked, "You forgot to mention that I warned the people about the British coming," and added, "my Social Security number is eight."

McCain has repeatedly tried to dismiss concerns about his age with late-night jokes. On Saturday Night Live, he quipped: "What should we be looking for in our next president? Certainly someone who is very, very, very old."

But McCain's age is no joke. He will turn 72 on Friday and would be halfway to 73 if elected and sworn in on January 20. That would make him the oldest first-term President ever, two years older than Ronald Reagan. He has survived four skin cancers (melanomas), including one in 2000 that was classified as Stage IIa.

McCain is two years older than his father was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at 70. He is 11 years older than his grandfather was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at age 61.

The United States cannot afford the risk that McCain would die suddenly in the middle of an international crisis.

Nor can we afford the risk of dementia. 22% of Americans over 70 are affected by mild cognitive impairment, while 13% of Americans over 65 have Alzheimer's. Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 83, but early signs were evident during his first term. Britain's "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher developed dementia at age 75.

Prescriptions can also adversely affect mental function. McCain takes Simvastatin, an arthritis drug that can cause memory loss. McCain also takes Ambien to sleep, which can cause amnesia and "fugue states" like the one that caused Rep. Patrick Kennedy's late-night car crash. If the phone rang at 3 a.m., would McCain even wake up?

McCain's medical records are not available to physicians. He did not "release" them for the campaign; he only allowed hand-picked reporters to examine them quickly without making copies. And there were no results of an Alzheimer's test, because McCain has never had one - even though he has 6 of the 10 warning signs, including his inability to remember facts like the number of homes he owns or the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

John McCain owes America a thorough test for Alzheimer's and cognitive impairment long before Election Day.



This is the kind of stuff I think the democrats need to work with. If practiced skillfully Democrats could have this kind of crappy polical campaigning the R's love, all over the internet and maybe in the mouths of a few pundits. I'm serious in saying that the time to play dirty is long overdue. I'm not talking about "McCain is wrong" talking points. I'm talking about "McCain is a crazed, tortured, stupid, immoral, cowardly, corrupt, bullshit artist with no sense of what it will take to run the country. He is the kind of crazed tortured POW you want no where near the button.

[ContinentalOp]

1. We can't afford the risk that McCain would die suddenly in the middle of an intl crisis?

Hmmm, how can I put this tactfully? Let's just say I disagree.

[DURHAM D]

2. Bad idea - Alzheimer's is not a joke to families dealing with it.

The subject should be avoided by Obama and his supporters.

[cliffordu]

4. Who said anyone was joking??

You cannot starve for five and a half years and not suffer some cognitive and emotional problems.

Add his advanced age to that and you have a recipe where a man wouldn't know the difference between Shia and Sunni.



Edit for cognitive fart

[elleng]

5. Did someone suggest its a joke?

And as 'nice' as dems want to appear, too many elections have been lost due to such concerns. Politics is war, and the costs of losing this one are just too high.

[Flabbergasted]

15. This is my opinion as well. nt

[eShirl]

6. You're right, it's not a joke.

I am seriously concerned that he actually is at the beginning stages of Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia, and I'm far from alone. And yes, I've known several people with Alzheimer's.

[xfundy]

8. I agree

I have a parent with Alzheimers. I moved across the country and gave up a lucrative 20+year career (though I thought I could resurrect it here--no go) to become a caretaker.

The situation is made more severe by the fact that a sibling is a raving fundie-bot who has constantly invaded my privacy and "tattled" on me to the lucid parent, who is also a fundie.

Alz is a horribly cruel disease, one I'd wish on no one, with no exceptions.

There are already plenty of relevant things to bring out about McIdiot. No need to introduce an abstract, and the repigs liked Raygun even better when he was out of it and Nancy was getting policy decisions from a crystal ball.

[elleng]

12. xfundy,

so sorry to hear about your situation. I'm similarly situated, but I disagree with your conclusion, as stated elsewhere.

I'm surprised to see you call this condition 'abstract,' tho I guess I understand your meaning. imo, the risk is far too high to let this go; reps have stolen 2 pres. elections, and would like nothing more than to have another puppet in the wh. Think of romney as vp.

Good look to you and your family.

[xfundy]

13. "Abstract" in terms of how it's an unspoken issue

Perhaps "abstract" isn't the right word, but to bring up Alz is to be portrayed as mean-spirited and ageist. Many, many older people are mentally high-functioning, and combine that with the experience of a lifetime, including having lived through youth, and you have a hell of a thinker.

[elleng]

14. I understand its unspoken,

kind of like 'alcoholic,' but that 'fact' may be expiring.

I'm in FL with my folks; mother is in nursing home with serious physical malady and dementia. I see a lot of such patients when I visit her.

I'm staying with my father, in a retirement community, and around here, dementia and alz are freely discussed, not always correctly, of course, rumors abound, and 'diagnoses' are less than exact, to say the least. The majority of residents are fine thinkers, often disabled with hearing, vision, and walking etc. matters. The physical complaints often result in depression type attitudes.

I sure hope the general population hasn't stuck its neck in the sand, because they/it will thereby fail to care for its own; this is, I believe, a HUGE problem which may seriously disable our healthcare non-system.

[Liberty Belle]

9. I support this, and I just lost my Dad to Alzheimer's.

Also both grandmothers. McCain very clearly has the signs.
I've seen the lost look in his eyes when he forgets a question, or forgets an answer he obviously should know. It's the same look Dad had.

Dad became not only forgetful, but had hallucinations and flashbacks. Alzheimer's made him short-tempered and delusional. I loved my Dad, but I wouldn't have wanted him to be President with those symptoms.

Please sign this petition, in memory of my Dad, and forward it to your friends.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. We must avoid all negatives regarding McCain.

Somebody might be offended. Instead we should focus on his positive qualities.

[elleng]

3. Age itself doesn't concern me.

Dementia concerns me more than the 'physical' events/maladies. It can be 'denied' and 'hidden,' people don't like to talk about it even when 'symptoms' are pretty clear. Dunno about 'test' for alz, but I suspect him of cognitive impairment now; do such tests exsist?

Anyway, I agree; the issue must be aired.

[Mz Pip]

7. I'd settle for an IQ test

but I doubt we'll get one. I also doubt he would pass.

[DFW]

10. It would be no joke either if..........

On Inauguration Day, the Chief Justice says, "repeat after me: I, John McCain....."
and McCain says, "I, uh, I, uh, let me get back to you..."

[Heather MC]

11. I think McPOW makes the ignorant assumption that his age is THE deal Breaker

He needs to overcome.
Truth is his age is probably the only thing about him I find great!
One foot on the Grave and on a banana peel is just find with me.

[goodgd_yall]

16. A brain scan might be in order

FYI, I have a mother with Alzheimer's and I'm not offended by this OP.

[goodgd_yall]

17. I quibble with the wording

There is no "Alzheimer's Test" so to speak. What I've heard is the only way to know for sure if someone had Alzheimer's is in an autopsy. (OK, stop with the black humor). But I know a brain scan can tell a lot. I believe Alzheimer experts might have an array of tests that help might the diagnosis, but there is no one, simple way.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. I just checked one of my Yahoo accounts

And saw this email from Democrats.com - was coming here to post it. It's brilliant - and brings up excellent points.