Thursday, April 03, 2008

McCain's Finance Chair Tells Elizabeth Edwards To Not Talk About Cancer

First of all, anyone that has or has gone through the ordeal of cancer has the right to talk about cancer. Secondly, if you are in any way political (like Elizabeth Edwards) then you have more than ample justification to have your views heard by whomever wants to listen. For someone on McCain's campaign to tell her to leave it out of the national conversation because they do not like the facts is absurd. That someone is Fred Malek.

From Malek's blog:

Finding a cure for cancer is a vitally important mission for this country. Supporting that mission should unite everyone – and should be off-limits from the political and partisan battlefield.

That’s why I was more than a bit concerned to see Elizabeth Edwards – herself a heroic cancer survivor and inspiration for us all – bring cancer into the presidential race.[...]

I give Mrs. Edwards all the benefit of the doubt in the world on this one, that she really has our best interests at heart by introducing John McCain – who is Honorary Co-chairman, Advisory Board of Directors of the Arizona Cancer Research Foundation — into the political conversation.

I just hope that it doesn’t become a common occurrence on the campaign trail. The cancer conversation is best left to the experts, researchers, and doctors.


Congratulations on completely changing the subject Mr. Malek. Everyone wants to find cures for cancer. One must be pretty sick to try and start a debate about finding cures for cancer. What Elizabeth was saying that when it comes to candidates' positions on health care, both her and McCain wouldn't have been covered under his own plan. It is as simple as that sir. And the man you quoted from Jake Tapper's piece, Douglas Holtz-Eakin is another surrogate for McCain. He says that competition in the marketplace will solve the nation's health care crisis.

Um Fred, we've been doing that competitive thing now for almost forty years now and it has only made the problem of coverage worse.