Any suggestion that it's morbid to talk about John McCain's mortality was mooted by the candidate himself the moment he chose an obviously unqualified running mate. So let's talk.

McCain "released" his medical records earlier this year. He made 1,000 pages available, which sounds like a lot. But they were released only to a select group of reporters under very specific rules. They had to sit in a room to review them. No electronic devices allowed, so the reporters couldn't email or call medical sources in real time. Making copies to take with them was also verboten.

The intrepid documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald has put together this video:

Yes, he keeps a demanding schedule and all that, but that tells us nothing about what could happen to him two or four years from now. His melanoma diagnosis dates to late 1999 or early 2000. One of the doctors in this piece states that the recurrence rate of McCain's type of melanoma is 66% within 10 years, and it's been eight. Another says that the kind of treatment that would be necessary to deal with a reoccurrence would incapacitate a person for a period of time.

Watch the video and, if you're an American, sign the petition if you feel so moved (sorry, no offense/offence, but I don't reckon they want British signatures). And remember Tomasky's talking point if anyone accuses you of being inappropriate: It's McCain who made it appropriate to talk about this stuff, like grown ups and in some detail.

