Should John McCain's Health be a Concern for Voters?
BLITZER: The candidates' health always a source of concern. That's especially true of Senator John McCain. He's fought and won a dangerous battle against the most serious form of skin cancer. That would be melanoma. The senator had a full medical work up only this week. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is joining us with more on what we know about Senator McCain's battle with cancer. What do we know, Sanjay?</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well you know, McCain says he's fine. It was a routine checkup. He's made a point of that. He also that he's had a cancer screening with his dermatologist in the past few weeks. Now both these things are important, Wolf. As you know, McCain is 71. And he is a cancer survivor.</s>GUPTA: A lot of people have been asking Senator McCain about his health lately.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everything is fine. In fact, I got the full cancer check a couple of weeks ago with my dermatologist.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you do it now just because --</s>MCCAIN: No, I just went to a regular routine that I go to my doctor all the time.</s>GUPTA: Frequent doctor visits are important for McCain, not only because of his age but because he's a two-time survivor of malignant melanoma. That's the most dangerous form of skin cancer. First in 1993 on his shoulder. And in 2000 on his left temple.</s>MCCAIN: I'm having a lot of exposure to the sun when I was young from having fair skin.</s>GUPTA: The Arizona senator had a dime size melanoma on his temple removed in 2000. His surgeon also removed some of the lymph nodes in his neck in case the cancer had spread. His doctor at the time said it hadn't and the operation was successful with one notable side effect. Take a look here. Senator McCain's left cheek is still puffy. That's a result of the operation. McCain has also had two of the least serious forms of skin cancer. One removed from his upper left arm in 2000, another from his nose in 2002.</s>MCCAIN: Just get in shape.</s>GUPTA: On the campaign trail, McCain is very careful to wear hats and sunscreen and stay out of the sun. The thing is, the candidate has not released his medical records since his bout with skin cancer in 2000. So we have no way of independently assessing this prognosis. But based on what his campaign staffers have told us, Senator McCain suffered from what's called a Stage IIA melanoma. That was eight years ago in 2000. To put that in perspective, stage four is the most serious. And according to the American Cancer Society, the ten year survival rate for State IIA melanoma is 66 percent. That means on average only two-thirds of people with the type of cancer McCain had lived ten years after their diagnosis.</s>GUPTA: Of course, Wolf, this is an average. You can be sure the senator and his dermatologist are watching very closely to catch any recurrence of his skin cancer, if it happens, early.</s>BLITZER: What about, Sanjay, Senator McCain's medical records?</s>GUPTA: We've been digging into this, Wolf, for some time. And Senator McCain has promised to release those next month. That will, for the first time, really allow us to independently evaluate the man. If he would be elected, would be the oldest first-term president ever, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: He's 71 now. He would be 72 if elected president of the United States. Sanjay, thanks very much. Let's get back to Jack. He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack?</s>CAFFERTY: Is Dick Cheney the right person to go to the Middle East to try to bring the down skyrocketing oil prices? Believe it or not, that's where he's been sent. That's what he he's supposed to do. Sean writes: "I can't believe he's seriously going to the Middle East to discuss oil costs. He is part of the reason that we pay what we pay right now, now he wants to be the savior? Your typical politician. This administration has to have other countries laughing out loud." Anthony in Ohio writes: "You're kidding, right? Again the details of the meeting will be kept secret from the general public and again will result in yet another increase in gas prices and probably an increase in Cheney's wallet as well." Lee Anne writes: "I'd write a comment but I'm laughing so hard I can barely see the keyboard." Janet in Arizona: "We ought to send 50 citizens over and let them represent the United States, one person from each state. No politicians, period. The citizens are the ones who are suffering, not those fat cats in D.C." Daniel writes: "The administration is the biggest joke the United States has ever seen. The fact that they think the American people are stupid enough to accept Dick Cheney as the diplomat to bring down oil prices is laughable. I'm counting the days that they have left in office." Kent writes from Illinois: "Cheney will ask them to bring down the prices just before November. Then, after the election, the prices will skyrocket back. The current administration is knee deep in oil. They know what is going on, and helped create it. This will not work anymore. The public is on to you Bubba Bush." Angela writes: "ROFLMAO & PMP! In case you don't speak IM," she writes, "That means rolling on the floor laughing my arse off and peeing my panties!" And Alan writes: "Sending Cheney to the Mideast to bring down oil prices is like sending Eliot Spitzer into a brothel to shut it down" -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Jack, thank you for that. Barack Obama's remark, talking about our own Lou Dobbs. Now Lou is getting ready to respond. He's standing by live. We'll speak to him in a moment. Also, the up roar over a remark about Obama by a Clinton supporter. What should Hillary Clinton do about that? Plus the latest on the Mississippi primary and why it's not the only Democratic contest playing out right now. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.