[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.mccainlkl.cnn.jpg caption="Catch the full interview on CNN's Larry King Live, 9 p.m. ET."](CNN) - John McCain told CNN’s Larry King Monday that voters should not be concerned about his health, hours after the Arizona senator had a mole-like growth removed from his face.
McCain, who has had four malignant melanomas removed in the past, told reporters earlier in the day his doctor does not believe the latest growth is serious and was removed as a precautionary measure.
In the interview with King, McCain said he now takes precautions from the sun and is not concerned his skin cancer will return.
"Melanoma, if you look at it and be careful it's fine," he said. "I had one serious bout with it and that was frankly due to my own neglect. I let it go and go and go. In fact, I was running for president at the time. I'm not making that mistake again."
Three of McCain's past melanomas — on his left shoulder, left arm and left nasal wall — were limited to the top skin layer and were not invasive. They were removed in 1993, 2000 and 2002, and all were declared Stage 0, of little long-term concern.
But a fourth melanoma proved to be invasive and was removed from his left lower temple in 2000.
McCain also said he gets a routine skin checkup every three months, and his doctor often removes small patches of skin to ensure he remains cancer free.
"We do it quite frequently for those of us that were young and had great exposure to the sun," he said. "As you know my dad was in the Navy and we lived in places where I was at the beach a lot, and I'm paying the price for that."
McCain's comments also came shortly after the Mayo clinic issued a statement on the procedure.
"This morning, as part of his commitment to monitor his dermatological health on a regular basis, Senator John McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a routine examination. As a precaution, a biopsy was ordered of a very small area on Senator McCain's right cheek. This is a routine minor procedure," said Michael Yardley, Chair of Public Affairs at the Mayo Clinic/
Catch the full interview with McCain tonight on Larry King Live, 9 p.m. ET
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.mccainbandaid.ap.jpg caption="McCain is wearing a bandage after a mole was removed from his head."]
(CNN) - John McCain had a mole-like growth removed Monday from his temple, the McCain campaign said.
Doctors did not think the growth was cause for concern, but it was removed as a precautionary measure, the campaign said. It was noticed during McCain's standard three-month checkup and a biopsy on the mole was planned.
McCain was wearing a bandage on his face as a result of the procedure, but has since removed it.
McCain has had four malignant melanomas removed in the past. Three of them - on his left shoulder, left arm and left nasal wall - were limited to the top skin layer and were not invasive. They were removed in 1993, 2000 and 2002, and all were declared Stage 0, of little long-term concern.
But a fourth melanoma proved to be invasive and was removed from his left lower temple in 2000. He has since been cancer-free.
UPDATE: Speaking with reporters Monday, McCain said he is confident the removed mole is nothing major.
"As I do every three months, [I] visited my dermatologist this morning, she said I was doing fine, took a small little nick from my cheek, as she does regularly, and that will be biopsied, just to make sure that everything is fine," he said.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.moveon.cnn.jpg caption="Moveon is hitting the airwaves with a new ad."](CNN) – A liberal advocacy group is targeting young voters in a new political television ad that promotes Barack Obama’s presidential bid set to run on MTV and Comedy Central. While MoveOn.org never states Obama’s name in the ad, it uses a campaign slogan the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee often repeats on the campaign trail: “Hope.”
“Hope: It Could Happen to You,” parodies advertisements frequently directed to younger television viewers about the ill effects of drug use and abuse. Instead, of trying to scare its target audience away from making it a habit to use drugs, the ad suggests that Obama’s message of hope is a positive habit.
MoveOn.org announced Monday that it will spend $150,000 to run the ad for one week on both networks, which cater to younger voters.
Last week, MTV aired its first ever political ad, according to a report by MTV News. “Both Ways Barack,” targeted Sen. Barack Obama and suggested the presumptive Democratic nominee holds inconsistent positions on various issues at the same time.
(Full script after the jump)
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.hagel.reed.obama.gi.jpg caption=" Barack Obama with Senators Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel in Amman, Jordan during Obama's tour across the Middle East. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)"]
Judgment matters more than experience when it comes to picking a president... so says Republican Senator Chuck Hagel.
The Nebraska senator traveled with Barack Obama into the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan last week. Hagel, a Vietnam vet who earned 2 purple hearts, says experience does matter, but that character and judgment matter more. That includes: who the candidate listens to and if he can make the right decisions on behalf of his country and the world.
Hagel has been a sharp critic of the war in Iraq and has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for Barack Obama.
To read more and contribute to the Cafferty File discussion click here
(CNN) - John McCain again pushed for offshore drilling Monday, and suggested it could provide relief to American consumers "within a matter of months."
"There are some instances within a matter of months, they could be getting additional oil. In some cases, it would be a matter of a year," McCain said at a press conference in Bakersfield, California. "In some cases, it could take longer than that depending on the location and whether or not you use existing rigs or you have to install new rigs. But there is abundant resources in the view of the people who are in the business that could be exploited in a matter of months."
Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan called the proposal a "gimmick.
"By handing out $4 billion in tax breaks to the biggest oil companies and proposing gimmicks like offshore drilling that won’t produce a drop of oil for seven years, Senator McCain’s energy plan fails to provide short-term relief to consumers or long-term independence from foreign oil," he said.
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