McCain limits access to medical records

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 23 (UPI) -- Presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain's campaign is limiting access to his medical records to a few news organizations, the Los Angeles Times said.

The records were to be released Friday in Arizona, the newspaper reported. The campaign said access would be limited to reporters for The Washington Post, the Arizona Republic, Bloomberg, Reuters, the Associated Press and some television reporters.

The campaign has delayed the release several times. One of its reporters was told last year the records would be available within a few weeks, the Times said.

The records cover the years since 2000. McCain, during his first run for the presidency, made hundreds of pages available, including records on permanent injuries he suffered when his plane was shot down in Vietnam and he was a prisoner for more than five years.

McCain was diagnosed with melanoma shortly after the 2000 campaign. Records of his treatment are likely to be those most interesting to reporters, the newspaper said.