Posted by Jed Lewison on Sun Jun 1, 2008 at 11:59 AM Pacific

John McCain's visit to Walter Reed Hospital

These are a weird pair of reports. First, from Mark Halperin:

McCain Takes Saturday Trip to Walter Reed
Arizonan visits fabled military medical facility for several hours. Aides to the candidate declined to elaborate, saying it was the visit was “personal in nature.” McCain in the past has gone there to visit wounded soldiers.

Then Jonathan Martin:

John McCain yesterday paid a quiet visit to Walter Reed, the Army's giant medical center in Washington, D.C., a campaign aide confirms. The aide declined to comment on the nature of the visit, saying it was "personal in nature." Walter Reed is where thousands of wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have gone to receive treatment, and presumably the candidate met with such veterans. McCain is spending the weekend in the Washington area with no public schedule.

It's strange that McCain's aides wouldn't explain why he had gone there. It's worth noting that in the past, McCain has received medical treatment at Bethesda Naval Hospital, not Walter Reed.