Dr. Rudy: The British Health Secretary Weighs In

British Health Secretary Alan Johnson begs to differ with Rudy Giuliani's radio ad claiming prostate cancer survival under the UK's government-run health care system is only 44%, which is about half the survival rate in the United States.

Britain's Health Secretary Alan Johnson said Giuliani's figures were wrong and the survival rate under Britain's National Health Service was in fact much higher.

"The British NHS should not become a political football in American presidential politics," Johnson told The Times newspaper.

"Our rate of prostate cancer survival is actually much higher than has been claimed. The latest data show a survival rate of over 70 percent and rising."

A health department spokesman said the latest figures from Britain's Office of National Statistics showed a five-year survival rate of 74.4 percent for prostate cancer.

To paraphrase my own favorite British politician, Francis Urquhart: Mr. Johnson might say that; I couldn't possibly comment.

UPDATE: Judging by the reaction of commenters like Enceladus and others, it would appear that commenter Elvis Elvisberg and I are the only two "House of Cards" fans in the Swamp. But it's probably not worth explaining the meaning of the Urquhart quote here. I guess you had to have been there. Please also note my earlier post on this subject.