Kerry's shrapnel looks questionable... he had an MRI in February, not allowed if a patient has shrapnel in his or her body.
From "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)" at http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article248.html
"Patients need to tell their physician if their body contains any ferromagnetic objects such as shrapnel, a pacemaker, or aneurysm clips. These patients cannot undergo MRI study. Ferromagnetic objects are attracted by the MRI's magnet."
The New York Sun March 30, 2004...
"In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Mr. Kerry's surgeon, Bertram Zarins, said the senator has a partial tear of the subscapularis tendon in his rotator cuff. Dr. Zarins said the injury stemmed from a mishap in January on the Kerry campaign bus in Iowa."
""The senator was walking down the aisle and the bus suddenly lurched. Senator Kerry grabbed a railing and wrenched his shoulder," Dr. Zarins said. Mr. Kerry later complained of shoulder pain. In February, he underwent an MRI test that revealed the tear."
"Dr. Zarins said he and Mr. Kerry initially opted for a wait-and-see approach regarding the shoulder, hoping that the pain would abate. It did not."
He could not get through the metal detectors at all federal offices with shrapnel in his rear. Of course that would not apply to flying since he flies tandem on Theresa's broom.