McCain's Pension

Investor's Business Daily ^ | April 23, 2008 | The Editors

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Press: When it comes to smearing John McCain, the mainstream media don't sleep. Now it's "raising questions" about the disability pension he got for torture injuries as a prisoner of war. Where's the shame?

Hard to believe, but true. The industrious beavers who "raise questions" about McCain's fitness for the presidency, citing his $58,000 disability pension, are this time from the Los Angeles Times.

First, the Times' April 22 hit piece implied that, since McCain is in good enough shape to walk across the Grand Canyon, there's something dishonest about his tax-free disability pension. Second, it implied that McCain must be too handicapped to be president at all.

Did they do any research on this? Like, oh, noticing the aforementioned McCain Grand Canyon crossing? In a word, no.

This follows another piece from the New York Times that raised questions about McCain's qualifications for the presidency because he was born at a U.S. military base in Panama.

See a pattern? It's as if McCain's years of honorable military service to our country have been reduced to merely a digging ground for the media's bid to discredit him. Not surprising — ever since the Vietnam War itself, the media have held the military in contempt.

Let's go over again why McCain got that pension in the first place.

McCain was a Navy fighter pilot. He was seriously injured after being shot down over Hanoi in 1966 and spent 5 1/2 years in a hellish communist prison.

The Vietnamese communists twisted his broken arms behind his back and denied him medical treatment. They tried to force him to sign statements betraying his country. He also had to endure forced visits from traitorous anti-war peaceniks.(continued)

[2ndDivisionVet]

The anti-AmeriKKKan presstitutes and their democrat clients are trying to accomplish something John McCain never could: Making me to vote for him in November. What say you?

[Red Steel]

Hard to believe, but true. The industrious beavers who "raise questions" about McCain's fitness for the presidency, citing his $58,000 disability pension, are this time from the Los Angeles Times.

Yawwwwwwn. The media turds better come up with better 'dirt' on McCain than this LoL!

[Question Liberal Authority]

How are Max Cleland’s finances?

[skipper18]

Its kind of a ‘yeah, whatever’ issue, but ... what the heck is a man married to a woman worth over 100 million dollars, and a US senator to boot, doing collecting a disability pension?

That money is for vets who come back to injured to work, or work very much, or otherwise earn an income because of their sacrifice.

McCain accepting that money is a little bit of a ‘huh?’ for me.

[TeaDumper]

I think we’re going to have to shift to the insanity “defense” for the MSM. Stupidity just isn’t a good enough reason / excuse for why the MSM keeps pulling stunts that blowup in their faces.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I’m only at 40% and I was never a prisoner-of-war, but I am grateful that the country feels I deserve something for serving, in addition to free medical.

[BARLF]

Oh there will be many that agree with them so their job will be accomplished. Their job is to elect Hillary or Obama.

[BARLF]

God Bless you and I think you deserve it.

[2ndDivisionVet]

>>>”Its kind of a ‘yeah, whatever’ issue, but ... what the heck is a man married to a woman worth over 100 million dollars, and a US senator to boot, doing collecting a disability pension?

That money is for vets who come back to injured to work, or work very much, or otherwise earn an income because of their sacrifice.

McCain accepting that money is a little bit of a ‘huh?’ for me.”<<<

You’re misinformed on this issue: VA disability is not “means tested” as Social Security disability is. If Bill Gates had been disabled in the service, he would be eligible to draw VA disability: http://www.vba.va.gov/benefit_facts/General/English/VAP21-00-12%20January%202006.pdf

[theymakemesick]

...refresh my memory please, how much did the clintons and obamas make last year?

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Clintons have made about $110 million since leaving the White House and the Obamas made over $4 million last year.

[Red Steel]

to add on to your post #9.

It's regardless how much money McCain has now, the $58,000/yr is a token amount from a grateful nation the injuries he endured as a POW for 5 1/2 years.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Of course, I have a dog in this fight, but irregardless, I think Congress should double or triple current VA disability rates. How many of the so-called journalists covering John McCain would be willing to fester in a POW camp for six years for 58 large?!

[Red Steel]

Zilch.

[usmcobra]

Half would betray their country for a tenth of what McCain deserves, the rest would do it for free.

[Wiseghy]

The scandal is that a brave vet, who was permanentantly disabled due to unspeakable torture, has only received $58k over these many years.

I'm sure the pain he endures continues, and it limits his activities in ways that ONLY the disabled appreciate.

It is a scandal that he only got this small amount, though I'm certain that he never even remotely considered asking for more. If he had, you can bet the LA Slimes would be all over it.

[antiRepublicrat]

McCain accepting that money is a little bit of a ‘huh?’ for me.

You couldn't pay me $58K a year to suffer the permanent injuries he did. He earned the right to that money in service to our country no matter how much he's worth.

[Gator113]

I’m in.

They shouldn’t have picked that scab.

[El Gato]

Most folks don't know it, but a disability pension reduces a regular military retirement pay dollar for dollar. The only thing is that you can get a disablity pension even if not yet eligible for retirement under the regular rules. I know one “retired” Navy LT, who gets partial disability, (lost part of a leg), but he did not serve anywhere near long enough for a regular retirement. The main thing that meant was that he and his children, who weren't even born when he “retired” could use the Bx/Px and commissary since he was retired, even though he was successful small buisiness man, and later very successfull politician as well. But I imagine teh money helped a little as well.

[El Gato]

That money is for vets who come back to injured to work, or work very much, or otherwise earn an income because of their sacrifice.

Actually it's not. It's for people who are no longer fit for military service because of service connected injuries or disabilities. It's not welfare, it's compensation. The fact that someone overcomes their disabilities, one way or another (marrying rich helps! :)) is not a factor.