McCain's Pension

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

[carton253]

This resentment of John McCain's disability pension is just more class envy nonsense.

I agree.

[reg45]

John F. Kennedy would have qualified for a disability pension for his back injury suffered during the PT-109 incident. I guess that he was unfit for POTUS also.

[MortMan]

I am no McCain fan...at all. But those who serve in foreign wars should not have to pay taxes...ever.

As a veteran (who served in a combat zone in Desert Storm), I disagree. The service should not become a shell game to avoid taxes. In my opinion, service members serve in order to preserve the status of all of us as free Americans. I would feel profoundly guilty if I paid no taxes, as my duties as a citizen include supporting the government monetarily (although I do like it when I pay less ;-P).

I'm sure that other vets would disagree with me. I appreciate the sentiment you have expressed, as well. But I think it wiser to reserve tax exemption for those who were "disabled" as a result of their service (in quotes because I mean the legal definition under the laws regarding service related disability). For those of us who left the service unmarred by disability, I think we should be no better and no worse than our fellow citizens.

[waxer1]

Amen to that. He deserves it. I don’t care what his income is now. That is not the point. He earned those payments nuff said. By the way it’s regardless not irregardless. :), sorry it’s a pet peeve of mine ;)

[napscoordinator]

I agree with you, but he still has not released his medical records. They have been asking him for awhile now. If he would just release them then the medical question would stop, just like Obama quit asking the Clintons to submit their tax returns since they submitted them and nothing really came about it. McCain should just release them as everyone else has for decades. What is the big deal really.

[RFEngineer]

The way military disability is determined, and the percentages assigned can’t stand the scrutiny of the light of day in many cases.

It’s looked at as an entitlement by many retiring military members - some do deserve it, some maybe not. That is the uncomfortable thing here...many military members are declared fractionally disabled upon retirement.

In McCain’s case, it’s hard to argue that he is 100% disabled - and the media is rightfully skeptical over the definition that the military uses for “disabled”. It is looked at as a “freebie” by some retiring military. I know many of them.

Again, some deserve it, some don’t, but the definition of “disabled” used by the military is a fair question to ask, but it is not one that is specific to McCain.

[Hot Tabasco]

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

I agree and thats why I have no problems with the democrats wanting to raise the taxes on the "rich". They don't need that extra money......... /sar

[Old Teufel Hunden]

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

skipper,

I'm sorry to say, but you are quite ignorant of this issue. For an explanation, please read El Gato's post #19 for a full explanation. The upshot of post #19 is this, since John McCain is eligible for a retirement pension because of 20+ years in the Navy, if he didn't receive this 58,000 as disability, he would be receiving almost all of it as a military pension.

Maybe you think he does not deserve this either since he served 5+ years in a POW camp and should not have that time counted towards military retirement.

I'll bet when he returned from POW imprisonment he probably got promotions backdated. He probably does not deserve those either, huh? After all, he was a POW, not serving in the military.

You are sounding like a Democrat complaining about money John McCain earned that he should not take because his wife is rich.

No doubt there are people in the military that game the system to get things they do not earn. This is obviously not the case with John McCain. You know, I knew this was going to happen. I can't stand that we have McCain as our parties nominee, but the MSM and people like you end up forcing me to defend him because of spurious remarks.

[HenpeckedCon]

How dare you question the sainted Max Cleland! Unlike McCain, he’s a genuine war hero. He dropped a grenade when he was drunk. Unlike the racist McCain who was killing people of color with his bombs.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"How are Max Cleland’s finances?"

This is one that irks me about the MSM. Whenever you mention Max Cleland, it is always appended as disabled Vietnam Vet. Technically, this is true but the MSM are misleading. The implication is that Cleland received his injuries on the battlefield which is so far from the truth. The fact is he was screwing around with a grenade in the rear and it blew up on him. If this would have happned at Fort Bragg, would we have to append disabled Fort Bragg Vet?

[texas booster]

Military pensions for military members is appropriate, and in many cases such as NCO, entirely too small.

McCain was a fighter pilot and will receive a better pension.

Why hasn't the MSM complained about X42’s government pension after only 8 years of “service”?

Why hasn't anyone complained about the FOBs and FOHs that were granted 100% vesting into military and government pensions immediately after being appointed to the job?

IIRC, Molly Grunwald was listed as a civil servant, but immediately vested into the military retirement system. The same for many, many members of X42’s staff who were appointed for short times in the 90’s.

If there is any shame it should be directed to those DNC favorites.

No different than when local politicians hire relatives for no-work jobs.

[Jedidah]

Copying costs?

Can you imagine how thick that file must be?

[W04Man]

Bump!

VETS PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR ROLL CALL ROSTER AT:
http://Vets4McCain.com

[Retired COB]

Many in the Northeast and left coast think that the VA and military retirement should be abolished because we’re all “baby-killers” and “war criminals” and such.

I've always wondered at their choice of words. Why in the world would a bunch of pro abortion liberals call US "Baby Killers"?

[muawiyah]

Yeah, anyone healthy enough to be a Senator.... blah, blah, blah.

The folks at the LATimes seem to not understand "disabled".

Things can be arranged ~ and I'd be more than willing to help out ~ but only with a willing volunteer.

[spotbust1]

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?!

I don't know, but when we figure it out, can I deliver them to camp? PLease please please? =')

[Grunthor]

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?

---

The only thing that could allow me to vote for that backstabbing POS would be a hard-line conservative VP pick.

And then hope for the best.

[antiRepublicrat]

Let’s not call it “total disabilty payments” then. Because that confuses things. Disability payments should be for people who cannot work, and who need the money to live.

They are disability payments, based on a scale of disability, meant to compensate the soldier for lack of ability incurred during service. It's not just about future earning potential, but also about quality of life. A computer programmer who gets his leg blown off in a war is still 100% capable of continuing his profession, but he'll get disability too.

[SunkenCiv]

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.

Plus, he had that professional relationship with that one woman, but it could easily have turned into an affair. /sarc

[Convert from ECUSA]

"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."

They may very well make me end up doing likewise. If I end up voting McCain in November, it will not be a vote for Mcain (aka Juan McAmnesty) - it will be a vote against the Dems and their main-slime media allies.