John McCain gets tax-free disability pension

Sen. John McCain has long said he is in robust health and is strong enough to hike the Grand Canyon, but he also is receiving what his staff Monday termed a "disability pension" from the Navy.

When McCain released his tax return for 2007 on Friday, he separately disclosed that he received a pension of $58,358 that was not listed as income on his return.

On Monday, McCain's staff identified the retirement benefit as a "disability pension" and said that McCain "was retired as disabled because of his limited body movements due to injuries as a POW."

Read full story from www.latimes.com

[Pudintain]

Anyone that has served knows that it is not very hard to get disability from Uncle Sam. The question should be what is his percentage of disability? I am still serving and have 10% because I was stationed at a chemical plant in Kuwait for 6 months. Being in a prison camp and getting tortured is going to really bump it up. Fact is that VA disability is different then Social Security disability.

[virgilK]

He probably thinks it's a political contribution. The Clinton's are knocking down much more. Poor Oboma, he is just a poor guy trying to better himself. We should all be very worried.

[Mike]

You would think that someone could address the real issue. Why is Senator McCain getting a $58000 disability pension. I dont question that he qualifies for a pension as an 06 with 22 years of service but why the disability status. The injuries that support his disability came during his time in Vietnam. When he returned from Vietnam a Navy Flight Surgeon apparantly certified that he was 100 percent capable of returning to active flight status. So how and when did he go from being 100 percent capable of flying military aircraft to being 100 percent disabled in his pension status? Was there some kind of additional injury that occurred (did he hurt himself chasing tall blondes around odeur tables in Hawaii). In short what was the rationale for returning him to flight status and then turning around several years later and giving a 100 percent disability status on his pension. The two things don't jive.

[McCain McSame]

He GETS THREE CHECKS from the Government... Navy, Senate and Social Security!!!

All of this while TALKING about being in favor of a smaller government.

McLame.

[Disabled Vat]

Sen. McCain served his country honorably and has been to Hell and back. I know first hand that the military doctors can one day say you are fit for full duty and the next day say your too disabled to serve on active duty. Also, conditions can change over time. I do not know the complete information on Sen. McCain’s injuries and how they were rated by the VA, but one thing I know for sure is that a VA rating for decreased range of motion (“mobility”) or other things of this nature does not have any affect on whether he can serve as president. I have no doubt that he is entitled to these benefits and if he is, then why not take them.
Just because you don't know how to sacrifice for your country doesn't mean that other people that do, aren't entitled to the benefits that come from living in a great country like the United States of America.
God Bless our troops and all the other people in the U.S. that make this country GREAT!

[Daniel]

dam liberals and their social programs..... oh wait......

[Mark]

As to "So how and when did he go from being 100 percent capable of flying military aircraft to being 100 percent disabled in his pension status?" Well the answer is fairly simple. Military personnel oftn pass on going to medical or downplay their limitations so they can keep doing what they do. Then, when we get out we see the VA doctor and since we are going out anyway we detail every ache and pain in addition to limited range of motion. The VA evaluates this in conjunction with the medical record and since McCain's medical record was flush with his rehab, the VA pretty much had to give him the rating.

As to being able to "hike the grand canyon" the VA's rating table takes an "average person" approach to loss of earnings due to disability and does not consider what individuals are able to accomplish by their own hard work and motivation. Case in point: I was 100 percent fit for duty on several ships but at my VA physical they found enough wrong with me that was service connected to get me to 60 percent and it will shift to 70 percent before long. While I'm still fairly active I pay for my activity everyday with pain.

[old paint]

go to the VA WEB PAGE and it will explain why mccian get full diablity. he is classified as a class 1 VETERAN. and it goes from there sown to a class 8.
class 1 veterans are usually PURPLE HEART HOLDERS, have been seriously wounded in combat or while on duty.
is 5 years of imprisonment and physical torture worth the money he has received? that the question you need to ask.
and iam not voting for him, but will defend his VA RIGHTS as am a veteran and cant say enough good about the VA.

[VA employee]

I work for the VA and have for 11+ years. I find it incredible that some people posting here think McCain does not deserve his disability rating. You should be more concerned with veterans who are getting a check FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE for a knee injury that occurred during a drunken volley ball game. If you are ON duty you are ON duty. Even if you are playing volley ball.

I would also be more concerned with veterans being service connected for diseases or disabilities that are clearly hereditary .

I think getting a VA Service-Connected disability check is like convicting an innocent person. Better to give veterans who do not deserve a disability check a check, rather than to miss one who does deserve a check.

[david]

nam vet also and I know wounded vets that are not getting 100% percent for their disabilities. I know one that finally got 100% and was told he could not work or do volunteer work. How does he hold office if that is true?

[Chris]

Senator McCain holds a lucretive Federal job with full medical benefits. Disability pensions are supposed to compensate the payee for not being able to do the work he or she did before becoming disabled. McCain voluntarily chose to seperate from the Navy while assigned as the Senate Attachee for the Navy because he preferred the title of Senator to Admiral (for which he was in line). If his pay and benefits as a Senator do no meet his medical expenses due to his military related injuries, then a pro-rated disability pension should be paid him, but if his pay and benefits as a U.S. Senator do cover his expenses, then his disability pension should be suspended while he holds Federal office.
I admire John McCain's military service, but quite frankly, since his return from Hanoi, John McCain's every action has been to put John McCain first and foremost. He put himself ahead of family (trading scratch and dent wife for heiress with a brewery)and ahead of the navy (as he preferred the lifestyle and notariety of the U.S. Senate). What John McCain did as a POW was noble, everything since has been selfish and self-agrandising... and while not wrong, its not been noble. And the double dipping on Federal pay and Federal (Navy) pension, is not right. Our government has only so much money to spend and, while a drop in the bucket, double dipping on pensions takes money from other areas of the budget and John McCain should be ashamed of that.

[Tony Toledo OH]

I don't have a problem with McCain qualifying for the VA checks initially. But where atr the checks and balances? Why isnt a system that continually checks the financial health of an individual before writing these $58K checks annually? We are talking about a US senator who has 7 houses , a parking lot worty $2M and probably a lot more. Do senators dont get paid enough? You can not convince me that there isnt a veteran that doesnt need ths money more than he does!