Yep. He is fit for command.

If Millionaire McBullshit really cared about saving social security he would forego benefits.

He is also collecting a Navy pension.

Maybe momma doesn't give him any walking around money.

$1930 -- should cover the cost of gas for a single round trip shopping excursion to an Arizona mall in Cindy's little jet plane.
You know, the one she said everyone needs in order to"get around in Arizona."

McCain has a right to the money from Social Security but he sure as hell has no right to try to try and take it from everyone else via his pushing for Bush's privitization scheme for SS which McSelfish has now put on his own agenda.

Why in the World has he NOT refused the money????

Sure, he has the right to the money, but how could his camp not see the benefit of publicaly refusing to takle the money.

His campaign is running even worse than Hillary's.

He was against taking the money before he was for taking the money.

A neocon pass up free money? Puh-lease.

Just like every America...HE EARNED THEM..Stop your bellyaching cause you would do the same thing, He should get more after what he endured, What has your Hero the Lame and Lazy Barack Obamanation done for his country...NOTHING, Freeloaded off the taxpayers back to go to school, then him and his "babies mama" made a killing bad -mouthing this country and people like McCain

TOO FING FUNNY:

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS DO, how typical

HillBillyJihad I know you have done nothing to better anyone in your xenophobic pathetic existence. Just go away. Im begging ya!!

He is planning to use the $$$ for computer lessons. Give the guy a break.

Blow Me....I do plenty, what have you done except complain like a little girl. You people need to get outside of the US borders and see how people really live..Phil Gramm was right and no one will say it, With all your cars, color TV, houses with AC, grtocery stores filled with food..You whine about how bad you got it.what a bunch of p*ssies

McCain earned the money. He loaned it to the government, which wisely invested the proceeds in treasury bills yielding a historical average of 1.7%.

He deserves the check he gets every month, for not sponsoring legislation that at least invests the money at a higher rate of return than inflation. As a result, legislators like him and Obama--and presidents like Bush and Clinton--can continue to run enormous deficits, paid for by the next generation of retirees, while cheered on by liberals who prefer sub-inflation rates of return to anything else.

A neocon pass up free money? Puh-lease.

Posted by 726

sure, and all the libs who think our tax system favors the rich all pay more in out of charity right???? they all bitch and moan about how they don't pay enough but they accept the system don't they????

726, you are a hypocrite.

Blow Me....I do plenty, what have you done except complain like a little girl. You people need to get outside of the US borders and see how people really live..Phil Gramm was right and no one will say it, With all your cars, color TV, houses with AC, grtocery stores filled with food..You whine about how bad you got it.what a bunch of p*ssies

Hey moron:

I'll pass that on the families working 2-3 jobs in Flint, MI. I am sure they would be willing to sell one of their 3 cars and 3 color TV's. Maybe than give up their kick ass health care plan they are on too.

McCain should still be paying the government back with the allowance he receives from the trollop/cunt. The Forrestal conflagration along with the five planes that he crashed surely cost the taxpayers millions.

sure, and all the libs who think our tax system favors the rich all pay more in out of charity right???? they all bitch and moan about how they don't pay enough but they accept the system don't they????
* * * *

How true. For all the libs who complain about Bush's tax cuts, I don't know of any who've sent their checks back.

The Forrestal conflagration along with the five planes that he crashed surely cost the taxpayers millions.

Posted by reinheitsgebot
* * * *

Uh oh. An "I-saw-it-on-the-internet-so-
it-must-be-true" Alert!

Nice try. What's next--a link to controlled demolitions in WTC 7?

If he's getting retirement benefits, can we make him quit working?

More seriously... a little story. When I was growing up in Denver in the late 60s, early 70s, I worked for a neighbor down the block, Mrs. Anderson. She and her invalid husband lived in a big house across from my elementary school. Her husband had had polio and was bed-ridden. They had lived in the house for decades, running a laundry in the building's storefront for many years. When I started working for them, they had been renting rooms on the 2nd thru 4th floors for quite a while. The tenants were all men, mostly veterans, older, some were amputees, some recovered alcoholics. Mrs. Anderson ran a quiet place, very clean (thanks in part to my work), a bit spartan. Did I mention very clean?

The Andersons scraped by with very little money. They didn't charge much for rent and never threw anything away if it might have some future use. Her bookkeeping was accurate to the penny (I did the shopping -- the list in order by store layout) and her basement was filled with carefully labelled boxes of fabric remnants, spare light sockets, etc. Any extra money they had usually went to entertaining kids from the elementary school, giving otherwise latch-key children a place to hang out after school in a neighborhood with many poor and working families. By any reckoning then -- or now -- they were poor and lived a frugal life in a downtrodden neighborhood.

Because of their age -- both were over 70 -- and his disability, they received Social Security checks. Among my duties as errand-boy, was taking the mail to the post office. Regular as clockwork, as checks came in, they were returned, endorsed and signed over to the U.S. Treasury. Sometimes, when money was perhaps tighter than usual, she would have me deposit the Social Security check and send the government a partial repayment. This was in the middle of the 70s "stagflation" period. Mrs. Anderson's explanation for her refusal to take money was that America had been good to her family and Uncle Sam needed the money more than she did.

Of course, Mrs. Anderson was a Republican. Of the old school, that is.

Shame on John McCain.

" For all the libs who complain about Bush's tax cuts, I don't know of any who've sent their checks back.

Posted by rightisright"

Mr TuQuoQue strikes again. He always has some stupid argument along the lines of "if you don't give away all your money to the poor you're a hypocrite."

Sorry, but nobody is going to forego a tax check and in effect shift the tax burden to themselves and away from you. Idiot.

Or, maybe Mrs. Anderson didn't realize that it was her money. Uncle Sam gave her no choice when it came to withholding her pay for her entire working life. Uncle Sam gave her no choice in how the government invested the money, i.e. in the lowest-coupon instruments in the world. Uncle Sam kept the funds, with interest, from tens of millions of Mrs. Anderson's contemporaries who didn't live long enough to collect a dime.

Mrs. Anderson allowed herself to be screwed by the government her entire life. She sounds like a wonderful person, but willful ignorance isn't virtuous.

Sorry, but nobody is going to forego a tax check and in effect shift the tax burden to themselves and away from you. Idiot.

Posted by nullifidian
* * * *

That's fine, even though you've again misused tu quoque. I don't expect people to send back their tax checks, because I know that, deep down, nobody REALLY believes that they pay too little in taxes. They just say that they do, to curry favor with people like you, as they hire the best CPA's and tax attorneys they can find.

Hope you enjoyed your Bush tax cuts. They'll be going away in about 12 months.

but willful ignorance isn't virtuous

She was certainly willful, but she was hardly ignorant. And woe unto you if you had suggested she was. She was a tiny woman, but, boy, would she have showed you a thing or two if you strayed out of line.

By her calculations of what had been withheld from her paychecks, she and her husband were well past any reasonable amount of "repayment" of what they had put in. Having lived through the Depression, she was quite well aware of what the purpose of the social safety net was: to help those who could not help themselves.

At least that's how she looked at it.

P.S. Isn't frugality in and of itself a virtue? Or am I just old-school?

A point of order about his 22-year service. I don't believe he is collecting a pension but rather disability based on his injuries which occurred during his POW time. An officer can't collect both a military pension and Social Security. Only enlisted personnel are allowed to do that. Only disability benefits and Social Security could be collected simulataneously.

They have loosened some of the rules lately to allow collection of disability and pension for enlisted, but I haven't kept up to see if that applied to officers also.

Any retired military officers here?

and presidents like Bush and Clinton--can continue to run enormous deficits,

Clinton ended up with two consecutive surpluses. Bush, of course ended up with 8 consecutive record deficits. He and Poppy and saint reagan account for over half of the debt incurred since 1776.

Because the Rightys are sooo fiscally able.

And there's nothing wrong with being a triple dipper with a socialized medical plan.

If you're a Republican.

Hmm.

That's $1930 a month more than any of us will ever collect if we elect the doddering tool.

A neocon pass up free money? Puh-lease.

Are you implying a democrat would? Once again your kool-aid saturated brain puts a political spin on something that has absolutely nothing to do with politics. If you can show me that there is something wrong with taking money that you are entitled to, or that a democrat would not take money entitled to him, you have a point. Otherwise, mosey on back to the flock for your next set of marching orders

I'm six years older than he is, worked more years with FICA deductions, and get only a little more than half of what he gets (less when the Medicare fees are factored in). I guess there's some grim humor here somewhere. I'd surely appreciate someone explaining it to me. herm

The righties are big with their Kool-Aid allusions today. I know they're not in cahoots, because they spell it every which way. (Goddam spelling Nazis!!!) I think they refer to Jonestown, an early hotbed of the Repub sheep mentality. herm

Herm -- I'm not expert on SS, but if you go to their website, I'm sure there is an explanation of benefits you are entitled to. Perhaps McCain put more into it than you did and perhaps that number includes Cindy's benefits, too. Without being privy to his financial status and not knowing the SS laws, it is very difficult to second guess why he gets more than you.

When my wife died 12 years ago, I was collecting ~$1,000/mo for 6 years (until my son turned 18) even though she was very young and had not put that much into the system. I have no idea how that was computed either, but I did not question it.

The righties are big with their Kool-Aid allusions today.

If you have another explanation why a leftie would put a political spin on something completely apolitcal and something a democrat would do also, I'm all ears, herm

Otherwise, I'll blame the kool-aid, kool-aide, cool-aid, Koolaid, Koolaide, whatever.

What do you see that I (or anyone else) said on McSame as political, Goat? herm

Maybe momma doesn't give him any walking around money

~Kerrin.

FF.

Yup, ever since the whole "overly made up trollop/cunt" episode Cindy McSugarmomma has reduced li'l Johnny's allowance considerably.

Spud still can't believe there is anybody who actually takes a look at this doddering, dithering and decrepit old man and thinks 'Hmmm, now there's a Natural Born Leader'.

He's too old, too untrustworthy, too fake, too feeble.

His social security number is 000000006, fer fooks sakes!

The only change that will occur with McNasty asleep at the switch will be when his geriatric care providers change his depends.

Do. Not. Want.

Be Well.

Blow Me....I do plenty

Posted by HillBillyJihad

You blow plenty?

Do you need the money?

sure, and all the libs who think our tax system favors the rich all pay more in out of charity right???? they all bitch and moan about how they don't pay enough but they accept the system don't they????

726, you are a hypocrite.

Posted by eberly

What exactly was your point? Where exactly was I hypocritical in saying a neocon would not pass up free money from the government?

Your stupidity is giving me a headache.

For all the libs who complain about Bush's tax cuts, I don't know of any who've sent their checks back.

Posted by rightisright

I don't expect people to send back their tax checks,

posted by rightisright

Ahh the self retorting retort. Or would that be a flip flop?

Good show old chap.

What do you see that I (or anyone else) said on McSame as political, Goat? herm

I didn't say McCain, you did -- well in your silly name-game way. But here is the post that inspired mine. Definitely unnecessarily political

neocon pass up free money? Puh-lease.

Posted by 726 at 2008-07-18 03:20 PM

Are you implying a democrat would?

Posted by goatman

No.

Just making a point that there is nothing more that a neocon loves is a check from the government.

Call it a stimulus payment, a bail out, welfare, aid, social security, whatever. They talk a good game about self reliance and all, but line up with their hands out when Uncles Sam's checkbook comes out.

Millionaire McBullshit calls social security a disgrace yet he is not above taking his share of the disgrace pie.

Nowhere have I heard a Democrat call social security a disgrace.

Herm -- I'm not expert on SS, but if you go to their website, I'm sure there is an explanation of benefits you are entitled to.

Posted by goatman

He didn't have to take it. Especially if McBullshit thought the program was a disgrace. But he is not above dirtying himself with a little free money.

Guess that is what he did to his first wife too.

Maybe Cindy can use it to gas up her plane to fly her to her mailbox.

Good night all. Monk is on.

He didn't have to take it.

LOL. Please, 726, tell me if you would refuse free money? Besides, how do you know that that money doesn't go to charity? You and your flock seem to be very knowledgable about McCain's finances. Please share them with the rest of us so we can come to the same very logical conclusions you come to.

Just making a point that there is nothing more that a neocon loves is a check from the government.

I dunno. I would think that a neocon would love his corporate paycheck a lot more. But I could be wrong.

726: I'm not a neocon, but I accepted ~$1,000/mo for six years after my wife died even though I was making a good salary and did not need it. Should I have refused that money? I'm sure you would have, right?

The hypocrisy is astounding.

Clinton ended up with two consecutive surpluses. Bush, of course ended up with 8 consecutive record deficits.

Posted by northguy3
* * * *

Actually, take out Clinton's spending of the Social Security trust fund, and his surpluses vanish into thin air. Why do you think the Gorebots were running in 2000 saying "lockbox" five times every time they opened their pieholes?

Duh. I'll readily admit that Clinton was more fiscally prudent than Bush has been. But that's like celebrating the tallest building in Peoria, Illinois. BFD. But without Clinton's raids on SS, yet another talking point goes up in smoke. Nice try, though.

Social Security is a disgrace, and McCain is NOT a hypocrite for taking the money anyhow.

It's a disgrace that after a lifetime of paying into Social Security, he's only entitled to $23k a year. Properly invested, it should have been four times that. But he's a hypocrite for not sending the check back?

You're a bunch of retards. Only in Redneckvilles, heavily populated by liberal dumbasses, is 1.7% compounded a good deal. And it's only there that if we don't like it--or complain that government's "investment" on our behalf leaves much to be desired--we shouldn't get anything. "What? You think Social Security discriminates against minorities, in favor of whites?--send your check back, douchebag." "What did you say?--you think it should be invested in long-term treasuries instead of t-bills at 1.7%?--we'll keep your money too. Anyone else with questions?"

Social Security is scheduled to go broke, circa 2025 or so. Good riddance.

Well, Social Security certainly serves one purpose - it gives morons like RIR something to rail against. Although I'm not sure if he means it's bad because it exists, or that it doesn't pay more.

In other news -

Presidential Candidate Collects Social Security Just Like Grandpa

Bomb Bomb Bomb...Bomb Bomb Iran !

Bomb Bomb Bomb...Bomb Bomb Iran !

Oh Bomb Iran..Oh take my Hand...Oh Bomb Iran

You got me rock-n and roll-n ...rock-n and a reel-n Bomb Iran !!

What a Sorry Fucking Asshole this loser is !

Same old B.S.... rethugs can't bear SS because it is a Dem program. (Ditto the prospect of global warming).

According to them everybody should be real smart, earn lots of money, and provide for their own retirements.

Tell that to the (legions of dumb ass GOP) wage earners here in Arizona who are making that colossal "right-to-work" $10 or less bucks per hour. Were it not for the mandatory SS deduction they wouldn't save 5 cents towards retirement.

RiR

Properly invested, it should have been four times that...

This is where you finance boys go way off track.

Social Security was never meant to be an investment acount. It was always planned as a savings account only. People don't need to see their SS account plunge 500 points the week before they're ready to retire which is exactly what can happen on Wall Street, as you well know.

Sure your SS payroll deductions aren't making 20% interest every year when the market is bullish but you don't see it drop 50% when the market turns south either. People have other options to invest in if they want to play with Wall Street.

Leave well enough alone.

All I would have asked, is that Social Security were managed the same way state pension funds are. Or the Federal pension system--in bonds with laddered maturities, stock investments, corporate debt. Why shouldn't our Social Security system at least try to make better than 1.7%? I agree it was never meant to be an investment account. But it's hard to see it was meant to be just another spending account for greedy pols. And that's what you want to leave alone? You do realize, I hope, that there's no money that says "CalifChris" on it?

Suits me though. I'll be fine.

1.7%. Could've done three times better buying CD's. Which are insured by the government, by the way. Look at it this way: your lousy Social Security returns are paying for Bush's war in Iraq, and for tax cuts to his rich oil buddies. Does that make it taste any better? Or worse?

Personally, I have never even factored SS into my retirement income. My wife and I are planning our retirement as if we won't see a dime of SS.

If we do see any SS money, whatever pittance it is will be considered a bonus.

I always enjoy the SS discussions on the DR. A vast majority of this site's lefties get angry at any criticism of SS, regardless of how salient. Few topics in political discourse generate a more purely emotional response than the subject of SS.

A vast majority of this site's lefties get angry at any criticism of SS, regardless of how salient.

That is what is so humorous about this thread, Jeff. The lefties think it is a god-given right and that everyone should get it when they retire. (I agree, btw) But here they are berating McCain for taking it.

You gotta love it.

They are berating McCain for wishing to end it - the program which you agree is a contract and a successful one, while collecting it.

It smacks of Gore flying in a jet aeroplane when he could've just driven to Brussels on a sea turtle.

JeffJ has ripped off his fare share of people. He is set where he don't need SS

Spread your wings butterfly, our time is near.

You won't need to hide soon.

how much do u collect in SS a month with your split personalities & all that, Rex?:>)

I am what I am Bani.

I'm the big dawg.

I am gettin fucked up

Shyguy,

Excellent work!

Seriously.

BetelGuese,

They are berating McCain for wishing to end it

I wasn't aware that McCain is wishing for SS to end.

Please forgive my ignorance regarding his stance on this, but do you have a direct quote from McCain that substantiates your characterization of his position?

for the dawg from "hell"

In the Air tonight

Jeff-

McCain "I Started A Joke of a Campaign"

Its an absolute disgrace, and its got to be fixed.--

Fixing something isn't the same as wishing to end it, is it?

read the link with his full quote. he's essentially berating SS for being SS.

I agree with you Alex.

I presumed from the context you posted the link that you were saying that the link supported BetelG's claim that McCain was wishing to end SS, which clearly he is not. He wants to fix it.

I apologize for coming to the wrong conclusion.

**** For all the libs who complain about Bush's tax cuts, I don't know of any who've sent their checks back.

Posted by rightisright *****

......neither have the conservatives sent any of their socialist benefits back it seems......

.....and neither has Poopypants renounced his socialized gold plated health care plan.......

.....one thats good enough for him.....but NOT for you.......

......Mr Poopypants is a conservative talker and a socialist walker........

My question is how many of you who collected SS filed a claim for it?

You have to file to get SS. The check doesn't just come in the mail.

"The check doesn't just come in the mail."
Oh, shit.

McBush went to Navy academy then as a pilot in Viet Nam. As a "war hero" (sic) he went into politics.
All jobs that had it's own retirements and excused him from paying into social security. Can anyone tell me where he would have paid into the program to qualify ? ? ? Not critical - just curious ! ! !

Posted by dethspud at 2008-07-18 08:53 PM

Spud still can't believe there is anybody who actually takes a look at this doddering, dithering and decrepit old man and thinks 'Hmmm, now there's a Natural Born Leader'.

He's too old, too untrustworthy, too fake, too feeble.

His social security number is 000000006, fer fooks sakes!

The only change that will occur with McNasty asleep at the switch will be when his geriatric care providers change his depends.

Do. Not. Want.

"Can anyone tell me where he would have paid into the program to qualify ? ? ? Not critical - just curious ! ! !"

Military personnel hve paid FICA from their pay since back in the 50's and medicare since sometime in the 60's I believe.

McBush went to Navy academy then as a pilot in Viet Nam. As a "war hero" (sic) he went into politics.
All jobs that had it's own retirements and excused him from paying into social security. Can anyone tell me where he would have paid into the program to qualify ? ? ? Not critical - just curious ! ! !

Posted by bkmonchu

I'm a little curious about that myself. I'm also curious how if he didn't pay anything into SS does he get $1900 a month?

There are several people asking why McCain is eligible, what has he done to deserve, why does he get more, etc. This site probably can answer those questions better than a DR blogger:

I retired from the Air Force in the fall of '89 and please keep paying you taxes as that is where my retirement pay comes from. In a few years I also will collect my SS on top of that - Thank you for the retirement pay, the SS comes from my own contributions just has McCain's does.

ps: I do not like him nor will I vote for him but so many of you petty individuals are just soooo stupid to criticize.

I retired from the Air Force...

Thank you for 20 years of service to our country.

All jobs that had it's own retirements and excused him from paying into social security.

???

Pension or retirement plans do not exempt a person from paying FICA.

I'm a little curious about that myself. I'm also curious how if he didn't pay anything into SS does he get $1900 a month?

Not real sure how is applies to military disability payments which do not require 100% disability in order to collect but-

in civilian life, if you are collecting disability under the Social Security program when you turn 65 they automatically are reclassified as no longer being disability payments but only regular Social Security payments like McCain now collects.

I am going to guess and say at first McCain was collecting military disability and when he turned 65 his military disability payment became his current SS amount. He would have had to be collecting his disability under the military because that would have allowed him to get disablity checks and to work at the same time. Civilians receiving SS disabiity checks requires one to be classified as 100% disabled and not able to work at all.

His military disability probably melded into his SS checks at age 65. Another reason why he probably receives for his SS now is because all these years since he got out of the military he would have had COLAs added on his military disability check amount.

...He's too old, too untrustworthy, too fake, too feeble...

McCain's no spring chicken but really, 71 is not that old anymore. It's the "new" 40. (grin)
Some posters on here act like he's as old as Methuselah and that's excusable if they are not over 35 themselves but the guy is far from senile. He's a U.S. Senator for God's sake. I can only wish I have the smarts and ability in my late 80's which Senator Byrd displayed until just the last year or two.

And you know I don't care for McCain so don't accuse me of being biased. If there are any concerns about his age it's that he will be the oldest person ever elected to the Presidency if (God forbid) he wins the election and we all know that job ages you five years for every one year you hold the office.

If anything, it's all McCain's previous bouts with cancer and other health and mental problems which are more troubling than his age. Besides - no one who had crashed FIVE planes in only 20 hours of flight time should be allowed more than 20 feet from his front door ever again. McCain is irresponsible, reckless, arrogant, cocky and hot tempered -- which is probably why he totally stunk as a pilot. And those are the LAST qualities we need in any President.

Why shouldn't he get the checks? If he paid into the system, it's now HIS MONEY.

On the other hand, he did refer to the program as a "disgrace."

Flip.Flop.

Sunday, July 22, 2007
The Pure Pork Gravy Train: How the Government Robs the Social Security Trust Fund and Gives it to the Military/Industrial Complex

Herbert Hoover (otherwise a dunderhead) refused to accept his salary as president. He donated it to charity.

Anyone in public office done this recently? Especially the millionaires, or those married to millionaires?

Line up at the trough, boys and girls, line up at the trough.

Cons want to "fix" the SS system the way they fixed the S&L's, and the mortgage market. Not to mention the fading stock market. Let them get their hands on SS and there will be a new crop of Con billionaires and the rest of us will be living under bridges.

suprised he doesn't receive military retirement check but that would be double dipping and cost
the government more than social security.

suprised he doesn't receive military retirement check but that would be double dipping and cost
the government more than social security.

Actually, he does.

Peanuts compared to what the Clintons draw down from the federal government.

**** Peanuts compared to what the Clintons draw down from the federal government.

Posted by ozzieoswald *****

......The Clinton Deflection.....

......the last refuge of redneck inbreds........

CalChris,

COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance) isn't paid directly into a military pension throughout the year. Instead, retirees receive a Cost of Living raise at the beginning of each year. Active duty military personnel receive COLA payments in each check depending on where they are stationed.

I'm a military retiree too. Disability payments are based on the percentage the VA prescribes. I've got a 30% disability so I receive extra money on the first of the month along with my retirement check.

Lonnie

Big deal, it's not like the fellow didn't earn it.

To all those who think he should refuse to take it..for whatever reason...

Then why should Warren Buffett except a lower tax rate on his dividends, when he could have just taken it as salary and paid more?????..While complaining his secretary paid a higher tax rate % then he did. Such tactics for a BILLIONAIRE were defended here by the entire dr left. The dr left...Hypocrites to the end!!!

except...=meant accept

****** Then why should Warren Buffett except a lower tax rate on his dividends, when he could have just taken it as salary and paid more?????

Hypocrites to the end!!!

Posted by DavetheWave ********

.....do you really think that a guy that makes 10 billion a year prepares his income tax for submission at his kitchen table ..."hey honey, I'm sending in a voluntary extra million"........

......on top of that, Buffett understands that he is old and will die soon, he has made arrangements to donate almost all of his money to a charity, where it will do the most good........

.......he made an un-selfish and important point with his pronouncement on taxes.....you cannot keep running the country with an ever increasing deficit...only to the benefit of millionaires........

......we are on the on way to becoming a bigger Mexico, his warning was valid.......