McCain Gets Social Security Benefits But Calls Current System A "Disgrace"

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Although Republican presidential candidate John McCain has called Social Security "a disgrace," he still cashes his own retirement check every month.

"I'm receiving the benefits, the system is broken and, unfortunately, my children and grandchildren, according to the trustees of the Social Security system, will not have the same benefits the present retirees have," McCain told reporters Thursday on his campaign bus.

McCain's 2007 tax return shows Social Security benefits of $23,157 for the year, an average of $1,929.75 a month. He said he started receiving the payments "whenever I was eligible."

Asked last week by a young woman at a town-hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, if she is likely to receive Social Security benefits one day, McCain said it is unlikely without fixing the system.

"Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today," he said. "And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed."

Social Security benefits are projected to exceed the system's tax revenues in about nine years. The program's trustees have said the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by 2041 unless the system is changed.

McCain, who will turn 72 next month, was eligible to receive full-retirement benefits when he turned 65. In 2008, the maximum benefit for a person retiring at full retirement age was $2,185.

McCain reported a total income of $405,409 in 2007. As a senator, he is paid $169,300 a year. Last year, he donated $105,467 to charity, his return shows.

McCain's wife, Cindy, reported a total income of more than $6 million in 2006, according to the campaign. She files her tax return separately from her husband and has received an extension for 2007. Heiress to a large Arizona beer distributorship, she is reportedly worth more than $100 million.

People are not required to take Social Security payments, according to B.J. Jarrett, a spokesman with the Social Security Administration.

"An individual does have the right to refuse his/her Social Security retirement benefit. However, Social Security is an entitlement program and an individual would essentially be forfeiting a benefit based upon contributions during his/her working lifetime," Jarrett said.

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Associated Press writer Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.

Comments

[cruiser049]

So with all his millions, why is he accepting those monthly checks. He could be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

[downwithbs]

John McCain says that "...paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today....is an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed."

What kind of "fix" is he proposing...TAXING RETIREES SO WE CAN PAY YOUNG WORKERS?

And you thought the confusion over Shiites and Sunnis was bad...

[CtJean]

How about charging him for the 4 planes that he wrecked?

The fifth was even worse, when the ground-to-air missile was zeroed on him he could have taken evasive action (his plane could turn on a dime - newest we had), but instead he played commando and little boy hero. I don't think that is a hero.

So, why doesn't he pay the gov back? sindy wouldn't even notice it was missing.

[NickNas]

First McCain said Obama was irresponsible for saying he would attack Al Queida in Pakistan if their was solid intelligence. Since calling Obama 'irresponsilbe' our miliarty has attacked Al Queida 4 times in Pakistan.

McCain calls Obama naive and reckless for wanting to set a timetable to get out of Iraq. Next thing you know the sovereign Iraq government demands we set a timetable.

McCain calls Obama reckless and an appeaser for saying he will sit down with leaders of countries unfriendly to the U.S. 3 months later the U.S. successfully appeases and negoitiates with N. Korea ('axis of evil') and they begin to dismantle their nuclear plants.

McCain and Bush call Obama an appeaser and irresponsible for saying he wants direct diplomacy with unfriendly countries rather than threats of war. Just yesterday the State Department announces they are sending a top level official to Iran to sit down and have direct talks.

Obama has been saying Afganistan needs more troops and equipment for a year now while McCain barely mentioned it. Obama makes a big speech about it and McCain follows Obama's coattails and states what Obama has been saying all along.

Who has the judgement?

[orianna]

It's a disgrace that rich rat cats like McCain haven't mavericked legislature capping social security eligiblity benefits to those under $250,000/year income.

[serialcoma]

So John McCain supports socialist policies? Guess that makes him a Socialist....

[thecanadian]

Maybe the millions of retirees who live ONLY on their Social Retirement cheque should take notice of this and pass it around!

[PatriciaB]

If McCain takes SS then he should become a Democrat so that he can thank the party that gave him SS and medicare. The Repubs fought against these benefits.

[oxford]

As of 7/16/08, there is $ 2 trillion,298 billion,798 million and odd thousands in the Social Security Trust Fund. It's earning Government interest like that paid on our debts to China and the oil countries.
The Govt says that SS will be out of money by 2011. Is that because they intend to default on repaying the SS trust fund ?? What about the rest of the $ 9.5 trillion debt, most of it to offshore holders of that debt ?? Do they intend to renig on paying that debt also ?? Someone should ask.
Keep the presses running 24/7 till our dollar is devalued to nothing. (Check history on countries who did that.)

[keepemhonest]

McCain is a disgrace!

[peter777]

This belief of McCain that somehow the SS system is unfairly doling out money to present retirees show how absolutely dumb he is. He needs to realize that most of the retirees paid into the fund, and those funds were used by the government on current non-retirement expenses. The government did not pay any interest on that money, did not invest it for retirees. It took the money and used it. Now, of course, current workers have to fund the retirement that are deserved and paid for by present retirees. But, McCain does not know enough about finance to know these facts. So, he calls the system a "disgrace". What is a disgrace is that he and others have been part of a Congress that continues to treat the SS fund as a slush fund and refuses to fix the problem. We are in deep trouble if McCain is elected. There is a reason he was in the bottom 5 of his class at the Naval Academy. He has not got any smarter or more diligent in the 50 years since.

[levibatgirl]

He's for Soc Sec while he's against it.

[freeman88]

The REAL disgrace is that someone like Mcbush can make more than $83000 per year, TAX FREE, and then attempt to stop everyone else from "working the system" as well as he is. I have a friend who is now disabled. Because of intense pain, he can no longer work in his profession. For the last 6 years, he has endured more than 3 trials and several appointments with the Social Security Administration in his attempt to be formally classified as DISABLED. At 51 he is now broke. His children are suffering and he is in jeopardy of losing his home all because politicians like Mcbush have made it nearly impossible to obtain the same benefits McCain himself is now bilking the system of. I am not saying that rich people should not receive SS benefits they rightfully paid into, but why should this group be so hypocritical as to believe that now they have "theirs", it's time to deny everyone else from getting a fair share. My friend was once a proud, active member of the middle class, earning more than $100000.00 per year in his job at IBM, now he can barely walk, and the government he supported while serving in the US Navy, pays millionaires like Mcbush $83000.00 TAX FREE while my good proud friend will soon be homeless. How can people like McCain look himself in the mirror without spitting at his reflection?

[CtJean]

Because he has no morals - he is void of anything human

[BEHM777]

Hypocrite. If SS is such a disgrace, return the cash. It isn't like it would hurt you financially. Someone else could use the money.

BEHusseinM77

[crusty]

It's a "disgrace" that he takes the money. Also that he takes the approximately $60K tax-free per year from the Navy for being "totally disabled." But he takes it!

[cassiegirl]

"Totally disabled" and running for President!! As he ages and acquires one more pain, he gets more tax free dollars. Now I know why he's called McPain!!!!!