@Randem

John McCain’s tax return statement became public last Friday, and the details raise some interesting questions in my mind. Actually, it’s one detail in particular: McCain receives a 100-percent disability pension, amounting to almost $60,000 tax-free.

The first, most obvious question is this: Is a man who is 100% disabled fit to lead our country? If elected, McCain would be the oldest man ever to enter the Presidency. Shouldn’t that fact alone require an exceptional bill of health?

I would never belittle the heroism of a man who suffered the way he did in the service of our country. There should never be any question of my respect for who he has been, but while the way in which he acquired his disability is admirable, that shouldn’t make for exceptions for his physical ability to lead this nation.

Sure, it’s not as if you need to bench-press your body weight or run a six-minute mile in order to pick up red phones or shake the hands of diplomats. But with major disabilities come increased risks for other health problems. One has to assume that McCain’s choice of running-mate would have increased likeliness of being called to fill the role of President.

The next question this brings to mind is: What does this say about his financial policy? At the rate at which he was taxed, McCain would have had to pay an extra $18,000 on this income if this income were taxed.

This is the same guy whose campaign platform includes reforming the tax code; the same guy who said, “Americans do not resent paying their rightful share of taxes - what they do resent is being subjected to thousands of pages of needless and often irrational rules and demands from the IRS.”

Considering how anxious he is to cut everybody’s tax rates — even as our national debt reaches new, unimaginable heights — McCain openly exploits a “100% disability” loophole to save money and not pay taxes. What does that say about him? Apparently, Americans do not resent paying taxes, but he does.