> One could argue that if you're able to work, then you ought
> not to get disability payments ...
All the research I've seen says that if you become disabled in some way, especially if you don't eventually get "100%" recovered, you'll never make up the wages lost during the time you were out, presuming you don't go on to marry an heiress and/or become a Senator.
But back to your point: this is a drop in the bucket compared to the real issues.
I have noticed a propensity for people to get angry about someone who seems to have 'beat the system' in some way; this was the genesis of the 'welfare queen' mythology.
I say: if John McCain is a welfare queen, good for him.
/jordan