It's a heavy dose of irony for the McCain campaign this week as, following a muckraking bit of work by Los Angeles Times entitled "John McCain gets tax-free disability pension," disabled activists protested and were arrested outside his senate office. (McCain was not present at the time - imagine that.)

The release of McCain's 2007 personal income tax return provoked the revelation that the seemingly fit senator received $58,358 in federal disability pension based on "limited body movements due to injuries as a POW."

This, in turn, triggered yet another fanciful spin on the Is-McCain-too-old question addressed in media by anyone with an opinion from Chuck Norris on down. The resulting online "debate" on the issue rapidly became one-note, with stuff like FOX News bloggers' "Is McCain Physically Unfit for President?" (sic) the sad norm.

Perhaps instead one should debate the ethics of a guy who claims he's fit enough to serve four (no, maybe eight) years as US President, yet is supported for disability at a rate approximately 25% higher than the average household income...

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 20 protestors were removed from McCain's offices. "If he should be president," said American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today national organizer Bob Kafka, "it would be ironic that he comes from a party that talks a lot about family values."

After reportedly refused a meeting with McCain on The Community Choice Act, the activists staged the protest. Sponsored by big players Tom Harkin and Arlen "I'm Gonna Bring Down Bill Belichick If It Kills Me" Specter and co-sponsored by a couple of senators named Obama and Clinton, the Community Choice Act would provide more benefits for at-home care of the disabled.

You'd think that, as a government-certified member of the American disabled population, McCain might be more sympathetic to its cause. Certainly a folksy, straight-shooting millionaire like Mr. McCain wouldn't mind making amends for the arrests by, say, giving up his $50,000-plus to the cause...

Incidentally, the reason McCain was not in D.C. at the time of the police action? He was in Florida, pushing his healthcare plan on an apparently more valuable constituency. Now, isn't that ironic...

Don't you think?