More than a few loyal Deceiver readers have sent us this tip, so let’s take a look. The Associated Press wrote on Thursday:

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 …

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.

I don’t think the issue here is hypocrisy. It’s having balls the size of Arizona.

How is it that anyone who earns $400,000 a year manages to endorse a Social Security benefit check with a straight face? (I know, I know … it’s done via direct-deposit. But you get the point.)

I’m not old enough to receive Social Security benefits, so perhaps I have no right to offer an opinion. But maybe we ought to just take them away from able-bodied old folks in the top 1 percent of income earners. Too socialist? Maybe. But I’d still bust my ass to try to end up in the group of poor schlubs who get screwed out of their checks.

So Johhny Mac is not a hypocrite for accepting benefits from a “broken” system. Just full of hubris for cashing entitlement checks he doesn’t need. If you still disagree, consider this: Barack Obama says that all of Washington is “broken,” but he still accepts his government salary. I’m just saying …