Big Government, Meet Big Baby

Stanley Thorton Jr., a California "adult baby," will continue collecting Social Security disability payments after an passing agency review pushed by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), according to The Washington Times.

For those unfamiliar with the term, an adult baby is exactly what it sounds like. Thorton, 30, sleeps in a 

crib (which he built himself), wears diapers, and drinks from a baby bottle.

When he appeared on a reality television show earlier this year, he was shown building his own grownup baby furniture, prompting Coburn to question whether he was really disabled.

The Times reports:

John Hart, a spokesman for Mr. Coburn, said Tuesday that the senator, who is also a medical doctor, is still puzzled by how "a grown man who is able to design and build adult-sized baby furniture is eligible for disability benefits."

"Yet, the problem is not with Mr. Thornton, per se, but with the politicians and bureaucrats who have coddled him," Mr. Hart said. "Disability fraud effectively steals from those who are truly disabled, while weakening the economy for everyone."

It is unclear whether Thorton's reaffirmed disability status is a result of his baby lifestyle or some other condition, as the agency cannot comment on the details of the case without Thorton's permission. Thorton has cited childhood abuse in addition to mental and physical problems as prohibiting him from keeping a job. He also publicly threatened to commit suicide if his benefits were taken away.

If anyone ever had a good reason not to seek employment, it's the real babies—baby babies—but are the adult versions equally justified?

Watch the Nat Geo video that started the discussion here.

Check out Reason's takes on Social Security and disabilities.