Joe the Plumber

[Alferd_Packer]

It turns out that Joe the Plumber isn't a licensed plumber and his first name isn't Joe, it's Sam.

Interestingly enough, his last name is misspelled on his voter registration card, so hopefully he will be one of the voters purged from the Ohio voter rolls.

Even more ironically, “Joe” Wurzelbacher is a close relative of Robert Wurzelbacher. Robert Wurzelbacher is Charles Keating's son-in-law. Robert Wurzelbacher was a senior vice president of American Continental, the parent company of Lincoln Savings.


Small World.

 

[Whiplash]

You character assassination of Joe is a bit late. It's already been (rather predicably) going on in other threads all day.

 

[Cleon]

Again with Joe the ****ing Plumber?

Christ on a crutch, I haven't seen so many people lose their **** over a plumber since Super Mario Bros.

 

[Childlike Empress]

And while nobody knows his real parents, Mario and Luigi adopted him just back when McCain and Obama were voting for or against something somehow related to homosexuality, big mustaches and overalls. At least that's what they say.

edit: Cleon is in on it too, it seems.

 

[Magyar]

You character assassination of Joe is a bit late. It's already been (rather predicably) going on in other threads all day.

you just got to love this.

i don't know if the ops statements are true or not, but questioning McSeniors or Joes Math
when it's platently at the level of 2+2=5 is character assassination,

But claiming the Obama pals around with terrorist and enciting people to "kill Him" is legit politics and just asking to get the facts.

Even Rove denounced this.

 

[geni]

You character assassination of Joe is a bit late. It's already been (rather predicably) going on in other threads all day.

Character assassination? Perhaps people are just doing what you suggested? You know "and McCain rightly interjected "we are talking about Joe the Plumber".".

From the availible information it would appear that McCain is haveing vetting issues again. Perhaps john doe management consultant would have been a better choice.

 

[geni]

you just got to love this.

i don't know if the ops statements are true or not, but questioning McSeniors or Joes Math
when it's platently at the level of 2+2=5 is character assassination,

But claiming the Obama pals around with terrorist and enciting people to "kill Him" is legit politics and just asking to get the facts.

Even Rove denounced this.

The difference is that Obama is clearly a public figure and a public figure by choice.

If you chose to run for US president it is to be expected that you will be accused of well everything. US law even recognises this.

Joseph Wurzelbacher on the other hand may not have planned on becomeing a public figure.

 

[zakur]

McCain made "Joe the Plumber" the cornerstone of his debate performance - mentioned him 26 times. Now it turns out Joe is a sham. That's a big deal to some.

Ironically, Joe the Plumber has now given more press conferences than Sarah Palin.

 

[Cleon]

McCain made "Joe the Plumber" the cornerstone of his debate performance

McCain also dishonestly portrayed a multi-million-dollar piece of scientific educational equipment as an "overhead projector."

Twice.

That's an issue.

Some lower-upper-class schlub who unclogs toilets? Not so much.

Ironically, Joe the Plumber has now given more press conferences than Sarah Palin.

Ok, that's funny.

 

[Puppycow]

Joseph Wurzelbacher on the other hand may not have planned on becomeing a public figure.

Perhaps not, but I would say that McCain is the one who thrust him into the limelight. And nobody forced Wurzelbacher to attempt to "gotcha" Barack Obama in front of TV cameras.

Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

 

[Meadmaker]

Ironically, Joe the Plumber has now given more press conferences than Sarah Palin.

(Awesome! I don't nominate one liners, but if I did, I would nominate that one.)

 

[geni]

Perhaps not, but I would say that McCain is the one who thrust him into the limelight.

To his current level yes.

And nobody forced Wurzelbacher to attempt to "gotcha" Barack Obama in front of TV cameras.

Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

Depends if he is able to cash in on his sudden fame.

 

[Oliver]

Ironically, Joe the Plumber has now given more press conferences than Sarah Palin.

*lol* ... true

 

[Pookster]

I really don't care too much about Joe The Plumber. I just find this hilarious ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_the_Plumber

Wurzelbacher owes that state of Ohio $1,182.98 in personal state income taxes.[17] The Ohio Department of Taxation filed a claim on his property in January, 2007 until the debt is paid, according to records. As of October 16, 2008, the lien was still active.[

 

[Pookster]

Okay, my interest is increasing ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_the_Plumber

Newell Plumbing and Heating Co. of Toledo.[5] This is the company he described to Obama as making more than $250,000 per year;[11] however, according to Bloomberg News, the company's net profit in reality is between $150,000 and $200,000, and would not see a tax hike under the Obama plan.[15] MSNBC reported an even lower estimate: "Ohio business records show the company’s estimated total annual revenue as only $100,000. Actual taxable income would be even less than that."[16] He reported that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.[1]

 

[quarky]

We can't find a plumber here.

Weren't the watergate burglers 'plumbers'?

 

[Oliver]

Can you say "Plaaaaa-haaaaant"? :

Wurzelbacher also appeared on Good Morning America the day following the debate (October 16). Diane Sawyer asked him if he was taking home $250,000 now, Wurzelbacher said with a laugh "No, not even close."[8] Sawyer asked Wurzelbacher if he had been contacted by the McCain campaign before his encounter with Obama. Wurzelbacher said "I have been contacted by them and asked to show up at a rally." [8]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_the_Plumber

 

[plumjam]

McCain made "Joe the Plumber" the cornerstone of his debate performance - mentioned him 26 times. Now it turns out Joe is a sham. That's a big deal to some.

Ironically, Joe the Plumber has now given more press conferences than Sarah Palin.

True to form, 10 minutes before the scheduled start of his latest press conference he rang from his mobile saying he wouldn't be able to make it, as he was on the other side of town attending a call-out to an emergency press conference, but he did promise to try to make it 'by next Tuesday'. Sources close to Mr. Theplumber suggested such an optimistic timescale may be little more than a pipe-dream.

 

[Cleon]

Can you say "Plaaaaa-haaaaant"? :

Yeah, I can see how that planning meeting went at McCain HQ:

Campaign worker A: "Hey! Let's find some working-class guy to confront Obama about how he's going to raise his taxes!"

Campaign worker B:"A working-class guy who makes $250,000 a year?"

A: "Oh, right. Well, plumbers do pretty well, right?"

B: "Yeah, but still, not quite that well. He'd have to have some BS story about how he was going to start a small business, but now won't because he doesn't want to be in a higher tax bracket."

A: "Right on! He could be a plumber who wants to buy the business he works for. He could ask Obama why he should try to buy a business that makes a quarter-mil a year in profit if he's just going to get taxed for it."

B: "I'm starting to catch on. Then, when Obama brushes him off with some throwaway line, we can have John bring it up at the debate!"

A: "GREAT thinking! Now we just need to find someone..."

(Later that day...)

C: "Hey, guys? I found a plumber. He's not licensed, he doesn't make enough money to buy the business he works for, and even if he did, the business doesn't pull in nearly $250,000 a year, so he wouldn't be affected anyway. Oh, and the state of Ohio put a lien on his house for owing $1100 in back taxes."

A&B: "PERFECT!"



Seriously. This would have to be the most poorly-thought-out political stunt in recent history. He wasn't a plant. He's just some guy, who's now having his tax returns scrutinized by 300 million people because he dared to ask Barack Obama a question.

 

[Ausmerican]

Yeah, I can see how that planning meeting went at McCain HQ:

Campaign worker A: "Hey! Let's find some working-class guy to confront Obama about how he's going to raise his taxes!"

Campaign worker B:"A working-class guy who makes $250,000 a year?"

A: "Oh, right. Well, plumbers do pretty well, right?"

B: "Yeah, but still, not quite that well. He'd have to have some BS story about how he was going to start a small business, but now won't because he doesn't want to be in a higher tax bracket."

A: "Right on! He could be a plumber who wants to buy the business he works for. He could ask Obama why he should try to buy a business that makes a quarter-mil a year in profit if he's just going to get taxed for it."

B: "I'm starting to catch on. Then, when Obama brushes him off with some throwaway line, we can have John bring it up at the debate!"

A: "GREAT thinking! Now we just need to find someone..."

(Later that day...)

C: "Hey, guys? I found a plumber. He's not licensed, he doesn't make enough money to buy the business he works for, and even if he did, the business doesn't pull in nearly $250,000 a year, so he wouldn't be affected anyway. Oh, and the state of Ohio put a lien on his house for owing $1100 in back taxes."

A&B: "PERFECT!"



Seriously. This would have to be the most poorly-thought-out political stunt in recent history. He wasn't a plant. He's just some guy, who's now having his tax returns scrutinized by 300 million people because he dared to ask Barack Obama a question.

Uh Cleon? Does this planning meeting differ by an order of magnitude from the one where they picked the VP? The vetting process may have even been the same one.