"Joe the Plumber" is a fool...

[chefmike]

...if he votes for McSame.

The "Joe the Plumber" Debate

John McCain apparently loves workers now (except for those in Columbia who are being killed trying to form labor unions). He brought up the apocryphal demographic, "Joe the Plumber," and then accused Barack Obama of "class warfare." He was condescending to working people and to women. It's an outrage that after a Republican administration that McCain voted with 90 percent of the time has waged an unremitting class war against the working people in this country -- robbing their earnings, their retirement accounts, and their children's futures --, here's John McCain tonight denouncing the idea of "spreading the wealth around."

McCain said: "I'm proud of the people who come to our rallies" (even the ones who scream racial epithets?). And then he segued into another yawner on all his "veteran" buddies who love him so who show up. He said that ACORN is "destroying the fabric of democracy" (by registering poor people to vote?). He repeated the talk radio lie that Obama "launched his campaign" in Bill Ayers' living room. McCain was petulant (as when he cried again about how Obama forced him to go 100 percent negative because he dissed his phony "town hall" ploy). McCain said that Sarah Palin is a "role model for women" (some role model). He dismissed the equal pay for women case, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., as if it were totally irrelevant, exposing once again his deep-seated misogyny.

John McCain tonight was facetious, smirking, sarcastic, disrespectful, brooding, dismissive, rude, mean, condescending, and wound up tight. Talking to "Joe the Plumber," he said: "Hey Joe, you're rich! Congratulations!" Coming from a guy who married into a $100 million fortune that's pretty weird. He's an elitist. His true self had shown brightly tonight and I bet most people were pretty turned off.

But most importantly, McCain is wrong on all the issues. He feigns compassion for Americans who are "hurting," but he offers only warmed over Republican "free market" policies. The corporate media have seized upon McCain telling Obama: "I'm not George Bush." But McCain's economic policies -- deregulation, tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, cutting social programs with a "spending freeze" in a time of growing poverty and unemployment -- are all George W. Bush's policies. AND THEY ALL FAILED!

We have just experienced the worst financial crisis in 70 years. The stock market lost $3 trillion in the last three weeks. Millions of baby boomers close to retirement have been forced to recalibrate their plans for their "golden years." Eight hundred thousand people have lost their jobs in recent months. And all McCain wants to talk about is Bill Ayers and ACORN?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-a-palermo/the-joe-the-plumber-debat_b_135068.html

[trish]

But if Joe The Plumber has to pay taxes, he might not have enough pipe to make me happy. :cry: I might have to leave him for Joe Six Pack. :D
On the other hand, Joe Six Pack's probably to[o] drunk to[] get it up. :roll:
Damn, what's a girl to do? :?

[NYBURBS]

Ah just on a side note:
"He dismissed the equal pay for women case, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., as if it were totally irrelevant, exposing once again his deep-seated misogyny."
What kind of nonsense is that? All that was spoke to in that case was tolling and statutes of limitations. There wasn't some great constitutional landmark decision made, and anything feminists have an issue with they could simply push congress to change with simple legislation. Talk about an overly dramatic line from that blog :roll:

PS- We all know I'm not here waving flags in support of either candidate, I just had to point out the bs spin on that one item.

[trish]

As I understand the case, because employers discourage employees from comparing salaries, Ms. Ledbetter wasn't aware of Goodyear's wage discrimination against her until much later. She sued when she became aware. McCain agreed with the conservative court's decision that justice should be blind to fact that Ms. Ledbetter was kept in the dark until the statute of limitations ran out. I can understand that the court might be limited to a strict interpretation of the law (though really, they are the Supreme Court and they do have a lot of leeway when it comes to interpreting the law), but a politician and lawmaker should be able to see the injustice of the Ledbetter decision and how it applies to women in general. McCain didn't do himself any favors by being so dismissive.

P.S. I see you've either joined the military, or you're going paint balling. In any case, cute outfit.

[NYBURBS]

P.S. I see you've either joined the military, or you're going paint balling. In any case, cute outfit.

Thx, I'm going into Iraq to end the war and get us home 8)

[El Nino]

chefmike secretely IS Ariana Huffington...

HAHAHAHAAAA!

[natina]

he's busted



no plummer license


no plummers butt


no money ( only$ 40k per year)



now he has gotten his employer under investigation for working with out a license


man when you talked the news media, they investigated you and now look what you have done.

now he has gotten his employer under investigation for working with out a license


man when you talked the news media, they investigated you and now look what you have done.


http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dre0547l.jpg

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dre0547l.jpg

plummers don't make $268k per year they make $40k or $100k as a business
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_money_does_a_plumber_earn

the news investigated this guy and the company he worked for.

now there gonna get fined for not having a license

How Much Plumbers Make
Once you're an experienced plumber you can earn a good living.

Here are statistics gathered by the U.S. Department of Labor:

Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are among the highest paid construction occupations. In 2002, median hourly earnings of pipelayers were $13.70. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.96 and $18.43. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.20, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $24.31. Also in 2002, median hourly earnings of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters were $19.31. The middle 50 percent earned between $14.68 and $25.87. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $11.23, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $32.27. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2002 are shown below.


Nonresidential building construction $19.65
Building equipment contractors 19.52
Utility system construction 17.81
Ship and boat building 16.62
Local government 16.21

[Paladin]

he's busted



no plummer license


no plummers butt


no money ( only$ 40k per year)



now he has gotten his employer under investigation for working with out a license


man when you talked the news media, they investigated you and now look what you have done.

now he has gotten his employer under investigation for working with out a license


man when you talked the news media, they investigated you and now look what you have done.


http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dre0547l.jpg

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dre0547l.jpg


THAT PLUMMING BUSINESS MAKES LESS THEN OR EQUAL TO $100K/YEAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ILi52x3pdM&feature=related

Say no to Crack!

[El Nino]

That whole "Joe the plumber" debacle makes me want to vomit. How stupid are Americans to even tolerate such fuckery? McCain is senile and angry at the world.

[PapaGrande]

Ahhh, Republicans have never been for free markets.

[NYBURBS]

People shouldn't beat on this guy. I'm seeing all these Obama supporters converge like vultures on him. People are accusing him of being a fraud, where in reality it appears like he's a decent hard working guy that asked a question to a political candidate. Perhaps his plans were more like aspirations but so what??? It was a simple question to challenge a proposed tax plan. It's sad to see how some supporters of both candidates behave.

[Buzz]

The BBC with details on this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7675278.stm

Maybe McCain and Palin, instead of continually asking the crowd "Who is the real Barack Obama" at their rallies, should have been asking "Who is the real Joe the Plumber" ??

It seems that nothing is ever as it seems as it seems as it seems.

------ update ------

Joe the Plumber? More like Joe the Keating Family Operative

I guess it's no wonder John McCain was so happy to use "Joe the Plumber" as a debate prop last night -- he's a partisan Republican who also happens to be a member of McCain's old friends, the Keating family.

From Martin Eisenstadt:

Turns out that Joe Wurzelbacher from the Toledo event is a close relative of Robert Wurzelbacher of Milford, Ohio. Who’s Robert Wurzelbacher? Only Charles Keating’s son-in-law and the former senior vice president of American Continental, the parent company of the infamous Lincoln Savings and Loan. The now retired elder Wurzelbacher is also a major contributor to Republican causes giving well over $10,000 in the last few years.

Now I guess we know why Joe is telling the press that Obama is a "socialist" and that the Obama tax plan "infuriated" him. After all, it would hit families like the Keatings and their minions the hardest.

Not to mention that Obama's economic-recovery plan would put the crimps on influence peddlers like McCain's old friends, the Keating Five.

But he sure made for a good one-day story.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/joe-plumber-more-joe-keating-family-

[Cuchulain]

Joke the “Plumber”: America, You’ve Been Had
- written by Lionel

It all started with this “chance” encounter with Barack Obama. “I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year,” he told Obama. “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?” And then we were off to the races. The newly-minted conservative media darling, America’s new favorite sandbagging, rube hatchling was born.

A Michael Chiklis doppelganger barged onto the media scene and I smelled the proverbial rat from the get-go. We had just completed the final presidential debate and instead of weighing the possibilities and choices before us, all eyes were on this bald-pated simp who was a tad too camera-ready for anyone’s sensibilities. Enter Joe the “Plumber.” Make that Joke the “Plumber.” Move over Josephine. Holy Jane Withers, Batman! Here comes Schmoe, er, Joe, the cubic zirconia of tile grouters.

(Incidentally, New York fixture Pete Hamill said it best when he suggested that the name of this fictive plumber invokes the image of a Gambino soldier. Touché, Pete.)

I don’t know exactly what bothers me so much about the unlicensed Joe the fugazy “Plumber” distraction. Is it that the Buckeye witling lied on his MySpace page about being a licensed plumber? Again, not for being well-schooled, traveled or rich, no, he lied about being a licensed plumber. (For what it’s worth, he’s a contractor and not one who plumbs. He works for a man who does have an Ohio state license and one with the City of Toledo. Seems, Joe, you also need one, you rogue “plumber,” you!)

Am I distraught because this yahoo hasn’t a clue as to rudimentary and fundamental taxation principles? Is it because he was a ringer, a mark, an ersatz average American whom the media fell for? Is it because this alleged “plumber” was an obvious acolyte of rightwing talk radio nitwits who spewed the party line flawlessly? Is it because it took – yet again – the liberal blogosphere to do the job that the MSM should have done in the first place? Why was a correspondent from NBC, assigned to stake out “Plumber” Joe’s front yard, an unquestioning dupe, no doubt more interested in securing the first interview with America’s favorite “plumber” than vetting his bona fides?

I’m awash in questions. Next to the question on everyone’s mind (Who was the brain surgeon who thought Jack Welch would be an interesting guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”?), what we must ask is what significance this mendacious Ohioan holds and what’s the symbolism of his sudden attention.

Or is it this idiotic love affair with the non-elite, the simple, albeit mendacious blue-collar lug that we supposedly love? Is this an extension of our connection with everyone’s favorite abderite, Itsy Bitsy Sarah Palin? Whatever it is, it makes me sick.

As I predicted, the information is now pouring in about Joe. Reports show that Joe the “Plumber,” “whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.” And you wonder why taxes are anathema to him.

Newsweek reports the following as to the “Plumber” and his hypothetical predicament. “When he buys that small business, he's likely to earn more--but not $250,000. That's because $250,000 is the amount of revenue [e.s.] the business is said to pull in; after expenses--equipment, employees, etc.--his personal profit will be significantly less. Let's say a still-healthy $100,000.” An amount taxed less under Obama’s plan than that other guy’s.

Moreover, Newsweek reports that Joe the “Plumber” “(the guy making, say, $60,000 a year) would see his tax bill slashed by $319 under McCain and $1,042 under Obama. That's a $723 difference. Meanwhile, Joe the Small-Business Owner (the guy making $100,000 a year) would pay $1,009 less under McCain and $1,290 less under Obama, for a difference of $181.Even if Joe's profits are higher--say $160,000 a year--he'll still score a $2,204 tax cut from Obama, which is only slightly smaller than the $2,614 rebate he'd receive from McCain.” Joe the Dolt apparently never did his research. Then again, what do facts have to do with anything?

Did any of the news whores care to even consider whether this guy’s claims were close to being factually correct? Of course not. Anyone can be a media darling, anyone. Look at Billy Mays. Claim to be a vascular surgeon on national TV, no sweat. So long as you’re perceived by some producer or (allegedly) America at large as noteworthy and you’re in. Remember, we don’t even have follow-up questions at debates. Journalists don’t “journalize,” they just report, that is, jot down stenographically everything and anything unchallenged. They’re society’s amanuenses. And when you have a mindless 24/7 “news” beast that must be fed hourly, a beast that eats protein and garbage alike, a monster that must masticate and swallow anything, a scavenger, a vulture lapping up B-roll road kill and carrion, an indiscriminate specter that dupes us video-crack addicts of the first order into thinking that whatever they slap on a flat screen is per se valid, accurate, relevant or, worse, important – then you get a Joe the “Plumber.”

No, I don’t blame Joke the “Plumber.” He’s probably on the phone with William Morris, as we speak, negotiating plumbing supply endorsements, maybe an HGTV gig, personal appearances, Home Depot openings, perhaps his own ring tone, a university chair, a MacArthur Foundation grant. Skies the limit for Ol’ Joe.

But I’ve got other concerns.

Eighteen days.
http://airamerica.com/lionel/blog/2008/oct/17/joke-%E2%80%9Cplumber%E2%80%9D-america-you%E2%80%99ve-been-had

[natina]

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/update-thursday-final-debate/768721/


Joe the Plumber is going to the toilet and taking McCain with him

Senator, Joe the Plumber is going into the toilet and taking you with him.

So, naturally, you have taken the next step — umbrage over Joe the Plumber.

That he approached Obama, lied to Obama's face about a business that wasn't worth what he said it was, that he wasn't about to buy like he said he was, has gotten lost in this barrage of nonsense, Senator.

That you made him some kind of phony every-man symbol for economic savaging of the middle class which Obama wouldn't effect but you in fact would, has gotten wallpapered over, Senator.

You're mad that people have made fun of him, when he didn't ask to be famous. You made him famous! You're mad that people questioned his story, when he didn't ask for people to question his story. You made a story out of his question! You're mad that people have criticized him, when he didn't ask to be criticized. Senator—these are not attacks on Joe the Plumber!

They're attacks on John the Liar! Not to mention Sarah the Shopaholic and Phil the Economy-Killer; G. Gordon the Domestic Terrorist; Steve the Schmidt-Head; Charlie the Banker; The other Joe the Fact-Checker; Rick the Lobbyist; Randy the Lobbyist; Wayne the Lobbyist; William the Saddam Lobbyist; Vinnie the Chin and, of course, Bob the Builder.

Sen. McCain, I'm pretty sure Sen. Obama is right. He can probably survive two more weeks of personal attacks, but America probably can't survive four more years of government by the Republican Party. However, even more urgent, more pressing. He isn't working for you, and he's driving the rest of us to consider going back to the days of out-houses and wooden aqueducts.

On behalf of a tortured nation, with blood streaming from its collective ears.

Enough with Joe the Plumber already!

—Keith the Anchor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27351270/