"Joe the Plumber" becomes a household name

Following the final presidential debate, Joe Wurzelbacher (or "Joe the Plumber", if you prefer) has become an instant celebrity. 

While Wurzelbacher has become a major character in Campaign '08, he refuses to disclose which candidate he plans to vote for in November. 

"I'm not telling anybody anything" about voting, he said. "It's a private booth. I want the American people to vote for who they want to vote for. I just want them to be informed."

Share your thoughts on Wurzelbacher's newfound fame and his role in the campaign. 

Photo: J.D. Pooley/Getty Images

Comments

[marisa miller]

please update to show allegations that joe the plumber is not a plumber and possibly might have been a GOP plant

[MelaneeM]

This is all just TOO funny. Joe the Plumber has become famous for... well, jumping into the middle of an Obama event and misrepresenting himself on national media. We may not have all seen the original video BEFORE the debate, but many have seen it now. (He DID say, “I’m getting’ ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $270, 80 thousand a year.”) Turns out he is NOT a small business owner as McCain represented him and he’s never come CLOSE to making $250,000 per year. He is NOT a licensed plumber. In fact, he's never been TRAINED as a plumber - he works for another guy who IS one and has a license (but that company has NEVER made even close to $250,000 in a year.) Old “Joe” actually has no immediate plans of buying a business, so he certainly hasn’t been saving his “hard earned money for years” to do such a thing, as McCain asserted. And it’s no surprise he’s worried about taxes… he OWES over $1,000 in tax arrears that he never paid. He’s also not “undecided.” He’s been a registered Republican since 1992 and says he voted for McCain in the primaries. Guess he isn’t such a good example of the “everyday guy” in this country, after all.

[Tannim]

$250K net a year for a plumber means a net $125/hr or about $155/hr gross before taxes, not including business deductions.

Average plumber wage in 2007 was $48K, or $24/hr.

McCain's numbers are bogus, meaning HE'S LYING--AGAIN!

[davide]

So it turns out that "Joe" is not a licensed plumber, own back taxes of about $1000, and does not make more then $250,000/year out of his non-existent plumber job.

No further comments necessary.

[Betty Lou]

Does it matter who Joe really is? What matters is the information disclosed about Obama and his taxing more to small businesses making 250k or more. It's also a concern about Obama changing this amount to a lower income in the future.

[shaun]

Haha I think it's funny that it looks like Joe the plumber not only isn't a licensed plumber but he doesn't make anywhere near $250k per year. The most hilarious part is he would actually benefit more on Obama's tax plan than McCain's.

[Pam]

Why am I not surprised that "Joe the Plumber" is not a licensed plumber, owes back taxes, makes no where near $250,000 and has lied about his plumber's license! Really, McCain should just shut up. If you're going to plant someone, better make sure they can be vetted!!!

[wcmillionairre]

"Joe the Plumber"' like the candidates with which he is sharing the limelight, appears to be a bit of a bullfeces artist. Here is a guy practicing a profession who is unlicensed, appears to not know the difference between gross or net revenues, and confuses both with personal income. I would say Joe is probably as mentally adept at misunderstanding the facts and intentionally misrepresenting himself as either of our current presidential hopefuls. No wonder we are blessed with our current situation. Ahh, only in America!

[br10t]

Obama and his plan are socialistic...he has communist leanings...his "father figure"/mentor was a member of the communist party...and the media keeps ignoring it, because they are so liberal...WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
............................
In his biography of Barack Obama, David Mendell writes about Obama's life as a "secret smoker" and how he "went to great lengths to conceal the habit." But what about Obama's secret political life? It turns out that Obama's childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, was a communist.

In his books, Obama admits attending "socialist conferences" and coming into contact with Marxist literature. But he ridicules the charge of being a "hard-core academic Marxist," which was made by his colorful and outspoken 2004 U.S. Senate opponent, Republican Alan Keyes.

However, through Frank Marshall Davis, Obama had an admitted relationship with someone who was publicly identified as a member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). The record shows that Obama was in Hawaii from 1971-1979, where, at some point in time, he developed a close relationship, almost like a son, with Davis, listening to his "poetry" and getting advice on his career path. But Obama, in his book, Dreams From My Father, refers to him repeatedly as just "Frank."

The reason is apparent: Davis was a known communist who belonged to a party subservient to the Soviet Union. In fact, the 1951 report of the Commission on Subversive Activities to the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii identified him as a CPUSA member. What's more, anti-communist congressional committees, including the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), accused Davis of involvement in several communist-front organizations....

This is just a small exerpt...do your research. There is much more to this story...

[John Johnson]

This sort of fraud is what discourages politicians from getting involved with people at their rallies. One has to wonder who put Joe Half Wit up to his little shenanigan. Sounds like a Karl Rove tactic.

[Michael G]

How rude was it of Sen. McCain to yank this poor fellow into the international spotlight without his approval? It must be that Sen. McCain gets some perverse joy out of yanking people from obscurity for the world to barbecue them (Sarah Palin, for example...but at least she agreed to it).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[jean]

Has anyone considered this guy may have been an Ohio Republican party plant? People keep saying that BOTH candidates jumped on using Joe's name during the debate. Rewind the Debate ---- John McCain clearly had prepped that he would make Joe the focal point of the debate, NOT Obama. When I watch the video, it seems to me that Joe is well aware that he is being videotaped & wants to make a point of the discourse - which to me is suspiciously like a plant. Obama should have been more wary of such an attempt anyway.

[sharkcellar]

Yes Betty Lou, it does matter.

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.

[ola]

Joe should be checked out by IRS and FBI. I think it was obvious that, this is one of the pranks McCain's camp are playing with American voters. Joe is probably a McCain surrogate

[Roberta]

In order for a plumber or any small buisness to profit 250,000.00 a year they would have to make what a million? because in business, you deduct all of your business expenses, which is vehicles, parts, tools, paper for records, payroll, fuel, repairs at the end of the day the company usually don't come out that much on top......well at least ours hasn't {{ farming is what we do, but that is still a small business same rules apply I assume}}...I don't know if a tax cut would help us that much with the prices of feed that has shot out the roof, our best choice might be to buy up freezers and eat all of the herd during our recession, if it truly is going to be bad for years, as one projected when saying pull any money you might need for 5 years out NOW! how scarey! You know there is one thing I don't think that either of our future Presidents realize, when they speak of middle class, they say $150,000....I felt like middle class unitl this economy went the way it is going, but apparently, We are dirt poor and to dumb to realize it, Our family don't bring home but a third of that...but we have what we need I reckon, and the animals are fed...we might not get to go eat at the Outback...but all is well...I've always heard that the rich get richer and the poor...well I guess they will starve to death...when times get harder than they are now :o( we do need a change with this election

[M. Denes]

McCain supporters with sign "Joe the Plumber for Senator" shows the depth and thinking that goes into the McCain campaign and supporters toward picking qualified candidates for office. Joe a Senator? Palin a President? Wake up McCain folks!! Please before you (again) ruin this great country,.

Oh, and as to McCain's statement last night, "Senator Obama, if you wanted to run against Bush, you should have run four years ago,"

Obama should have shot back, but was too polite: "Senator McCain, if you wanted to be different that Bush, you should have made choices different than Bush and voted against Bushe's failed policies FOUR YEARS AGO!"

I hope Obama picks up on this....

[AVRIL]

MCCAIN, IN HIS DESPARATION WILL TRY ANYTHING TO LEAN MORE VOTES HIS WAY. I'M NOT SURPRISED AT THIS RIDICULOUS STUNT. JUST IMAGINE WHAT OTHER TYPES OF HALF-WITTED SCHEMES HIM AND EINSTEIN (PALIN) WOULD GET US INTO IF THEY WERE VOTED IN. GOD HELP US!!!!!!!!!

[Rodolfo Acuna]

Typical republican, joe the plumber has not even been vetted. we don't even kown if he is a plumber. Obama was too cautious but he won: what stuck out in the roe v. wade question was McCain's belittling that a woman's health as a reason for an abortion. for his information women have died. coloumbia is not the U.S.'s leading trade partner. the lack of enforcement of trade treaties has led to the suppression of workers' right. mccain was desperate to tie ACORN and Ayers to Obama. This example of mccarthyism is tragic and dangerous. it is a chapter in american history that he should shut. congressman lewis did not call mccain a racist; he said he was inciting racism, which is different. palin especially has been reckless and she is inflicting deep wounds. if for some unfortunate reason something would come of her hate speeches, we would all pay a price. the nation would pay a price. the camera was not flattering to mccain.

[Jared]

Hey... "Joe Plumber" may be great at fixing my toilet... but don't THINK about touching this country!

[frank]

This is so dumb. Joe the pumber is not an average american, because I don't think an average american like me wants to be greedy and start a business. Why didn't they talk about Juan the gardner, or Mr. Lee the IT guy, or Andrea the clerk and McDonalds, these people are the average americans not this plumber that wants a busniess. We americans are not worried about starting a busniess were worried about were this country's going.

[ZO]

Joe's interviews after the debate seems so well scripted... The McCain campaign probably contact him before McCain mentioned his name on the debate. I don't feel sorry for him, because he is probably being rewarded by playing his role in the McCain campaign.

[Michelle]

You liberals are all crazy

[sherry]

how after listening to Last nights debate people on this site can comment that the best thing for Our American economy is Obama... Take an economic Class you Fools!

[mphonic]

Please stop writing articles about Joe the Plumber. Perhaps including the video of Obama's actual exchange with him would be acceptable in terms of rounding out the story, but the presence of article upon article about how there are so many articles on this tiresome, hollow subject just underscores the lazy, inane state of contemporary journalism. Obama has the advantage of huge coffers for paid advertisements, but McCain has the advantage of a free press that loves to extract yards of wordspace from every clumsy tactic he lobs onto our suffering intelligence.

[Politically Incorrect]

Joe has no license! So I guess he is Joe the Laborer now.
He just got all this publicity for his business and now all the potential customers know he is not licensed. Thanks McCain, with friends like you he won't need enemies.
Maybe he can get some of that minimum wage you have held back for the last 20 years. Get some advisors who didnt graduate in the bottom 1% of the class.