"Joe the Plumber" Bashes John McCain

(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

He's back.

"Joe the Plumber" will likely clamor back into search engine trends and political water-cooler discussion this week after bashing his creator, Sen. John McCain, for "trying to use" him.

Sam Wurzelbacher, as Joe's family and friends know him, told Pennsylvania political reporter Scott Detrow in a weekend interview that he no longer supports McCain — or Sarah Palin, because she supports McCain, according to Detrow's blog.

Detrow says he spoke to average-out-of-work-American-turned-conservative-icon Wurzelbacher on the sidelines of a political event during which he endorsed Pennsylvania state Republican representative Sam Rohrer.

"Joe" has become a firm supporter of the conservative "tea party" movement — a grassroots uprising of Americans fed up with the mainstream GOP.

"McCain was trying to use me," Detrow quotes Wurzelbacher as saying about the veteran Republican senator. "I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy."

He pulled no punches. When Detrow pointed out that McCain had given Wurzelbacher the platform from which he continues to purvey his cause, the response was fairly direct: "I don't owe him s—. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it."

In Detrow's blog, there were no further quotes in which Wurzelbacher went on to explain exactly how McCain had "screwed up" his life.

Despite his staunchly conservative modus operandi, "Joe the Plumber" actually offered some very limited praise of President Obama.

"I think his ideology is un-American," Detrow quoted him as saying, "but he's one of the more honest politicians. At least he told us what he wanted to do."

Wurzelbacher bemoaned the so-called "birthers" and "truthers" — conservatives who question Mr. Obama's legitimacy as an American president based on his nationality and compare him to some of history's most detestable dictators.

He said such arguments only serve to drive some independents and Democrats who might otherwise support the tea party movement away.

[krusenjames]

I thought his fifteen minutes was up.

[max_cse]

Give him some beer John............he will love u again

[kansas1946]

This is the level the Republican party has sunken to. A worthless, do nothing, that's only claim to fame is asking a stupid question on a television camera, attacks a patriotic, high-achieving, American, and the party loves him. The lunatic fringe has taken over the Republican party. They are pathetic.

[brutus83]

McCain is a good American. A war hero and a US Senetor but, he surely used Joe and he also used Palin. Now he and the whole Party would like to forget them both, especially Palin who is also a very good American. Sarah has become so popular that the Republicans are fearful she might actually run for President.So maybe she will run and Joe will be her running mate. Strange world we live in where a nobody like Joe gets famous and blames the people who made him so,and a relitivly unknown Sarah Palin almost became the vice president of the US. Come on Joe just say thanks.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

by moonbeam91 February 16, 2010 8:17 AM EST
Hey Joe, 1st wash your mouth with bleach before you bad-mouth SENATOR MCCAIN! Not in this life/previous/next life could you ever come close to the MAN he is. You are a tiny, tiny zero. As for Pres. Obama I guess you don't know how to read. Lies, lies & spending OUR money on personal trips! Talk about hypocrisy! doh.......
========================================================
Hey! BeamBrain! You will absolutely be FLOORED when you find out how
much taxpayer money was spent on Bush's vacations.

[noloyalisti]

I love it, Tea Bag trailer trash fighting with irresponsible war mongering hypocrite loser. This would be funny except that there a millions of ignorant, undereducated extremists like Joe Blow and McSame.

[bradkt1]

It looks like the GOP has its issues with its extremists, too.

There is no political center anymore. It looks like the voters have to choose between the left or the right.

[ellensmithee]

So Joe the Plumber FINALLY figured out the GOP was using him. Not real quick, is he? The reasonable people in this country recognized that right away. Apparently, Sarah Palin isn't smart enough to figure it out.

[WoodyCreed]

I see Ellen learned how to post the same message three times.
Not real quick, is she?

[ellensmithee]

So, Joe the Plumber FINALLY figured out the GOP was using him. Not real quick, is he?

[ellensmithee]

So, Joe the Plumber FINALLY figured out the GOP was using him. Not real quick, is he?