Horserace
October 17, 2008 3:09 PM

"I Am Joe The Plumber?" Well, Not Exactly

The Republican National Committee is sending around this Associated Press photo of overall-clad McCain supporters standing outside an Obama rally, clutching plungers and a sign proclaiming "I Am Joe The Plumber":

(AP)
The only problem? At least two of the members aren't quite as similar to the newly famous Joe Wurzelbacher as they might like you to think. As CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic, who is traveling with the Obama campaign, reports, the man on the right does say he's an actual plumber – though he is from Melbourne, Australia, and will thus not be casting a vote this November.

And the man on the left, plunger thrust high in the air, is Charlie Smith – the National Chairman of the College Republicans.

UPDATE: Smith said he drove down to the rally because he disagrees with Barack Obama’s tax policy. “We’re gonna pay higher taxes under Barack Obama, he’s gonna tax small businesses,” he said. “We’re out here supporting the American dream, people like Joe the plumber.”

And here's some video of the group:

Tags:
Charlie Smith ,
College Republicans ,
Joe The Plumber
Topics:
The Off-Beat

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Add a Comment See all 33 Comments
by joethemath October 19, 2008 2:58 AM EDT
Posted by David1752 at 10:39 AM, Oct 18, 2008
These idiots dont realize they would get a tax cut under Obama.It does''''nt appear any make over 250,000.
-----------------------------------
David, you are an idiot and don''t understand, that you will get a welfare check, but not a tax cut, because you will loose your job, because those "rich" people with $250.000 will not afford to keep idiots on a payroll.
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by gbsimon-2009 October 18, 2008 11:56 PM EDT
I am a CPA. I know most americans pay little of no taxes. If you make $45000, are married with two kids eligible for the child tax credit you pay ZERO federal income tax. The majority of americans are in this group!

What concerns me is the democratic approach to block any dissent. Democrats only believe in free speech if it follows their views.

Americans should be afraid when the media silences descenters. Reminds me of another country a couple of years back, and now again, USSR.

I find it funny that democrats worry about their privacy but are not even outraged when Sarah Palin''s personal email is broken into.
Reply to this comment
by jaykay3141 October 18, 2008 9:57 PM EDT
"Joe" claims to be a businessman, yet his comments indicate he doesn''t understand the difference between gross receipts, net profit, and taxable income ???

Sounds to me as if some RepubliConMen found this guy in a plumbing store, got so "flushed" with his right-wing views they "plunged" ahead with plans to use him to "sink" the Obama campaign. They figured the rest of us would be "pipe dope"s and fall into the "trap".

Now we know he doesn''t have a license and is a tax cheat ... looks like the Repugnicans got themselves a "plumber''s snake"!
Reply to this comment
by dis12x October 18, 2008 6:04 PM EDT
This is hilarious. The media''s doubling down on Joe. Must really be hurting the Obama campaign. Also, notice how Obama is singling out Fox News for ridicule. (Saul Alinsky Rule #5: Ridicule the enemy) These are obviously vectors of attack that have found their mark, and are doing some damage to him.

Joe has resonated. Joe''s got traction. Plumbers don''t like to be publically mocked and have their dreams ridiculed. Plumbers don''t like to stand in their own yard on a rare day off, playing ball with their kid, have a politician come in to say how''s it going, share his aspiration to buy a business, and then have that aspiration belittled and demeaned by every media jackal and limo lib who''s tickled to death that any plumber thinks he can make $250,000. What a hoot! An uppity plumber!

I know Jay Leno got a kick out of it, a plumber who thinks he can make $250,000. Leno only has about twenty-three Porsches, Ferraris and antique Mercedes in his garage. He aspires to have sixty Ferraris and Porsches. Should I laugh?

This''ll be so good for Obama''s ability to unite and govern the whole country if he wins. It''ll just make his life in the White House so nice, and make implementing his agenda so easy, to keep trashing Joe the plumber. It''ll be a straight shot to the heights of presidential stardom for ol'' Obama, to harass and berate a white working class, blue collar worker.

I hear that''s one of Obama''s strongest constituencies.
Reply to this comment
by dis12x October 18, 2008 6:01 PM EDT
This is hilarious. The media''s doubling down on Joe. Must really be hurting the Obama campaign. Also, notice how Obama is mentioning Fox News for ridicule. (Saul Alinsky Rule #5: Ridicule the enemy) These are obviously vectors of attack that have found their mark, and are doing some damage to him.

Joe has resonated. Joe''s got traction. Plumbers don''t like to be publically mocked and have their dreams ridiculed. Plumbers don''t like to stand in their own yard playing ball with their kid, have a politician come in to say how''s it going, share his aspiration to buy a business, and then have that aspiration belittled and demeaned by every media jackal and limo lib who''s tickled to death that any plumber thinks he can make $250,000. What a hoot! An uppity plumber!

I know Jay Leno got a kick out of it, a plumber who thinks he can make $250,000. Leno has about twenty-three Porsches, Ferraris and antique Mercedes in his garage. He knows all about it.

This''ll be so good for Obama''s ability to unite and govern the whole country if he wins. It''ll just make his life in the White House so nice, and make implementing his agenda so easy, to keep trashing Joe the plumber. It''ll be a straight shot to the heights of presidential stardom for ol'' Obama, to harass and berate a white working class, blue collar worker.

I hear that''s one of Obama''s strongest constituencies. Heh.
Reply to this comment
by kopana October 18, 2008 5:04 PM EDT
WHEN YOU TAKE FROM ONE PERSON TO GIVE TO ANOTHER ITS SOCIALISM.

I guess the Republicans are the best socialists out there then.. according to your definition...The RICH and SUPER RICH (WALL STREET FAT CATS)take from the Middle CLASS and Poor.
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by kopana October 18, 2008 5:01 PM EDT
It looks like Joe the Plumber is just another Republican operative, he is reported to not pay his taxes, very unpatriotic....MCCain''s campaign needs to get a little bit more sophisticated , but how...when he picks the worst like Palin.when there were more qualified, serious Republican women to choose from.

However, as a an average middle class voter, it works to my best interest....Keep up the good work
Republicans...


Vote smarter...Vote OBAMA/BIDEN 0
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by julez41 October 18, 2008 3:41 PM EDT
The fact is "Joe the plumber" is anti-tax because at some point he tried to screw the government and now he has a tax lien on his house. Otherwise he would understand and know that Obama''s tax plan would ultimately benefit him. McCain''s plan is more of the same of the past eight years. Our country will fall apart with those continued economic policies. How much more debt do you want to rack up Neederbauer? I think you should go on-line and find a country that better suits your personal ideology. Paying taxes is part of being a responsible citizen, NOT socialism. Wasn''t the a** hole in "Animal House" called Needermeier? It''s very close, I suspect you must be related based on your idiotic rantings
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by newslink October 18, 2008 2:49 PM EDT
Now every Nut is coming out for their 15 min. of fame. Make sure your records are clean guys. Because there will be Background checks.
Reply to this comment
by david1752 October 18, 2008 1:39 PM EDT
These idiots dont realize they would
get a tax cut under Obama.It does''nt appear any make over 250,000.
Reply to this comment
by kimb54 October 18, 2008 6:13 AM EDT
Typical McCain he brings up %u201CJoe%u201D then reporters swamp Joe and then McCain blames Obama for Joe%u2019s popularity. Joe can%u2019t afford to buy the business he only makes about 40 thousand a year and the business only makes about 100 thousand per year, facts are not passing the smell test.
Now Joe%u2019s life might get even more complicated. Will his employer be fined for having an unlicensed plumber do certain work? He might if there wasn%u2019t a licensed plumber on sight when Joe was plumbing. Then in the places that the work was done if no certified plumber oversaw the work it my have to be re-done, I see lawsuits against Joe%u2019s boss.
Yep McCain is looking out for his own selfish gains again. McCain invited himself into Joe%u2019s home and took a huge dump and has left it for Joe to deal with the mess!
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by dave_in_oz October 18, 2008 4:17 AM EDT
The World wants Obama.

He can restore some respect back to America.

McCain is too old, unless of course you want a President who turns 80 in his second term?

...and Palin *shudder* that is just a scary thought.
Reply to this comment
by claydowner October 18, 2008 3:30 AM EDT
NEEDERBAUER:
You are a vile, ignorant, stupid person. Do you read a newspaper daily? Do you research anything before you get spit out your pathetic propaganda and garbage? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Senator Obama does not hang out with terrorists never has never will period. Senator Obama is not a socialist. George Bush has been a socialist with his Wall Street bank bailout. Only people with small minds believe your lies. Do me a favor and shut your stupid mouth.

Senator Obama is an excellent man who will make a very good president. I voted for him. I served this country for 20 years on active duty including in combat in the Persian Gulf War and combat support for the Iraq war. Senator Obama is an honorable man who will be a good leader.

George Bush has increased the national debt to $11.4 trillion.
We have two wars that have been huge drain on our resources. Bush has driven the military into the ground. It will take years to rebuild. Our economy is in a shambles. Republicans deserve to be in an unemployment line.
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by teddymaniac October 18, 2008 2:34 AM EDT
According to Joe, any progressive tax policy is socialist. That''s a stretch and he definitely needs to read up on socialism.

Joe''s assumption is that the reward system in America is totally effort-based: you earn more because you work harder. Ask those folks who work three jobs, work more than 12 hours and sleep only 5 hours a day and still can''t make ends meet. I don''t think Obama''s plan is to reward slackers. In fact, his main theme is how to make sure those who work hard can pursue their American dream. It''s about equal opportunity for those who work hard: if you work very hard but still can''t make ends meet, there is something wrong with the system and we need to address it so you can still afford to invest in your as well as your kids'' future.
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by teddymaniac October 18, 2008 2:32 AM EDT
Let''s see --- maybe those college students major in plumbing science.
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by chasrmartin October 18, 2008 2:18 AM EDT
You know what, guys? I don''t think anyone actually thought all those guys were Joe the Plumber.
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by jw218389 October 18, 2008 1:16 AM EDT
Republicans SPIT and LAUGH at "Joe the Plumber"!

They think AND BELIEVE that they are better than us. Anyone that votes GOP this year (and makes less than 350K per houshold) IS AN IDIOT!!
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by jmstallings October 18, 2008 12:17 AM EDT
I am a great grand mother,christian,prolife and an obamacan. I am ashame of being a rep.somebody please pray for me.
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by jnagarya October 17, 2008 10:36 PM EDT
"Redistribution of wealth" = bailings-out of megawealthy Wall St. screwups.
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by jnagarya October 17, 2008 10:33 PM EDT
So now that "Joe the Plumber" has been found to be unlicensed -- which is illegal and subject to fine -- he arrogantly complains that those revealing that fact are "messing with" his income.

Being Republican, he expresses no cognizance, let alone concern with, his direct "messing with" the rule of law.

So he rejects the rule of law, and attempts to intimidate those who reveal his lawlessness, as wouled the typical criminal, instead of deciding to comply with the law.
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