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October 23, 2008 8:17 AM

McCain Kicks Off "Joe The Plumber" Florida Tour

Posted by John Bentley
(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley:

(DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.) – John McCain kicks off a bus tour through Florida today called the “’Joe the Plumber’ Keep Your Wealth Bus Tour,” although, interestingly, “Joe the Plumber” will not actually be involved. McCain has been using Joe as an example of how he believes Barack Obama’s tax plans harm small businesses and could cause the economy to stagnate.

“As he told 'Joe the Plumber', he wants to quote ‘spread the wealth around,’" McCain says often on the campaign trail.

“Sen. Obama believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans.”

McCain is hoping Floridians can relate to the plumber from Ohio, as polls in Florida show he’s locked in a tight contest with Obama here.

The tour opens with a rally in Ormond Beach, followed by a series of events in Altamonte Springs, Orlando, Plant City, and ending with another rally in Sarasota.
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Add a Comment See all 19 Comments
by mrs_r October 23, 2008 10:43 PM EDT
Let McCain and Palin explain to Joe - in person - that what was spent on her wardrobe so far cost $23,500 MORE than his house.

The $150 thousand doesn''t include jewelry or accessories - just clothing. It doesn''t include the September bill of over $13k for her makeup artist. I guess the October bill hasn''t arrived yet. It doesn''t include her voice coach''s services either.

Completely grotesque, how every situation and every person is being manipulated.
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by mebwe October 23, 2008 5:35 PM EDT
The neocons decided a number of years ago that the strategy is to ignore facts and concentrate on image. Joe is no middle-class person if his income is over $250,00. He also isn''t a plumber and owes back taxes. I don''t have anything in common with him, and I don''t know anybody who does.
McCain is worried about Joe the CEO. McCain married his money -- no wonder he doesn''t understand that Joe the Plumber is rich by most people''s standards.
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by willywonker2 October 23, 2008 3:19 PM EDT
Didn''t Governor Palin restribute wealth when she combined pork barrel earmarks amounting to $1.75 for every dollar of taxes paid by Alaskans with profits from bi oil and redistributed $1,200 to every Alaska resident as a tax refund.

I guess she was FOR the redistribution of wealth before she was against it.
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by vectro-2009 October 23, 2008 2:54 PM EDT
A household in California earning over $250,000 a year is not middle class: Such households constitute just 5% of all households in the state. That''s not the middle class, that''s the elite. Median annual household income in California is just $60,000.

Source:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-state=st&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-tree_id=307&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=04000US06&-format=&-_lang=en
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by mattcat25 October 23, 2008 2:14 PM EDT
Republicans desire the votes from %u201Cjoe the plumber%u201D or jose the gardener, or sam six-pack, or hockey/soccer/karate/jazz dance and ballet moms%u2026but, only at election time. The rest of the time their doing the bidding for Large Corporations like Exxon, Halliburton, Pfizer, and Merrill Lynch.

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by samcal13 October 23, 2008 1:52 PM EDT
Taxing people with income over $250k will hit the middle class in California, where "low" income is defined as $40k. Secretaries routinely earn $100k/year here, salespeople in all fields make well over $100k and even run of the mill gardeners easily make $90k-100k (I can''t afford their services!). Obama''s plan to tax what he thinks are high income households is going to hit the middle class in California squarely in the face. Every family I know has to have 2 earners to just get by, and it is normal for a household bringing in $200k to just be able to pay their mortgage on a California closet. Obama is out of touch with those of us who pay our bills on time, borrow only as much as we can repay, and don''t believe it''s right to tax other people in the California middle class who are marginally above us on the foodchain to bring up our own lot in life. We are not a socialist nation.
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by uselogic1 October 23, 2008 1:46 PM EDT
the Whole Joe the Plumber thing is ridiculous. Leave it to McCain to develop a campaign around a person who doesn''t have a plumber''s license and would likely keep more of his income under Obama''s tax plan. Meanwhile, McCain has no better strategy than to keep stoking people''s fears about Obama the colored man. What a dissapointment you''ve been,McCain. But I put faith in the collective intelligence and logic of our nation and am confident good will prevail over bad and Obama will win.
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by uselogic1 October 23, 2008 1:44 PM EDT
the Whole Joe the Plumber thing is ridiculous. Leave it to McCain to develop a campaign around a person who doesn''t have a plumber''s license and would likely keep more of his income under Obama''s tax plan. Meanwhile, McCain has no better strategy than to keep stoking people''s fears about Obama the colored man. What a dissapointment you''ve been,McCain. But I put faith in the collective intelligence and logic of our nation and am confident good will prevail over bad and Obama will win.
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by pjc27 October 23, 2008 1:34 PM EDT
In our family - K the mechanic, P the reporter, C the student, J the retired nurse, B the working nurse, J the engineer and A the computer specialist are all voting for Obama.
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by rucluless October 23, 2008 1:25 PM EDT
In addition to Joe the Plumber being quite well off, how about instead of bringing home values up, get t hem back to where they were 5 years ago, so maybe they can be affordable to the middle class?
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by rucluless October 23, 2008 1:24 PM EDT
What is the big deal with "Joe the Plumber?" He makes over 5 times what I make! And he''s considered part of this bogus grass roots campaigning? I want to see him live on 20% of his income. Then he can talk. I want to see the candidates talk to people who work FOR corporate America, people who are EMPLOYEES rather than EMPLOYERS. Did they forget the common workforce? Aren''t we the people, too?
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by asilram-2009 October 23, 2008 1:10 PM EDT
What about those of us who cant even afford to call upon ''joe the plumber''s'' services?
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by October 23, 2008 1:09 PM EDT
Hi! I''m John McCain,

My friends let me introduce "Joe the Plumber"

Tax criminal (owes back taxes)
Credit criminal (does not pay hospital)
Unlicensed Criminal (no plumbers license)
Liar (Not a plumber)
Social Security criminal (I don''t believe in it)
I don''t understand taxes
I can''t add
I have no idea what "net" prfit is
I hope to buy this business for 250,000 I make 40,000 and the business only did 100,000 last year.

McCain and Palin "Thank God we have Joe the plumber on our side!"

You know here is the perfect example of what Republicans stand for.

Lies
Distortions
Picking heros who aren''t (like McCain himself)
Airheaded (like Sarah Palin)
Poor decisions (McCains choice of Palin)

I watched McCain (who I voted for in the 2000 primary)destroy that campaign with this same stupidity and negativity and tying into the fringe.

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by joonbug4-2009 October 23, 2008 1:06 PM EDT
McCain definitely identifies with "Joe the Plumber" because it turned out Joe wasn''t who he pretended to be. I wonder if McCain has ever held a real job, or even punched a time clock. Did he at least have a paper route when he was a boy?

He was born with the proverbial "silver spoon" and then eventually married a multi-millionaire. How can he even know for one minute the struggle of mainstream America? When he goes home here in Arizona he retires to a 7-million dollar penthouse.
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by waqahi October 23, 2008 12:57 PM EDT
This Joe the plumber thing is sick, disrespectful and despicable. It is pathetic to have a pair like Senator McCain and Governor Palin be serious contenders. And it is very sad to see some Americans find in Obama and Biden a genuine rescue raft; yes, it is very sad to see some Americans getting very excited and euphoric about the prospects of the two superb Washington DC pupils occupy the white house. What a Pathetic or sad is the post Bush and Cheney era seems to look is going to become.
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by mattcat25 October 23, 2008 12:41 PM EDT
John McCain agrees with John Murtha?
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by newslink October 23, 2008 12:32 PM EDT
Not that Joe Plumber again? MCcain has ran this in the hole.The same stale speeches. We always can predict what will be discussed at the MCcain rallies. Name Calling and Joe.....
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by October 23, 2008 12:28 PM EDT
Florida is the perfect place for Joe The Plumber. The ground is soft, digging is easy and there''s nothing more substantial in the way than an occasional "hanging chad."
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by bacaangel October 23, 2008 12:26 PM EDT
The enemies of America are those who hiber hate and separtism in their hearts and who pit one group against another when we all come from the one same Source which shines on us all, good and bad, and when the blood in each of us is red, the symbol of the inner man and our oneness. These dividers who pit class against class, race against race, straight against *** are the real enimies of America -- the enemies within. From these Enemies, we must be on Guard if we are to achieve as a people; If we are to survive as a nation, one nation, indivisible under God!

As for Joe the Plumber, that is a McCain Wizard of the Oz moment, which Americans must get off the "yellow brick road."
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