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Samuel Wurzelbacher, who became famous when John McCain repeatedly referred to him as "Joe The Plumber" during the third presidential debate, endorsed the Republican presidential nominee today.

A registered Republican, Wurzelbacher did not come out in favor of a candidate before today, though he has long appeared to be leaning towards McCain. The GOP presidential nominee has consistently invoked Wurzelbacher on the campaign trail.

"I mean I have a pretty good idea who I’m going to vote for but you know that’s my - you know, the nice thing about going into the booth is only me and the lever knows," Wurzelbacher told CBS' Katie Couric right after the third debate. "I think McCain did a fine job this evening, I think he brought up some good points. I do like his health care and I do like his, where he stands on taxes."

Wurzelbacher campaigned for McCain in Columbus, Ohio this morning. He said Barack Obama wants to redistribute wealth and would make America a socialist nation, according to the Associated Press. He also said he believes Obama will raise taxes on the middle class, despite Obama's promises to cut their taxes.

The McCain campaign has released a new ad, "Sweat Equity," that casts Barack Obama as a free-spending tax raiser who wants the sweat of the Joe The Plumbers of the world to "pay for his trillion dollars in new spending."

The spot will be aired in "key states," according to the campaign.

It opens with video of Obama telling Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher that "when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody." The spot then shows three women saying directly to the camera, "I'm Joe The Plumber."

"Spread the wealth?" an announcer asks, incredulous.

"I'm supposed to work harder," one man says, before another finishes the thought, "Just to pay more taxes?" A third man then says, "Obama wants my sweat to pay for his trillion dollars in new spending?"

After another woman identifies herself as Joe The Plumber, the announcer concludes: "Barack Obama. Higher Taxes. More Spending. Not Ready."

In a speech in Pennsylvania this morning, John McCain said that Barack Obama and the Obama campaign have been attacking Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as "Joe the Plumber," the Ohio man whom McCain repeatedly referenced during the third presidential debate and has been citing on the campaign trail.

"Now, Joe didn't ask for Senator Obama to come to his house, and he didn't ask to be famous," McCain said. "And he certainly didn't ask for the political attacks on him from the Obama campaign." This prompted cheers from the crowd.

"Joe's dream is the American dream to own a small business that will create jobs, and the attacks on him are an attack on small businesses all over this nation," McCain added. "We're not going to stand for it."

Wurzelbacher has criticized the media for its treatment of him, suggesting that the press corps is worried about issues such as whether he's paid his taxes and "any number of silly things that have nothing to do with America." But asked on Fox News yesterday if he blamed either of the campaigns for how he was depicted, Wurzelbacher said he did not.

"Oh, no, no, I think the media pretty much did that all by themselves," he said. "You know, I don't think -- I held no animosity towards either of one them, by no means. No.”

I asked the McCain campaign for specific examples of what it considered attacks on Wurzelbacher from Obama and the Obama campaign. "Their campaign has been moving dirt on Joe and their allies in the press and liberal blogs have been going after him," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in an email.

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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":

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:

Joe Wurzelbacher – immortalized during tonight's presidential debate as "Joe The Plumber" – spoke with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric immediately following the debate. John McCain and Barack Obama mentioned Wurzelbacher 26 times during the 90 minute debate. By contrast, Iraq came up six times, and the word "economy" was used sixteen times.

While still on the air, Couric asked Wurzelbacher what he thought of the debate. He said he wasn't swayed wither way, though he seems to be leaning towards one of the candidates.

"I mean I have a pretty good idea who I’m going to vote for but you know that’s my - you know, the nice thing about going into the booth is only me and the lever knows," he said. "I think McCain did a fine job this evening I think he brought up some good points. I do like his health care and I do like his, where he stands on taxes."

The conversation continued on Couric's webcast. Here's the full transcript of that exchange, along with video:

COURIC: We want to go to Joe the plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher from Toledo, Ohio, because Joe is telling me that he's got three live trucks parked outside his house--actually from Holland, Ohio, let me correct that, Joe. Was this a bit of a surreal experience, hearing your name mentioned not once, but twice, but almost half a dozen times during the course of this debate, Joe?

Mr. JOSEPH WURZELBACHER: Yeah, actually, surreal's a good word to use for it. It was--you know, I was glad I was able to act as some type of point, you know, to where they could sit there and hammer out what they both think, what they want to say. But ultimately, you know, the important part was the debate.

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Joe Wurzelbacher – immortalized during tonight's presidential debate as "Joe The Plumber" – spoke with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric shortly after the conclusion of the final debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

To get a sense of just how central Wurzelbacher was to the debate, consider this: McCain and Obama mentioned Wurzelbacher 26 times during the 90 minute debate. By contrast, Iraq came up six times, and the word "economy" was used 16 times.

While still on the air, Couric asked Wurzelbacher what he thought of the debate. He said he wasn't swayed either way, though he seems to be leaning towards one of the candidates.

"I mean I have a pretty good idea who I’m going to vote for but you know that’s my - you know, the nice thing about going into the booth is only me and the lever knows," he said. "I think McCain did a fine job this evening, I think he brought up some good points. I do like his health care and I do like his, where he stands on taxes."

The conversation continued on Couric's webcast. Here's the full transcript of that exchange, along with video:

COURIC: We want to go to Joe the plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher from Toledo, Ohio, because Joe is telling me that he's got three live trucks parked outside his house - actually from Holland, Ohio, let me correct that, Joe. Was this a bit of a surreal experience, hearing your name mentioned not once, but twice, but almost half a dozen times during the course of this debate, Joe?

Mr. JOSEPH WURZELBACHER: Yeah, actually, surreal's a good word to use for it. It was - you know, I was glad I was able to act as some type of point, you know, to where they could sit there and hammer out what they both think, what they want to say. But ultimately, you know, the important part was the debate.

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