October 16, 2008
Joe the Plumber - Elucidated
Anyone who watched the debate last night couldn't miss the myriad references to and statements directed toward Joe the Plumber - 2008's very own Everyman. McCain wielded Joe like a ax at Obama's tax plan, while Obama found in him a teachable moment. Today the press corps, inspired by bloggers over the past seven years, inserted themselves everywhere into Joe's world, with one possible exception.
It all began on Sunday, on a campaign stroll along Main Street, Ohio, when Obama had a friendly encounter with Joe, which, as is his wont, Barack used as a teachable moment.
Then came the debate last night, which McCain conceded with his body language if not his words.
This morning, fresh from her Palin triumph, Katy Couric called Joe for a wake up chat and he made The New York Times , where we discover that he is a registered Republican, without a plumber's license, and probably won't be worrying about the taxes on his nonexistent business income anytime soon (although he figgers it will fall in a tricky category for Obama's plan somewhere between $250,000 and $280,000, someday...soon...maybe).
Turns out that Joe owes some back taxesand is related to Keating's son-in- law, Robert Wurzelbacher, (how many Wurzelbacher's could there be?) who went to jail for his dealings in the S&L crisis.
While we're at it, all of us here at Dakota would like to pass along the information that Joe the Plumber is 34 and single. He has a son by a previous relationship which ended badly. So if you think you could bear to be in intimate circumstances with a Republican (James and Mary do it) - go for it girls
But really what does it matter? Eight dogs, a commenter on Jonathan Martin's blog puts it succinctly:
Joe the plumber IS an issue because Joe the plumber is another republican lie. He's a living example of the deceit the GOP will stoop to to deceive the American public. He is NOT a licensed plumber in Ohio. He is NOT undecided, since he IS a registered republican. He is nowhere close to making $250,000 a year as a plumber. And he's related to one of McCain's old pals , Charles Keating via his fathers relationship to Keating. His father is shown to be a consistent donor to republican party causes and campaigns. Joe, the fake plumber, is posing as a middle class business man in order to promote McCain's policies from a seemingly detached 3rd party citizen, when , in fact, Joe is not that. Republicans lie. It's what they do. It's a prerequisite for belonging to the GOP. And THAT is the issue.
And then there's this quote from the Couric interview which disturbed a Feministe commenter
He [Joe the Plumber] went on, “You know, I’ve always wanted to ask one of these guys a question and really corner them and get them to answer a question,” he said, “for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question, but I still got a tap dance.”He added, “Almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.”
Uh huh
Photo note: lean pickings in the plumber/ patriot department