Conservative Watchdog
The Obama Presidency - This site is to show the truth about this man, the administration and what they truly stand for.
Joe the Plumber - A true American
Joe became viral when his video hit youtube a couple of days ago. He stopped Obama and caught the presidential nominee in a rare moment that I think Obama will be paying for.
Both U.S. political parties offend "Joe the Plumber"
HOLLAND, Ohio (Reuters) - "Joe the Plumber," who came to symbolize U.S. taxpayer frustration during last year's election, sounds even angrier now at what he sees as excessive government spending on the economy and healthcare reform. "The politicians in Washington are spending trillions of dollars of our money. When are Americans going to stand up and say enough is enough?" said Joe Wurzelbacher, 35, in an interview on Friday at his modest suburban Ohio home. "Instead of spending more of our money, they should cut back like ordinary Americans are having to. Why do they think they can spend their way out of this mess?" said Wurzelbacher, referring to the $787 billion government stimulus bill.
Wurzelbacher has managed to prolong his 15 minutes of fame since he posed some tough questions of presidential candidate Barack Obama during an Ohio campaign stop in August 2008. Obama's reply: "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," prompted Obama's Republican rival, Senator John McCain, to label the Democrat a socialist and catapulted Wurzelbacher into the media spotlight. Reporters later learned that Wurzelbacher did not have a plumbing license, was behind on his taxes, had a real first name of Sam, and was unmarried with a teenage son.
At first Wurzelbacher courted the attention, then said it was draining and he wanted to get back to plumbing. Wurzelbacher said he had voted for McCain but without enthusiasm. "In the end, I had to choose the lesser of two evils. "Does the Republican Party represent anything I stand for right now? Absolutely not," he said. "Right now the Republican Party doesn't even know what it stands for." Wurzelbacher said he now attends "tea parties" -- held by Conservative groups to protest against economic policies they dislike -- and does not have time to work as a plumber.
As for President Obama, Wurzelbacher said: "Obama likes to quote great men but will never be a great man himself. I can't stand it when our leader goes around apologizing for who we are." He urged a grass-roots effort to hold leaders accountable. "Our ancestors picked up guns and knives for their freedom. All I'm asking people to do is pick up a book, get involved or start asking questions," he said.
Joe the plumber hits it out of the park. This regular Joe did what no one else could, expose Obama and his agenda. What happened to him? He was investigated like a freaking criminal by liberals. Against the law his records were put on display for asking a question. He like many are enraged by BOTH parties. Hence the reason why we are Conservatives and not Republicans.
Joe the Plumber sues over Ohio records probe
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — "Joe the Plumber" is suing three former state officials in Ohio, saying they violated his privacy when they gathered his personal information in a records search. Samuel J. Wurzelbacher says in the federal lawsuit filed Thursday that he suffered emotional distress, harassment, humiliation and embarrassment as a result of their actions. He's seeking unspecified punitive damages. The lawsuit names Helen Jones-Kelley, who resigned in December as director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and two assistants. Ohio's inspector general found that Jones-Kelley improperly used state computers to find personal information on Wurzelbacher, a Toledo-area man who rose to fame during the presidential campaign after asking Barack Obama about his tax plan.
Joe the Plumber with Neil Cavuto (Fox News), questioning Obama's loyalty to the country
Let's see...
I believe Obama's policies of "spreading the wealth" are socialistic/Marxist in ideology;
I believe Obama is quite loyal to his ideology;
I believe this country was not founded on socialist ideology.
... yeah, I question Obama's loyalty to this country as well.
Caught on tape: "I want M**F** Joe the Plumber Dead!"
Radio KGO (San Francisco) host Karel is heard in the background while a news bit is broadcast. (Language alert!):
"F__G__D__Joe the G__D__M__F__plumber! I want M__F Joe the plumber dead."
According to industry insiders, this did make it out across the airwaves for all to hear (with all the spaces filled in).
State employee says she was ordered to check out Joe the Plumber
Niekamp didn't know she just had checked on "Joe the Plumber," who was elevated the night before to presidential politics prominence as Republican John McCain's example in a debate of an average American.
The senior manager would not learn about "Joe" for another week, when she said her boss informed her and directed her to write an e-mail stating her computer check was a legitimate inquiry.
The reason Niekamp said she was given for checking if there was a child-support case on Wurzelbacher does not match the reason given by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Director Helen Jones-Kelley said her agency checks people who are "thrust into the public spotlight," amid suggestions they may have come into money, to see if they owe support or are receiving undeserved public assistance.
Niekamp told The Dispatch she is unfamiliar with the practice of checking on the newly famous. "I've never done that before, I don't know of anybody in my office who does that and I don't remember anyone ever doing that," she said today. LINK
Checks on 'Joe' more extensive than first acknowledged
Jones-Kelley made the revelations in a letter to Ohio Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, who demanded answers on why state officials checked out Wurzelbacher. Harris called the multiple records checks "questionable" and said he awaits more answers. "It's kind of like Big Brother is looking in your pocket," he said. If state employees run checks on every person listed in newspaper stories as buying a business, "it must take a lot of people a lot of time to run these checks," he said. "Where do you draw the line?"
The checks were run after the news media reported that Wurzelbacher was considering buying a plumbing business with more than $250,000 in annual income, Jones-Kelley wrote. "Given our understanding that Mr. Wurzelbacher had publicly indicated that he had the means to purchase a substantial business enterprise, ODJFS, consistent with past departmental practice, checked confidential databases ," she wrote. "Not surprisingly, when a person behind in child support payments or receiving public assistance is receiving significant media attention which suggests that the person appears to have available financial resources, the Department risks justifiable criticism if it fails to take note and respond," Jones-Kelley wrote.
The results of the searches were not publicly released and remain confidential, she wrote. Wurzelbacher has said he is not involved in a child-support case and has not purchased any business. Jones-Kelley wrote that the checks were "well-meaning," but misinterpreted amid the heated final weeks of a presidential election. Wurzelbacher became a household name when Republican presidential hopeful John McCain frequently referred to "Joe the Plumber" during his Oct. 15 debate with Democrat nominee Barack Obama. The checks began the next day. Wurzelbacher, who has endorsed and campaigned for McCain, had been caught on videotape challenging Obama about his tax proposals during a campaign visit to "Joe's" neighborhood in the Toledo suburb of Holland. Republicans have painted the checks on Wurzelbacher as a politically motivated bid by Democrats to dig up dirt and discredit the McCain ally. The Obama campaign has said it has no ties to the checks and supports investigations.
The administration of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland has said the information was not improperly shared and that there were no political motives behind the checks. The Dispatch has uncovered four uses of state computer systems to access personal information on Wurzelbacher, including the child-support check authorized by Jones-Kelley. She said on Monday that her department frequently runs checks for any unpaid child support obligations "when someone is thrust quickly into the public spotlight." Republican legislators have challenged Jones-Kelley's reason for checking on Wurzelbacher as "frightening" and flimsy.
Jones-Kelly also has denied any connections between the computer checks on Wurzelbacher and her support for Obama. She donated the maximum $2,500 this year to the Obama campaign. Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles is investigating whether the child-support check on Wurzelbacher was legal.
Obama Donor Approved Search of Joe’s Records
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio’s inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the state child-support computer system for information on “Joe the Plumber.” The Dispatch reports:
Helen Jones-Kelly, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed today that she OK’d the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher following the Oct. 15 presidential debate.
She said there were no political reasons for the check on the sudden presidential campaign fixture though the Support Enforcement Tracking System.
No political reasons? Really? According to Open Secrets, Jones-Kelly has maxed out on donations to Barack Obama. This should come as no surprise since state and local governments employees are forced to join unions which give 99% of their money to Democrats and actively campaign for them.
So watch out all you ‘Joe the Plumbers’ out there. Should you dare question Barack Obama, the Helen Jones-Kelly’s of the world will be snooping through your file too. LINK
Government computers used to find information on Joe the Plumber
Investigators trying to determine whether access was illegal
"State and local officials are investigating if state and law-enforcement computer systems were illegally accessed when they were tapped for personal information about "Joe the Plumber."
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher became part of the national political lexicon Oct. 15 when Republican presidential candidate John McCain mentioned him frequently during his final debate with Democrat Barack Obama.
The 34-year-old from the Toledo suburb of Holland is held out by McCain as an example of an American who would be harmed by Obama's tax proposals.
Public records requested by The Dispatch disclose that information on Wurzelbacher's driver's license or his sport-utility vehicle was pulled from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles database three times shortly after the debate.
Information on Wurzelbacher was accessed by accounts assigned to the office of Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.
It has not been determined who checked on Wurzelbacher, or why. Direct access to driver's license and vehicle registration information from BMV computers is restricted to legitimate law enforcement and government business.
Paul Lindsay, Ohio spokesman for the McCain campaign, attempted to portray the inquiries as politically motivated. "It's outrageous to see how quickly Barack Obama's allies would abuse government power in an attempt to smear a private citizen who dared to ask a legitimate question," he said. LINK
Joe the Plumber: Obama Tax Plan 'Infuriates Me'
October 16, 2008 2:46 AM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Hope Ditto report:
John McCain may have found a blue-collar face to help him argue that no American -- not even the richest 5 percent -- should pay higher taxes.
Joe the Plumber has weighed in on Wednesday's presidential debate and says that Barack Obama's tax plan "infuriates me."
"To be honest with you, that infuriates me," plumber Joe Wurzelbacher told "Nightline's" Terry Moran. "It's not right for someone to decide you made too much -- that you've done too good and now we're going to take some of it back."
"That's just completely wrong," he added.
Wurzelbacher told "Nightline" he heard some "scuttlebutt" that he might be raised at Wednesday's debate. He added, however, that he was not formally told by the McCain campaign of the senator's plans.
The plumber's brush with fame began on Sunday when he confronted Barack Obama outside of Toledo, Ohio. Wurzelbacher challenged the Democratic candidate on his plan to raise taxes on the top 5 percent of earners -- a policy which would, by the Obama campaign's own estimation, mean higher taxes for 184,000 small businesses.
"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year," Wurzelbacher told Obama. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"
Wurzelbacher told "Nightline" he heard some "scuttlebutt" that he might be raised at Wednesday's debate. He added, however, that he was not formally told by the McCain campaign of the senator's plans.
The plumber's brush with fame began on Sunday when he confronted Barack Obama outside of Toledo, Ohio. Wurzelbacher challenged the Democratic candidate on his plan to raise taxes on the top 5 percent of earners -- a policy which would, by the Obama campaign's own estimation, mean higher taxes for 184,000 small businesses.
"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year," Wurzelbacher told Obama. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" LINK
But now
The left are trying to do everything they can to destroy this guy. Man it sucks to be a force of good.
Biden, dude seriously.
"Joe the Plumber" isn't really a plumber.
He's an unlicensed and unregistered employee of a small plumbing and heating company in suburban Toledo, Ohio, who was mentioned 26 times during the 90-minute presidential debate, while the war in Iraq received only six mentions. LINK
Who cares? He's saying what the rest of America is wondering!
NPR Listeners Flunk Newscast for Scrutiny and Mockery of Joe the Plumber
Apparently, the listening audience of National Public Radio is not completely liberal, or at least not entirely a club of Obama fanatics. On Friday’s All Things Considered, anchors Michelle Norris and Melissa Block read some listener mail, and none of the listeners quoted were happy about NPR’s scrutiny and mockery of Joe the Plumber, the man who dared to ask Barack Obama about punishing success with tax hikes. Like others, NPR pointed out Joe’s unpaid tax lien:
NORRIS: We've learned a lot about him since then, including as our coverage yesterday pointed out, that he owes about $1,200 in back taxes. Andy Melton of Midlothian, Virginia was one of many listeners who didn't think our scrutiny was appropriate.
BLOCK: He writes, "Let me make sure I understand. If I'm given the rare opportunity to stand face to face with a presidential candidate, I need to have all my financial affairs in order and be briefed on the tax code before posing a difficult question lest I suffer the wrath of worldwide media scrutiny."
NORRIS: Our coverage also included a piece of satire, a trailer for an imagined TV show.
(Soundbite of television show)
ANNOUNCER: He's a small businessman who's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
JOE the PLUMBER: Credit lines clogged? Ben Bernanke's bidet. I'm on it.
ANNOUNCER: Joe the Plumber. It's the blockage, stupid.
NORRIS: Well, some of you did not find the humor in that, including David Murmur of Branchville, New Jersey.
BLOCK: "This mocking radio parody was completely absent of any comedy, he writes. In fact if comedy were even near that skit, it would've shriveled and died."
NORRIS: Ouch! We got another harsh review from Tim Dickson of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He writes, "I really want to like the bits of satire that ATC plays, but this is just really, really not funny. If you take all the funniness in the world and get rid of it, that's how much is there."
BLOCK: They love us, Michele. They've really, really love us.
NORRIS: Well, just not yesterday.
Credit goes to NPR for reading these letters on the air. It's something that other newscasts should emulate (NBC Nightly News has done a little bit of it.)
Here’s a little bit more of the script by Bruce Kluger, to prove it’s utterly unfunny:
ANNOUNCER: In a world of fiscal chaos, in a nation of flanged and insulated pipes, only one man can ensure the soundness of our economy and the smooth flow of our household sewage.
(Soundbite of phone ringing)
JOE THE PLUMBER: Joe the Plumber.
ANNOUNCER: From the creators of The West Wing, Dirty Jobs, and Bob the Builder comes a new series that probes the depths of political intrigue, even as it plunges the hairball from the powder room floors. Joe the Plumber.
(Soundbite of phone ringing)
HANK PAULSON: Joe, Hank Paulson here. Look, we've got ourselves in a heck of a mess, and I'm hoping you can help us. Wall Street's going down the drain. Credit's plugged up, and it looks like the trillion dollar bailout might not be enough. The economy is in the toilet. What can we do?
JOE THE PLUMBER: Have you tried using a snake?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
