Joe the Plumber, the ordinary guy who audaciously asked Obama a question about taxes, is caught in the fierce spotlight of media disapproval.
The New York Times Politics Blog "The Caucus" shined a bright, interrogation light into the background of Samuel J.Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber) on Oct. 16.
The post by Larry Rohter and Liz Robbins rushed to point out that Joe "is not a licensed plumber." Armed with the statement from Local 50 plumber's union, Rohter and Robbins attacked Joe for "playing games with the world."
But the bloggers were playing games by burying one easy explanation for that fact.
"Unlike some other states, Ohio does not have a formal statewide licensing system for plumbers. But the city of Toledo and other municipalities do," the blog post said 10 paragraphs later.
The Times bloggers also dismissed Joe's question about Obama's tax plan saying, "The premise of his question to Mr. Obama about taxes may also be flawed, according to tax analysts."
No "tax analysts" were quoted to support that statement, but the bloggers found room to mention that Joe "owes a bit in back taxes" and has been subject to two liens. They also said Joe told the AP he felt like Britney Spears because of all the attention.
The Times bloggers were too busy attacking Joe to spotlight the truth about Obama's tax plan.
A recent Wall Street Journal editorial called "Obama's 95% Illusion" took aim at the presidential candidate's plan to supposedly "cut taxes" for working families by using the words tax cut instead of refundable tax credits.
That editorial exposed the illusion:
"It's a clever pitch, because it lets him pose as a middle-class tax cutter while disguising that he's also proposing one of the largest tax increases ever on the other 5%. But how does he conjure this miracle, especially since more than a third of all Americans already pay no income taxes at all? There are several sleights of hand, but the most creative is to redefine the meaning of 'tax cut.'"
So if, as the editorial pointed out, 44 percent of Americans would no longer pay any income tax under Obama's plan (thanks to Obama's tax credits) where does that leave Joe and everyone else?
Brian Sullivan from Fox Business Network's "New Ideas" blog said, "I don't need to tell you that means 56% of us would be facing much higher tax bills."
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.
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Comments Policy
Is Joe a terrorist
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:20 ET by Alpedhuez55I bet the New York Times will have their crack investigative team write
a Pulitzer Prize winning article uncovering materials commonly used for making
pipe bombs in the back of Joe's van!!!
===========================
"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form."
-- Winston Churchill
""The premise of his
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:27 ET by Chris Norman""The premise of his question to Mr. Obama about taxes may also be flawed, according to tax analysts."
I guess we can add "tax analysts" to the list of "critics", "some people", "knowledgable sources" etc.
Thanks to the Obama '08 Rapid Response Team - The Mainstream Media - New York Times Division.
McNotObama '08
ALERT!!! JOE WILL BE ON CAVUTO!!!
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:31 ET by TheSterJOE ON CAVUTO @ 3:20pm cst!!! Fox News Channel!!!
I'll be watching!!!
Ster.
Yeah Ster I know... I'm
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:36 ET by bigtimerYeah Ster I know...
I'm watching Cavuto too...I cannot take the other channels that I flip it to today to check out the enemy within and their filthy spin...I cannot take it today...
The fight is on...big-time....!
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Wow.. it's amazing to watch
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:31 ET by rimskyWow.. it's amazing to watch this evolve. Does anybody remember exactly what the conversation was between Joe and Barry?
The one statement from Barry that still sticks in my craw is what he said about "spreading the wealth" around. I think that alone is what Joe was hammered about, and who, besides your run of the mill sicko socialist, can blame him?
All these socialist libs want to re-distribute our hard earned income.
There's one way to be on the receiving end of their re-distribution. Stop working... be a bum... they'll take care of you.
Isn't "Spreading the wealth
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 18:05 ET by dmntd1Isn't "Spreading the wealth around" the job of an employer? He earns money, spreads it around to his employers, who then spread it around even more? Why would the gorenment think they could do better than Joe the Plumber, or Joe Six-Pack?
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy." - Winston Churchill
Isn't that nice,
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:31 ET by NorthCoasterIsn't that nice, a stand up guy from Mid-America gets a chance to make comments that mean something to most Americans and he gets trashed. Really lets you understand what will happen if Obama gets to the Whitehouse.
Well Joe You're in good company with Sarah Pallin and her family, John McCain and his family. The members of the Bush Presidency have had to put up with this derision for 8 years too. I can think of othe Patriots that could be addad to the list but I think you get the picture.
I guess the right to speak your opinion gets tossed if Obama gets the Whithouse.
It's a message to us
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:33 ET by Chris NormanIt's a message to us conservative peasants to stay in our place and mind our manners.
McNotObama '08
AMAZING!!!
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:39 ET by Secret ConservativeThe MSM claim they don't get daily talking points from the Dems, but today all the news is about bashing the poor guy who had the AUDACITY to ask Barack Obama a LEGITIMATE question, where his answer revealed his strong socialist tendencies. Instead of being up in arms about Obama's answer, we have to shoot and discredit the questioner. I don't care what this man's background is, or what his bona fides are, he isn't the one who LIES about what he wants or what he believes, Obama does! So since the MSM can't credibly refute what Obama said, they have to destroy the guy who prompted him to say it. I know the Clintions invented (or at least perfected) the politics of personal destruction, but the Obama campaign and the MSM have taken the approach and made it their own.
Notice that none of these
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:09 ET by SlicksterNotice that none of these MSM morons say anything to Joe face to face. Don't worry Joe, let them wallow in their own shit the next time their toilet breaks.
I see a plus to this...
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:15 ET by HeavyChevyIF the msm keeps this up they are going to turn Joe into a folk hero because one thing the average American don't like is when the media or Hollywood for that matter tear into the little guy who's just trying to look out for the well being of his family.
YO JOE!!
"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."
Good ol' Joe may make some
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:22 ET by bigtimerGood ol' Joe may make some $$$ from who knows from this all... Maybe enough to buy the business he wants eventually...
....wouldn't that be the cats meow....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Joe's new job?
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:29 ET by vrwc13Federal Reserve Chairman or Treasury Secretary when John and Sarah win?
v
Bt...Actually..One guy is making $$$!!
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:50 ET by TheSterI went ahead and tried www.joetheplumber.com and its a real web site of...wait for it...A REAL PLUMBER!!!
Can you imagine the traffic this guy is getting with the media and Liberal blogs trying to dig up trash on Joe???
I would LOVE to see a campaign add by McCain like the new Windows Vista commercials. It shows regular people...Small Business owners saying..."I'm Joe The Plumber".
Ster.
The progressives are once
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:26 ET by ConservativeRexThe progressives are once again set on the ruination of our country. This crap has all happened in the United States before. With Obami we are headed for another facist dictatorship. There is nothing new in politics. Obami will just be following in the footsteps of his democratic ancestors, FDR and Woodrow Wilson, both dictators of the 20th century. Back to class warfare. The crudgel they are using now is the "rich" don't pay enough taxes. Never mind the facts to the opposite, the willing media of a dictator will get his words out.
We just need to buck up, and get ready for bad, bad times for Conservatives. Under an Obami dictatorship I will be surprised if sites like this are still allowed to stay up and legal. His goons are everywhere, just like Woodrow Wilson's goons were everywhere stifling free speech. I repeat, there is nothing new in politics, it has happened here before.
plumber hands out the beatdown
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:31 ET by tonemeisterpeople used to call plumbers "turd herders". that is, until your kid flushes a teletubbie (hopefully the purple one) down the toilet. and now, "the one" is brought low by a tradesman. all obamas education, consultants etc. and the plumbers just stepped on the cake.. remember hots on the left, colds on the right and shit runs down hill. if he sees someone who says they are a mechanic or carpenter ...run, barry, run..
The elitist Messiah strikes again.
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:43 ET by mizflame98The Obamanation is mocking Joe now.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Joes_bracket.html?showall
“Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”
B.H. Obama
miz... That he has been
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:55 ET by bigtimermiz...
That he has been today, I have heard his own words, the arrogance of this alone is going to be his own defeat...
Talk about an empty-suit who doesn't get the real world..at all.
Joe the plumber is going to be our winner..our God-send!
As an aside, this really infuriates me about how the msm once again show that they know nothing about plumbing, licensing, master license and so forth...each state also being different, I could go on and on...my brother is a plumber, has been for years, took second jobs while working for his boss until he got his master license while raising his kids, he now has his own successful business, he works 12-16 hr. days at times...nothing has made me madder with the msm than this for a very long time.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
I feel ya.
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 17:00 ET by mizflame98These elitist pr*cks don't understand us working class. I'm married to a firefighter who also works a second job so I can stay home and raise the kids. We're doing good but I don't see Obama helping us out. My hubby's second job is a private ambulance service (one of those small businesses). When Obama gets into office, I wonder if my hubby will continue to have his second job.
“Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”
B.H. Obama
And Joe the gaffe machine...
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:58 ET by mizflame98...had to jump into the act:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j66LUroXUck
“Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”
B.H. Obama
take off on John Edwards
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:48 ET by dark_dswhen he said there is two America's he meant the America of Joe Biden and the America of Joe the Plumber
now the question for the electorate is which Joe will you stand with
Two Americas
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 22:27 ET by NorthCoasterGreat idea dark! Joe Biden and Joe the plumber!
Hypocrisy
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 17:41 ET by bmovies"The New York Times Politics Blog "The Caucus" shined a bright, interrogation light into the background of Samuel J.Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber) on Oct. 16."
But when it comes to liberals and Democrats posing as "lifelong republicans", they just dont have the time to do a little background checking.
They spend even less time
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 17:46 ET by mizflame98They spend even less time vetting the chosen one.
“Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”
B.H. Obama
bmovies... Yeah, this has
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 17:55 ET by bigtimerbmovies...
Yeah, this has been something else today with the left-wing msm...I just heard Dick Gregory say Joe isn't even his real name, it's Samuel Joesph blah blah blah...well excuse me...
Millions of us go by our middle names....what world do they live in?
I cannot believe the length they are going to to try to discredit this man...
Tell me again they aren't terrified...
LMAO!
By the way, Dick, I wonder if your full name is Dick on your birth certificate... If it is, it fit's you well, and I'll even throw in Head after Dick...
As an aside to all posters here...
No offense to anyone whose name is Dick out here, my father in-law and an Uncle go by that name, but their first name is Richard....and they aren't Dick-Heads.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
BT
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 04:58 ET by cocodrieWoke up - couldn't get back to sleep, now I'm laughing so hard I'll never get back to sleep.
Joe just a unlicensed scab, says Union thug
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 06:33 ET by SickofLibsOMG! A union rep says Joe is an illegitimate plumber?
Typical union BS; unless you're a dues-paying member, you're a POS, and don't deserve to work. That's the union way.