Joe the Plumber deserved fate, but not fame

If Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. "Joe the Plumber" has his way, he may find himself in a higher tax bracket by Nov. 4, perhaps not benefiting under Barack Obama's tax plan, after all. While right-wing pundits decried the "liberal" media's treatment of Wurzelbacher as unfair, Wurzelbacher was busy taking advantage of his newfound fame, signing a publicist, seeking a book deal and planning a country music album.

So much for a simple everyman.

Joe Della Croce of The Press Office, who also represents Aaron Tippen, The Gatlin Brothers and, uh, the Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent, recently announced that his agency has picked up Joe the Plumber and the agency is determining how to market Wurzelbacher, musing that he may be a spokesperson for Home Depot or even record some of Tippen's songs. Tippen has accompanied John McCain on the campaign trail ever since he was name-dropped 15 times by McCain during the final debate between the two Presidential candidates.

Is it any wonder the "mainstream" media jumped all over Wurzelbacher? For one, the plumbing company the guy mentioned to Obama during their exchange does not make anywhere near $250,000. Not only that, but Wurzelbacher earned something to the tune of $40,000 last year, wasn't a licensed plumber and wasn't even named Joe. The guy was obviously not vetted very well.

Then, when the McCain campaign has the chutzpah to trot Wurzelbacher out to accompany Sarah Palin in Ohio, then field policy questions from attendees, only to reinforce racism and prejudice, one wonders if this erratic campaign, marred in the final week by talk of infighting between Sarah Palin's people and McCain's people, has finally fallen off its rails. When a member of the audience said, "A vote for Obama is a vote for the death to Israel," Wurzelbacher replied, "I would have to agree with you." Even Fox News hound Shepard Smith called him out on this, citing the rhetoric as a lie and calling the exchange "frightening."



Criticism of the mainstream media for prying into Wurzelbacher's life lacks merit. He obviously has not shied away from the spotlight, especially given his controversial remarks. Do we need to be reminded that Wurzelbacher initiated the exchange with Obama (during which he lied about his company's earnings, and his intentions)?

Perhaps after this election he will go down not just as a one-hit wonder and ill-advised campaign distraction, but as Joe the Opportunist.