Apparently he's NOT a plumber (at least, he's not a member of the plumber's union covering the area, Local 50) and doesn't have a licence to operate.
Quote:
"We checked with his neighbours and they say they have never seen a service truck in his driveway," said the union's business manager, Thomas Joseph.
Wurzelbacher said the lack of paperwork had a simple explanation: he works for a small plumbing company on residential properties, so he has no need for a licence of his own. Which in turn raises the question, how can a relatively lowly employee of a tiny plumbing company contemplate buying up a concern with the prospect of turning over more than $250,000 a year?
...
So far, he has not revealed which way he is going to vote. But one thing we do know is that his dislike of handing money to the government is genuine. Last year he had an order placed on him for failure to pay $1,182.92 in back taxes
He was on his own front lawn playing football with his kid when Obama approached him. This is just the standard hypocritical democratic response to anyone who doesn't bow down to "The One".
The following is a copy of an email sent to a journalist from a pissed off individual regarding these attacks which he posted on his blog...
Getting a lot of emails along these lines:
I don't know why I'm e-mailing you, except that I just need to vent to someone on The Corner. Pass this around to the others if you like — I bet I'm not the only one.
I really don't like McCain. I'll probably vote for him just as a vote for divided government. I'm far too libertarian in my leanings to be comfortable with McCain (or Obama, for that matter).
That said, the way the pro-Obama media and bloggers, and Obama himself, have responded to Joe has got me nearly shaking with rage. They are attempting to destroy a man — a private citizen — who had the audacity to ask The One a question. Mind you, Joe was on his front lawn playing football with his son when Obama strolled up to give him his hopenchange spiel. Obama approached Joe, not the other way around. And Joe asked Obama an honest question. And Obama gave him an honest — and very, very revealing — answer. Again, mind you, the embarassment was on Obama's end, not Joe's. It wasn't a gotcha question.
And yet, for that Joe is being pilloried, every aspect of his private and professional life being sorted through and exposed. To prove ... what? What does that have to do with Obama's answer? What does Joe's situation have to do with Obama's philosophical answer — that he wants to "spread the wealth"? Obama's answer goes down the memory hole while the nation concentrates its fire on obliterating Joe the Plumber.
It's sickening, it's maddening and it's downright chilling.
Sorry for the length. But I am just SEETHING.
Looks like the atavistic attacks on Joe are having an even worse effect on Obama than the original question and answer. What is it they say about these incidents in politics?
Oh yes, It's never the actual event that drags you down, it's the cover up.....
a) Might have guessed Orac would quote from NRO.
b) All the editions of the Obama/Wurzelbacher encounters I have seen don't show anything of football or Obama approaching him. They show Obama encircled by a crowd and Wurzelbacher coming up to Obama.
c) I don't see anything hypocritical about enquiring into the truth surrounding incidents leading up to the election of one of the world's most powerful posts.
d) Interesting use of the word "atavistic". Perhaps trying to make it sound like an insult. In the context it is completely meaningless.
e) Err - cover-up? What cover-up? Orac, have you totally lost your marbles? Or has your paranoia about anyone politically to the left of Maggie Thatcher totally blinded you?
"The market" decided that all the banks in the U.S. were full of crap (literally and figuratively.) Why are they still in business if "the market" decides ? Why is Mr. Blankfein still making millions a year ? He evidently didn't earn anything. He lost it.
We all know what "Joe the Plumber" does. He serves a useful purpose. He brings water in and makes the waste go out. If he does a bad job we make him come back and fix it. Or he goes out of business. Why is Mr. Blankfein still in business ?
Oh, and the original questions still stands. Where did the $70 million come from ? And what makes anybody -- anybody -- worth $70 million a year ? I'd take a tenth of that (or a tenth of that) and I could lose billions for my clients too.
Sorry about the drift, but Tom Wolfe is one you'd probably like.
He wrote "Bonfire of the Vanities" (brought Gordon Gecko fame), as well as "The Right Stuff" and many others.
He's currently working on another novel about immigrants in Miami. His likes to strip away all the pretense of race, class, politics, etc. and describe the human failures that bedevil us. That's really what we're talking about in these threads, humans doing bad and dumb things, whether they are left, right or indifferent.
Pity the Nobel prize committee is too provincial to see that.
Looks like the atavistic attacks on Joe are having an even worse effect on Obama than the original question and answer. What is it they say about these incidents in politics?
I do love it when someone sends me scurrying to the dictionary. (credit William F. Buckley)
Let's see, Obama takes the time to answer a question. Republicans latch onto the answer with glee and hold "Joe" up as all that is right with America. Turns out "Joe" has a few "problems". Whoops. (Nasty Democrats)
Best line on Jon Stewart last night: "Joe the Plumber" has done more interviews than Sara Palin. (Nasty Democrats)
Our country has survived without many, many things. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..." Only one is "necessary" and even that is debatable.
You have repeatedly been asked:
Quote:
Now, please clarify which one among life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness you feel is debatably necessary.
Your comment is very surprising coming from an American.
I'm sure I am not the only one really interested in your elaboration on the comment. And no, it doesn't stand alone. You left it vague and are being asked to explain your intent. Please.
...the human failures that bedevil us. That's really what we're talking about in these threads, humans doing bad and dumb things, whether they are left, right or indifferent.
Which is why we Americans have (theoretically) a limited form of government, so that the failings of any one human can only have limited effect. Them guys who wrote the Constitution (and particularly the Tenth Amendment) knew what they were doing, after all.
Now then - if only Chris Dodd and Barney Frank and Maxine Waters and Babs Boxer and Nancy Pelosi and.... would only READ the thing!
Literally -- look at the pictures (graphs) on the page. Seriously. I'm sure this is fundamentally flawed somehow. It can't possibly be true that it would be in the Average Joe's (the Plumber, Six-pack, take your pick) best interest to vote Democratic. Could it ?
Them guys who wrote the Constitution (and particularly the Tenth Amendment) knew what they were doing, after all.
Agreed. That's all part of the ponderous (but beautiful) checks and balances they built into our system. This article shows how that unique concept is threatened with a liberal supermajority for years to come...
Cool. How much did Social Security earn over the same period?
BTW, I think history will show that the stock market run-up in the 1990's under Bill Clinton has less to do with presidential action, and more to do with a unique confluence of tech innovation (unrelated to Clinton), misplaced end-of-cold-war euphoria (remember Fukuyama's nonsense...and also unrelated to Clinton) and irrational exuberance that comes with a financial bubble (remember Greenspan and tulips in Holland...and also unrelated to Clinton).
Cool. How much did Social Security earn over the same period?
No idea. But I bet it will still be paid out. Unlike a lot of 401Ks.
Random thought -- Did the bankrupt airlines default on their frequenct flier miles when they defaulted on their pensions ? My wife says we still have frequenct flier miles. Any retired Delta pilot want to chime in about their pension ?
If you think the polls are bad right now, just wait for the end of the month when the bills are due.
Linear Mode
