Joe The Plumber: Obama Tap Dances Like "Sammy Davis Jr."

In a phone interview with CBS' Katie Couric, Joe Wurzelbacher said Barack Obama "tap dance[d] ... almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr." in their conversation. He also said he didn't actually make enough to fall into the group whose taxes would be raised under Obama -- but argued that it was a "slippery slope." Watch:

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Comments

[gadfly55]

McCain declared Joe is rich, and McCain will look after rich people, all 5%. Great, now who is voting for him?

[DebB]

That's the republican smoke screen. Make people think they are "rich" when they really are just the "working poor". McCains real "rich" people are those in the top 1% or 5% I can't remember what it is, but I'm sure no plumber is in his actual "rich" category (except maybe the guy who owns the Kohler Company).

[lioness39]

With cries of "Joe Six Pack" and "Joe the plumber" emanating from both GOP candidates, it seems we have a budding class war on our hands. Go one step further and you have a race war. This is not good, voters. We need to put a people of character and cool intelligence in office - Obama and Biden come to mind.

[gadfly55]

Poor Joe, he can join Palin in Vegas for the show the neocons will put together to drown their sorrows that rich people don't run the Ameican anymore.

[kirby66]

How is it that Joe the Plumber got to the point where he is ready to purchase a business with what has been called the "failing" economic policies of the last eight years? AND, he did it without Government help!
I would like to see the MSM dodge this one...

[ckfan]

Joe is not the average voter. He estimated his earnings last year to be between $260,000 - $270,000.

[kimbari]

He's RICH!

[tydicea]

Joe was in all likelihood a republican plant, sent to the Obama rally to bait the candidate. What we've seen of McCain's tactics thus far, I wouldn't put anything beyond the man.

[butterworth]

I got the gut feeling there was something odd about this "Joe the Plumber" thing. Just before "Joe" popped up in 0bama's crowd, the right-wing callers to radio shows were wetting themselves trying to come up with all kinds of scenarios in an attempt to convince everyone 0bama is bad for small businesses, and therefore the middle class. If it can be proven that "Joe" is a plant, I want the MSM to report it!! Especially if he is in any way related to Keating.

The whole thing is stupid anyway. IF "Joe" clears enough after deductions to still fall in the $250,000+ category, he is making more than 95% of other Americans. So why should I feel sorry for "poor Joe"?

[redsongia]

Who cares if he's a plant. Everyone on tv and radio can be a plant.

It doesn't change the fact that most people won't make that much money, and so no one really commiserates with his plight of making more than 250, 000 a year as a plumber with no college loans to repay.

Good luck to you Joe, I'm a lawyer making 110,000 with student debt and I feel pretty fortunate. I wouldn't complain if my taxes went up a grand or two, if it was going toward education and not war.

[Beka13]

THIS GUY ANSWERS KATIE'S QUESTIONS BETTER THAN SARAH PALIN DOES...MAY­BE MCCAIN IS GOIGN TO DUMP HER FOR HIM????

[gcallaghan]

He's got as much executive experience as her plus he knows how to unclog a drain.

[ymuttley]

It comes tt find out that Joe the plummer is regesterd,that people got the name spelled wrong

[YaddaYaddaBoom]

Joe the Plumber? Sounds like Joe, the Plant. I want to see W-2's before I think he'll pay more taxes. Also, here's an interesting coincidence ... someone with the same last name connected to the Keating 5 mess? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DF173DF935A25756C0A964958260 Also learned he's not registered to vote this election. Guess it won't matter who he prefers for Prez ... he won't be making that selection.

[JamieJay]

FYI: Joe Wurzelbacker aka "Joe the Plumber" (from Toledo, Ohio) may not even be a plumber, and may not be planning to buy a plumbing business where he will be netting $250K a year. He isn't in the Toledo Yellow Pages, and HE ISN'T EVEN REGISTERED TO VOTE, AND IS A MEMBER OF THE NATURAL LAW PARTY (NLP)!! LOL! It's more likely that his existence as a plumber was just as sincere as Sarah Plain asking Joe Biden if she can call him "Joe". Isn't it also interesting that "Joe the Plumber" is buying a business that is making a profit of EXACTLY $250K, the Obama tax break minimum? Add to that Wurzelbacher doesn't appear in the Toledo Yellow Pages listings, yet has been able to put together at least $1M to invest, especially in these dire economic times. We now begin to wonder whether Joe is even a plumber or did someone in the McCain campaign find him in central casting. So, stay tuned.

[CaliTLC]

Get out. Do these people know how to use internet search engines?

[WasteNJ]

Are you kidding? Why are we looking at one dude and putting him on TV like he's something more significant that any one of us? Never mind the racist comment about Sammy Davis Jr. Obviously the guy is a Republican who tried to stump Obama, and failed.

[jimspy]

I'm a liberal who disagrees with the off-handed tossing about of the "R" word. That's right, the "R" word is such a nasty word that, like the "N" word, I don't think it should be utterred with such abandon. It happens that Sammy Davis Jr. was the greatest tap-dancer of all time. If you're going to make the analogy of tap-dancing to convey that someone avoids issues, and you want to say that someone is really, really good at it, then you compare them to the greatest of all time, no matter what their color.

Yes, racism is still a problem in this country. Yes, people make racist remarks, both direct and passive. But I think we need to stop and think before we call someone the "R" word, and if there is another interpretation for their comments, to be charitable and give them the benefit of the doubt, and for this reason if no other: There is absolutely no way to peer into their heart when they say, "No, that's not what I was thinking, honest!" Think about it. How would they prove otherwise?

[mathme]

Racist? I thought it was a "half blind" comment! Now I'm really mad!

[JamieJay]

Joe is a plumber who needs to spend some money to hire an accountant. He and McCain apparently do not know the difference between personal and business taxes. If he nets more than $250k, he should pay more taxes. He is speculating and probably actually makes less than $100k; which he will actually benefit from Obama's plan.

[skando]

I can't find the clip, but in the debate, didn't McCain say that he spoke with Joe the Plumber?

Joe tells Katie, "I have yet to meet McCain..."