Joe The Plumber Hires Eddie Money's Publicity Team, Eyes Book

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Like all good celebrities, Joe the Plumber has hired a publicity team.

The Press Office in Nashville, where clients include rockers Grand Funk Railroad and Eddie Money, will help him handle the flood of interview and appearance requests that have poured in since he was mentioned during a presidential debate and quickly became a household name.

"It's like any other celebrity who is in the public eye," said Jim Della Croce, who owns the agency. "There needs to be someone acting as a clearinghouse and interpreting the opportunities and coordinating the media requests, and he truly is being inundated."

Despite rumors to the contrary, he's not planning to release an album, though a book is in the works.

"He's not doing a country record," Della Croce said flatly Thursday. "I think that was an angle that was presumptuous."

Joe the Plumber, whose real name is Samuel J. "Joe" Wurzelbacher, 34, of Ohio, gained national attention when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told him during a campaign stop that he wanted to "spread the wealth around."

Their exchange about Obama's tax plan aired countless times on cable news programs. Republican nominee John McCain repeatedly cited Joe the Plumber in a debate, saying Obama's plan would hurt people like him who want to own their own businesses.

Wurzelbacher campaigned for the Republican ticket on his own bus tour around Ohio this week and appeared with Sarah Palin on Wednesday. His name comes up at just about every GOP rally.

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But with the election next week, what's next?

A lot of things are too premature to talk about, Della Croce said, but a book is already planned.

"Certainly Joe will go down in history and will be a celebrity regardless of which way the election turns," Della Croce said. "He is a curiosity. He's touched a nerve with the common man, and people are curious as to what's on his mind. I think he speaks for a lot of people."

So many, apparently, that he needs three managers at The Press Office, among them country singer Aaron Tippin. Wurzelbacher met Tippin, also a McCain supporter, when they appeared on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's Fox News talk show.

The media scrutiny hasn't always been kind to Wurzelbacher, who turned out to be an unlicensed plumber with unpaid back taxes.

At first, Wurzelbacher insisted he wanted no part of the spotlight and predicted he'd be a small footnote in the campaign.

"I'm a flash in the pan, a novelty. It's going to be a fun couple of days," he said.

It has lasted much longer.

Della Croce has managed rock stars, but Joe the Plumber is a special case.

"Never in 25 years have I seen this level of interest in a celebrity," Della Croce said.

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Associated Press Writer John Seewer contributed to this story from Toledo, Ohio.

Comments

[i-Own 1-House]

Yo Joe, your 15 min. expired when we found out you're no plumber.

Anyways how can someone making less than 40k a year afford a publicist? Where is the money coming from?

[The Lorax]

He's secretly selling palin's clothes and pins and shoes

[jugganaut]

And just look how Eddie Money's career is doing these days.

[Fredo777]

Nonsense.

Everyone wants to know what's on his mind? Nah.

We all know what's on his head, at least.

Gleam.

[pizzmoe]

Why are we still seeing this shmo on TV?

[bellabeach]

Well I wish Joe well, but I seriously doubt this man can read let alone write a book and who in the heck would read it! This is funny and the joke is on Joe...but maybe there would be a cabinet position waiting for him in the year 2040.

[suntzu]

Any book written by Joe the Plumber will be ghosted by professional writers. Oh yes, they will pick his brain for whatever half-baked opinions he may have, but it will be a manufactured product. And will sell like hotcakes. JTP the Next Big Thing, the next Congressman from Ohio.

[Jules1]

OMG, Get him and Palin off the stage and out of our hair, anyone want to start a petition at the petition site and get them both sent back to Alaska.

[CamJam]

good idea, but let's also add McCain as well!

[Rural Juror]

Celebrity? JTP? Does this mean all those freaks on Jerry Springer qualify as celebrities, too?

The book I would like to read would be a behind the scenes expose' from a McCain campaign staffer(s) as to who/how made all these idiotic maneuvers and what was really going on.

[gifu]

Eddie Money would be a shoe-in for the Federal Reserve Chair in a Palin/McCain Administration. With a last name like "Money" what other choice would America have, my Friends?

[Blue in NH]

Hey, Joe, your fifteen minutes are over. Go home!

[crws]

heh- he needs a mullet like Joe Dirt

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

...joke the plumber...joke un plumber...joke the dumber...

[skybine]

Joe the plumber is an insult to our intelligence. He is not like the us because we pay our taxes on time and we don't work without the proper license.

[eus]

Joe the Plumber should be an inspiration to us all. You too can become famous and get a book deal.

[WillCooney]

McCain complained that Obama has forced Joe to be scrutinized by the MSM and, invaded his right to privacy. Joe voluntarily stepped into the spot light and is now looking for a way to make a buck on his instant "celebrity" status. Fortunately, on Wednesday, 11/5, his ticket to "15 minutes of fame" will be punched and, he will recede into the ether. No one will be interested in anything he has to say.