Meet Joe the Plumber:

[Subdivisions]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA

[amdezurik]

1. seen it, joe did not help himself

to my mind. came off as a complainer whining "why ME???? I'Special!!!"

[GinaMaria]

2. Clearly a repub plant

This was a set up for this debate, to give McLoser a way to be folksy and connect with humans while driving his accusation of Socialism. He failed. I'm not sure most people know of the video. It may have sounded like McStunt pulled a half assed scenario from, well, his ass.

[Hubert Flottz]

21. I couldn't agree more...

My message to Joe the plant...Flush that John...it's been stinking the place up for too damned long.

And wipe all those Karl Rove finger prints off of Joe the Bummer.

[2speak]

14. I have owned several businesses. First you can only be taxed

on profit. If he brought home $250,000 in salary and his payroll was $600,000 this business would have to be in the 1.5mill range on gross receipts. Net profit for the corporation might be in the $250,000 range there are many operating costs for this size business. Bottom line that is a total of $500,000 for him and his company. Screw him! I am more worried about his workers, they can vote for Obama. One of him for the Repugs and 19 for Obama. I see no problem.

[amdezurik]

16. dammed straight

n/t

[unpossibles]

3. Call me skeptical

Does anyone else wonder if this guy is really making $250K or that his business' profit is that much?

[johnnie]

5. I agree

It's bullshit

[MrMickeysMom]

6. No, I don't think we could, and that's very telling...

... IMO, if he's gonna be a start up, I'd say it would take some time to make that kind of money. If he employed other plumbers, then it sure would.

This sure smelled like a plant, and when I saw the debate tonight, that light bulb went, "ding".

Plumbing, by the way, was the most expensive thing I paid for when I had a bathroom gutted and re-done.

[unpossibles]

8. I realize plumbing is expensive

but so are the materials and tools and other expenses. $250 profit is a decent amount too.

[MrMickeysMom]

15. We need decency back

It used to be decent to have the cap raised on earnings and this was in large part what I believe led to a bigger middle class during the late 50's and early 60's when I was just a sprout.

So, why can't we return to decency? I'm in agreement that we can.

[Cronus Protagonist]

10. I could see a small plumbing business GROSSING $250,000

Obama, with 20/20 hindsight, might have done better to ask about that, but in any case, if he wuz gonna make the cash, there ya go.

[rzemanfl]

4. That extra 3 per cent is really going to kill that guy when he is

making $250K.

[MrMickeysMom]

7. Yeah, ain't it the truth... same tax structure as under Clinton...

... when things were so bad, eh?

Wasn't the tax structure under Eisenhower much higher? That was when the middle class was exploding, too, I believe.

[unpossibles]

9. exactly

not to mention that his money would actually go further, AND his customers could actually afford his services, unlike if they were under a flat tax. I'm sorry, but it's difficult to be too empathetic to the plight of someone concerned with spending an extra $1000 because they make over 6-7 times what I do. Or at least, they claim to.

[Donnachaidh]

11. yeah, thousands are losing jobs, but here is "Joe"

Whining and crying because he might be taxed a bit more after he BUYS a business for a QUARTER of a MILLION DOLLARS. Boo freaking hoo Joe. :nopity: :nopity:

[uncle ray]

17. he said the business profits 250k a year.

that would make the business "worth" at least several million.

[Donnachaidh]

12. self delete - dupe. n/t

[the blues]

13. I had not seen this before the debate...

...so I really didn't know exactly what McCain was talking about (ok, not unusual). But now that I've witnessed the interaction firsthand, I see that Obama addressed the question straight-on, like the stand-up guy that he is. By referring to Joe as "Joe the Plumber," McCain was trying to create the impression that Joe was a struggling blue-collar guy who would be slammed by Obama's plan. In fact, it sounds like Joe is a successful small businessman who might feel a slight pinch.

[ContinentalOp]

18. This was such a major part of the debate that somebody needs to investigate this guy.

I'd love to find out what the real deal is with his business, how much he makes, and what the effect would be to his take home pay under Obama and McCain.

[pam4water]

19. Thanks for finding that. I did know there was a Joe the plumber even as a plant.

Seems like a disproportionate number of republican plants are bald.

[The Magistrate]

20. Actual Name, Sir, Seems To Be Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4247159&mesg_id=4247159

[ColbertWatcher]

22. My favorite part starts at 4:26. Thank you for posting. n/t

[TexasObserver]

23. He's probably a plant, and he's WRONG.

The CPA who does his own plumbing and the plumber who does his own accounting will both end up knee deep in their own shit.