Here is the CNN Anderson Cooper 360 transcript from Thursday, October 30 which documents where John McCain's friend "Joe the plumber" said "I'm going to go vote for a real American, John McCain:"
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRA...
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
Sprint to Election Day; Obama Addresses Supporters in Missouri
Aired October 30, 2008 - 22:00 ET
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: "Touted by the McCain campaign as a working-class symbol, Joe did show up for the next two events and probably proved himself a better plumber than politician.
JOE WURZELBACHER, RESIDENT OF OHIO: I'm going to go vote for a real American, John McCain."
Right after this report about "Joe the plumber," I think that Anderson Cooper was very sharp to ask "Candy, we saw Joe the plumber there calling John McCain -- saying a real American, I guess implying that Barack Obama is somehow not a real American" and to bring up his celebrity status saying "maybe his agent and also his public relations has, because I understand he has now got quite a team around him:"
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: "Candy, we saw Joe the plumber there calling John McCain -- saying a real American, I guess implying that Barack Obama is somehow not a real American. Does the McCain campaign control what Joe the plumber says?
(LAUGHTER)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, I don't think anybody has any control over Joe the plumber, and pretty much the beauty of him, I think.
Look, he has been taken up as this symbol of working-class Americans. He has been very free in what he says. And, you know, it's America. And, you know, John McCain can't control even what some people inside his campaign say, much less those outside his campaign. I think Joe the plumber is going to say anything he wants to.
COOPER: Well, I think, also, anything maybe his agent and also his public relations has, because I understand he has now got quite a team around him.
CROWLEY: Hey, you know, if you have got it, use it.
COOPER: It's America, exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
CROWLEY: It is. It is.
COOPER: Fifteen minutes, the clock ticks fast..."
John McCain in my opinion CANNOT have it both ways with "Joe the plumber." You cannot have it where as Candy Crowley said "I don't think anybody has any control over Joe the plumber" and "I think Joe the plumber is going to say anything he wants to" when he is actively campaigning for McCain with a high profile surrogate like Rob Portman:
http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.co...
October 27th, 2008 6:10 PM Eastern
Joe the Plumber to campaign for McCain
by Mosheh Oinounou
"Joe Wurzelbacher, aka "Joe the Plumber," will be making his first appearance on the campaign trail Tuesday on behalf of the McCain campaign.
Wurzelbacher will join former Rep. Rob Portman and several small business owners for a bus tour across Ohio tomorrow starting at a flag shop in Columbus with additional planned stops in Dayton, Middletown, Milford and Cincinnati..."
"Joe the plumber" also very stupidly said in public "a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel," Mr. Wurzelbacher replied, "I'll go ahead and agree with you on that:"
http://www.dallasnews.com/shar...
Joe the Plumber links Obama to Israel's end
12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - "Joe the Plumber, campaigning for John McCain on Tuesday, agreed with a supporter of the Republican nominee that a vote for Barack Obama "is a vote for the death of Israel."
In a rally at a flag store, the Ohio man - whose real name is Samuel Wurzelbacher - said he feared that Mr. Obama would turn the U.S. into a socialist nation.
When the McCain supporter asked him if he believed "a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel," Mr. Wurzelbacher replied, "I'll go ahead and agree with you on that." He didn't elaborate on how Mr. Obama, who has said his commitment to Israeli security is "nonnegotiable," would be bad for the Jewish state.
McCain aides told Fox News that the candidate doesn't share Mr. Wurzelbacher's opinion on Mr. Obama's view toward Israel..."
Here is the YouTube video of "Joe The Plumber" making this stupid comment and being interviewed about it by Shepard Smith of FOX News:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Joe The Plumber: Obama Will Bring "Death Of Israel" (5:24)
Added: October 28, 2008
"Fox's Shepard Smith Forced To Offer Disclaimer After Joe The Plumber Interview."
Here are my four conclusions about "Joe The Plumber" that I think people need to know about:
1) "Joe The Plumber" sounds like a Neocon ideologue to me which is NOT representative of your "average Joe" in middle America. In my opinion, "Joe The Plumber" is in the same pot of stew with other Neocon Republican ideologues such as Randy Kuhl, Michelle Bachmann, Robin Hayes, and Sarah Palin who have all made similar comments to "I'm going to go vote for a real American, John McCain:"
http://securingamerica.com/ccn...
Eric Massa's opponent Randy Kuhl: Democrats want people "to suffer and to hurt"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on October 26, 2008 - 9:53am.
2) John McCain cannot have it both ways with "Joe The Plumber." If he is out actively campaigning for McCain with his celebrity status and with the media watching him, then the McCain campaign should be held accountable for what he says!
John McCain in my opinion is trying to have his cake and eat it too by letting "Joe The Plumber" go out and campaign for him to try and win votes while at the same time not wanting to be held responsible for the stupid and irresponsible things that he says. That is clearly a double standard in my opinion!
If John McCain is worried that "Joe The Plumber" might say some stupid things on the campaign trail, then he should not put him out there. If he does, then he should be held accountable for what he says!
3) "Joe The Plumber" is also NOT your "average Joe" when he has celebrity status and if he has an agent and a public relations team around him. How many "average Joe's" in middle America have all of this?
4) "Joe The Plumber" sounds like a fraud and a McCain campaign gimmick to me when even according to FOX News "he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes," when his real "name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher," and when "State and local records show Wurzelbacher has no license:"
http://elections.foxnews.com/2...
'Joe the Plumber' Owes $1,200 in Back Taxes
He became an overnight political celebrity when both presidential candidates mentioned him at their debate, but there's more to know about 'Joe'
"Joe the plumber" in my opinion should be a liability to the McCain campaign because of his controversial statements and background. John McCain also needs to make a firm decision to either put "Joe the plumber" on the campaign trail accepting full responsibility for what he says or not allow him out on the campaign trail if he is not willing to accept full responsibility for him. He should NOT have it both ways!
Please forward this information on so that more people know the truth about "Joe the plumber!"
This is also cross-posted on Gen. Wes Clark's blog with comments:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn...
Mitch Dworkin
http://www.securingamerica.com/
http://securingamerica.com/ccn...
RESOURCES: Speeches, Articles, and Career Highlights to help define Gen. Clark!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on July 7, 2008 - 2:51pm.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn...
StopIranWar.com: "War is not the answer"
Submitted by Wes Clark on February 21, 2007 - 11:40am.
http://www.securingamerica.com...
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!