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Joe the Plumber to become war correspondent in Israel

Published January 7, 2009 at 11:46 a.m.
Updated January 7, 2009 at 11:46 a.m.

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Joe Wurzelbacher, dubbed  "Joe the Plumber" by the McCain campaign.

Photo by Associated Press

Joe Wurzelbacher, dubbed "Joe the Plumber" by the McCain campaign.

— Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter's notebook.

The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher says he'll spend 10 days covering the fighting.

He tells WNWO-TV in Toledo that he wants to let Israel's "'Average Joes' share their story." Wurzelbacher gained attention during the final weeks of the campaign when he asked Barack Obama about his tax plan.

He later joined Republican John McCain on the campaign trail. At one stop, he agreed with a McCain supporter who asked if he believed a vote for Obama was a vote for the death of Israel.

Comments

  • January 7, 2009

    11:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Oh please! I'm calling shenanigans!

    Sorry Journalism graduates, we just gave your job to a schmuck!

  • January 7, 2009

    12:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dilligaf writes:

    I love it the people of the world gets to continue seeing the republican circus. Make sure we give this guy a Bennie hat with the little propeller on top. And they wonder why the have been loosing elections.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SheikYurBooty writes:

    Could he even find Israel on a map??? Has he ever even met a Jew or Muslim?? Can he spell "Gaza?" The last thing that is needed over there is stunt journalism.

    Why not just send him to Alaska to cover Levi's Mother's drug trial or Levi's impending shotgun wedding for Entertainment Tonight???

  • January 7, 2009

    12:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Squatch writes:

    Just goes to show your 15 minutes will get you a job before someone who has experience or education but he wasn’t even a licensed plumber anyway.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JB writes:

    Amen Hank. There are hundreds of young journalists who are actually qualified to do this and who would kill for the opportunity. This is a cheap gimmick and whoever hired him to do this is a disgrace to journalism.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    drkenne writes:

    This is news because....? Thank you John McCain for presenting us with two of the most laughable characters of 2008. Now it's 2009 and it's time for both of them to fade away.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    INC writes:

    SheikYurBooty, Squatch,
    I cannot agree more!!!

  • January 7, 2009

    12:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dwood writes:

    This is embarrassing!!!! Make it go away.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Marshdale writes:

    This guy can barely complete a sentence verbally. Which leads me to state the obvious. Can he write a .............?

  • January 7, 2009

    12:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HopiMedicineMan writes:

    It's show business. I would expect nothing less. Man you talk about about a life of fate.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Marshdale writes:

    Apparently pjtv.com was looking for press. They got it. I'm not sure it is good press though. However, the uninformed will continue to be so.

  • January 7, 2009

    12:48 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Hopi,
    Do you know the poet called Faron from the Roadrunner Clan?

  • January 7, 2009

    12:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    RightDownTheMiddle writes:

    What's priceless is the face of the GOP now consists of Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin....

    Good luck with all that Repubs!

  • January 7, 2009

    1:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    pete10000ft writes:

    ouch

  • January 7, 2009

    1:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    law1 writes:

    So the plumber without a licencse is now the journalist without any experience or a degree.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Coming up next on the Schmegma Channel:
    The Average Putz!

  • January 7, 2009

    1:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MileHighPatriot writes:

    it's pjtv guys.. not that big of a deal. they prob can't afford to pay real journo's. what the heck is pjtv anyway?

  • January 7, 2009

    1:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Craig writes:

    No doubt he'll be accompanied by an entourage of cable news reporters dutifully reporting his every utterance.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dilligaf writes:

    WOW!!!!!! This has been the longest I've see where we haven't see anything from all the cons. Where are you Nobama? About you rick? How about you freeman2night? Oh tjpadriot where are you? Has anybody seen LocknLoad

  • January 7, 2009

    1:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HowieStupid writes:

    Do you need a lic. to be journalist? ON-LINE journalism is for wanna-bes anyway. Just like wannabe plumbers.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    FriendlyFire writes:

    nice to see that the average american worker can still get a job in these tough times

  • January 7, 2009

    1:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wyhammertime writes:

    Keep it under 200k

  • January 7, 2009

    1:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MUC writes:

    He would do better than you clowns. You are lucky to put together a coherent thought from the writings I see.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:50 p.m.

    dirkle writes:

    (This comment was removed by the site staff.)

  • January 7, 2009

    1:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Our top story tonight, idiots everywhere like MUC are still defending a prop for the 2008 election. (Average) Joe Wurzelbacher set to make a mockery of the Middle East tragedies and of Journalism in general. We can only hope the he be sent directly to the epicenter in Gaza. More at eleven.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dilligaf writes:

    HankReardon
    Come On give MUC a break. At least he had the nerve to come on here and TRY to defend this stupidity.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    deerhound writes:

    Its funny, he asked Obama tougher questions than the "journalists" working for mainstream media.

  • January 7, 2009

    1:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    aRe writes:

    Time to send in the mascot!

  • January 7, 2009

    2:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Just trying to have a coherent thought, dilligaf.
    I wish these sham people like Joe would stay out of the adult world. We've got important and serious events ahead of us. We don't need their kind of circus tactics to thwart our attempts at sanity.

  • January 7, 2009

    2:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Marshdale writes:

    I don't blame Joe. Like myself, he is a blue collar worker looking for work, but unlike me he is stupid enough to believe that conservatives actually care about workers. I have yet to meet a conservative who is willing to blame company mismanagement for the auto industries woes. It's always the union's fault. I wonder if Joe were to open his plumming business and it failed, if he would blame himself?

  • January 7, 2009

    2:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HowieStupid writes:

    On another note ---- nice to see unqualified people can still take jobs away from the qualified... like some kinda immigrant

  • January 7, 2009

    2:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    INC writes:

    An outsourced job we all can be proud of.
    No experience or degree = he will put his life on the line for pennies.

  • January 7, 2009

    2:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    deerhound,

    "Its funny, he asked Obama tougher questions than the "journalists" working for mainstream media."

    You need to understand that these left wing nuts liked being BSd. They live for it. The truth does not matter to them. That a middle class fellow gets break and actually is willing to work for a living means nothing.

    Just tell them how good Obama is or how bad Global Warming is or that Europeans just don’t like us and you struck the right cords. Go against these nuts and well all you have to do is read their imbedded hatred.

    Ice

  • January 7, 2009

    2:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rage_against_the_stupid writes:

    I get it, conservatives can't even have an opinion on there own websites. Just remember the famous lefty journalist, Sean Penn-

  • January 7, 2009

    2:28 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Timberline writes:

    HowieStupid writes:

    "On another note ---- nice to see unqualified people can still take jobs away from the qualified... like some kinda immigrant"

    Kinda sounds like the Prez Elect

  • January 7, 2009

    2:31 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dilligaf writes:

    Iceman7 writes:
    "You need to understand that these left wing nuts liked being BSd."

    WOW!!!! How funny. Sounds like you were one of the many that was BS'ed by McCain into believing this guy was not a setup that backfired on him. UNBELIEVABLE.

  • January 7, 2009

    2:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MBR693 writes:

    HankReardon writes:

    "We've got important and serious events ahead of us. We don't need their kind of circus tactics to thwart our attempts at sanity."

    Right. And your contribution to avoiding circus tactics and thwarting insanity consists of posting angry letters to websites.

  • January 7, 2009

    2:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    dilligaf

    Lets see you voted for the Con artist.

    That vaulted his BC.
    Produced no transcripts from Harvard or Columbia.
    Has a big "0" on his resume for his short years in Illinois and the US Senate.
    No draft board registration.

    Only known accomplishments: Community Organizer....
    You guys love the Barry Flavored Kool Aid...

    Except for you Hank:

  • January 7, 2009

    2:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MBR693 writes:

    Marshdale writes:

    "I have yet to meet a conservative who is willing to blame company mismanagement for the auto industries woes. It's always the union's fault."

    That's probably because you don't actually know any conservatives, you just claim you do.

    I've worked for both Ford and Chrysler and never met a conservative who didn't attribute at least some blame to management for the problems faced by the Big 3. On the other hand, it seems that liberals like to claim that conservatives only blame unions. Stop blowing hot air.

  • January 7, 2009

    2:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Angry letter. Please. I'm just amazed that people want to justify this man for lying and actually doing nothing. Keep defending the ignorant, MBR, and I'll keep keeping my cool. Dig?

  • January 7, 2009

    3:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    Hank,

    Happy New Year,

    I blame the Execitives at GM and Chrysler as much as the Unions. Are you aware that the CEO at Chrysler Robert Nardelli is the same Nardelli that walked away as CEO at Home Depot with a 210 mill Golden parachute?

    http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/05/news/...

    This is how screwed up these auto companies are..

  • January 7, 2009

    3:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jersey writes:

    Talk about your 15 minutes of fame? Andy Warhol sure grossly miscalulated this guy's!

  • January 7, 2009

    3:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Marshdale writes:

    MBR693; You missed my point. The point was being a conservative and an average worker goes against your best interest as a worker. I suppose you could be a social conservative, yet again the right has done a fine job of using social issues to sway those people into voting against their best interests.

  • January 7, 2009

    3:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    Hank,

    What enlightened you about Obama?

    "I'm just amazed that people want to justify this man for lying and actually doing nothing."

    now now keep your cool!

  • January 7, 2009

    3:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    trinidad writes:

    I think this guy has already used all his 15 minutes. Marshdale- Im a republican who KNOWS the overpaid CEO's of the auto industry are to blame. I even voted against making Colorado a right to work state.

  • January 7, 2009

    3:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MBR693 writes:

    Marshdale writes:

    "The point was being a conservative and an average worker goes against your best interest as a worker. I suppose you could be a social conservative, yet again the right has done a fine job of using social issues to sway those people into voting against their best interests."

    I think that's too simplistic. Companies will exploit people in a minute. But I'm not so naive as to believe that somehow the Left has the monopoly on truly caring for the individual. Or that that's even their intent. At least one of the propositions in the last CO election was about increasing union power under the guise of helping the little guy. After a while, the pigs and humans start to resemble each other regardless of who running the farm.

  • January 7, 2009

    3:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    Nice Animal Farm reference, MBR!

    Let's hope it's a good one, Iceman!

    What enlightened (is that the correct word here?) me about Barack was that he didn't have to use props and tricks to get his message across. Joe Plummer is a tool. Nothing else. Not even a plummer. I can prove that Joe lied. Show me, without paranoid delusion and crystal-ball soothsaying, how Obama lied.

  • January 7, 2009

    5:04 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    Hank,

    I am here to enlighten you.. :)

    Per the dictionary, to give knowledge, truth, or understanding.

    http://politicalcrunch.net/blog2/2008...

    http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/0077...

    keep this one as a reference for the future.

    http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008...

  • January 7, 2009

    5:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HankReardon writes:

    You're right, Iceman. What could I have possibly been thinking? We've been voting for politicians all along when what we really need is leaders. Thanks!

  • January 7, 2009

    10:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Iceman7 writes:

    Hank,

    You really think Obama is a leader?
    All I can say is that we will enjoy the next 4 years from two different points of view.

  • January 8, 2009

    12:47 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    girl428 writes:

    Can I play Bush and create a new phrase? Idiotism.

  • January 8, 2009

    7:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    FlyfishDude52 writes:

    I think it's kind of funny. The guy, somehow, gets his 15 minutes in the sun and parlays it into 1/2 hour. How can you blame anyone for successful self-promotion.? I have a feeling it's a greater stretch what Joe has done recently than any of the rest of us. Jealous? It sure sounds like it!

  • January 8, 2009

    10:02 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jay writes:

    wingnut websites aside, i love this guy continuing to be a " voice" of the far right.

    he lied about being a plumber, lied about how much money he makes and is behind on his taxes.

    sounds about "right".