First They Came for Joe the Plumber…

Pajamas Media ^ | October 17, 2008 | Claudia Rosett

[Ooh-Ah]

Joe’s question about taxes threw a wrench into Barack Obama’s campaign pitch. So, oh what a background check Joe got. Within days, reports were all over the news that Joe owes back taxes, he doesn’t have an Ohio plumber’s license, his real name is Samuel, and he is — shock and horror — a registered Republican. Within days, Obama and Biden were holding up Joe to [1] public ridicule, and by implication mocking any American working stiff who might have the audacity [2] to want to earn more than $250,000 per year.

Obama may be full of talk about delivering the American dream, but he apparently has enormous disdain for Americans who actually sweat to earn it for themselves. He wants to take Joe’s money and spread it around in the name of helping others get ahead — but if anyone gets ahead more than Obama deems fitting, watch out.

 

It seems that Joe’s sins are less than [3] the litany would make them. He may not have a plumber’s license, but he works for someone who does. He owes back taxes, but less than $1,200. And at least to date, it is not a crime in America to use a nickname or be a registered Republican.

But to [4] squabble over Joe’s record is to miss the real point. Obama is the one running for public office, aspiring to the country’s highest position of power and public trust. Joe is not. He’s a private citizen, who had every right to ask a very good question. He wanted to know why he was being taxed “more and more for fulfilling the American dream?”

What he got from the well-heeled Senators Obama and Biden was mockery and contempt.

Most disturbing is this: If that’s how Joe the Plumber gets dealt with while Obama is still stumping for votes, then what happens to Joe, or anyone else who dares question Obama’s plans, should Obama win the White House?

Should we expect that that the answer will be targeted investigations, a public display of whatever can be dug up in the way of private laundry, and sneers from the Oval Office?

In the interest of having an informed electorate , it would be far more valuable were the media teams working less frantically to dig up dirt on Joe, and a lot harder on filling in the gaps in the record of candidate Obama. Why won’t Obama release his Columbia transcripts? What exactly was he doing during those gaps in the bio?

How are we supposed to square the lavish praise of Obama’s intellectual powers and refined sensitivities with his professed failure during years of intimate acquaintance to notice the hate-speech of Rev. Wright? What is the real story with the ties to Bill Ayers, to Tony Rezko? What does that say about his judgment in choosing friends and advisers and associates?

Would Obama appoint similar pals to high office in Washington? Would he bring similarly blinkered perceptions to the job of making policy? Would his critics receive the kind of savaging just dished out to Joe? If there’s any chance that the answer is yes, then the drubbing of Joe the Plumber is a warning to us all.

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Article printed from The Rosett Report: http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett

URL to article: http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/first-they-came-for-joe-the-plumber/

URLs in this post:
[1] public ridicule: http://washingtonindependent.com/13122/obama-revisits-joe-the-plumber-on-the-stump
[2] to want : http://campaignspot.na tionalreview.com/post/?q=MWM3M2M4MGJkOGY5MGFhZGU0ZGNkMGY3YzEyYTM1MzU=
[3] the litany : http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/17/feeling-plumber-fatigue-media-turns-joe/
[4] squabble over Joe’s record : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/17/MNQ013J6JV.DTL

[The_Media_never_lie]

What about Obama’s other names? His religious upbringing? The Muslim garb with the monkey/organ grinder hat? the questions about the birth certificate?

Where art thou, 0h MSM (mainstream media)?

[Gaffer]

If Obama wins, I expect that the Free Republic archives will be seized and sifted with a fine tooth comb. Registry information will be taken and IRS audits will be the beginning.

[uvular]

Under keyword 'barneysmith', are articles about Hoosier, Barney Smith, who claims he's a Republican for Obama at DNC Convention and in Indiana Obama Ads.

Per articles, he is not a Republican, and is now gainfully employed since his previous job closed, when ads insinuate he's still unemployed. Where's the anal exam on this guy? Forgot, Dems are immune to anal exams...

[A_Former_Democrat]

The non-MSM and GOP needs to get this out. These people are very dangerous, all the while hiding behind the very Constitution they seek to destroy. Any lawyer, historian, or anyone who knows something about the Consitution and the Bill of Rights ought to be outright APPALLED at the rhetoric and tactics of these people.

I never thought I see the day when I would have to say something like this.

[LottieDah]

“The Nazis started this way in the 1930’s”

Obama is a smooth talker like Hitler....we all know how well that turned out.

[Excellence]

Did you write that? It’s actually very good.

[BenLurkin]

The larger problem is that the creeps in the Democrat media are so willing to pillory someone just because he or she has the temerity to stand up and challenge a member of the ruling elite.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Bottom line, Joe the Plumber is not being punnished for asking a good question. He’s being punnished for getting a bad answer.

[penowa]

"Is the media SO ideological, or have they been paid off? Soros has been spreading money around...who is getting it?"

Some of the media are so ideological, consider themselves to be a part of the elite about to take over, that there is no need to pay them. Others are so stupid they follow orders reporting the propaganda supplied to them, happy that they don't have to do their job because someone is doing it for them. Because of their serious lack of intelligence, it would never occur to them they might receive a payment just by asking for it. With the exception of the websites that Soros has set up and supports to dispense propaganda, (chump change,) he can spend his $ on more important things like stealing the election through fraud in case it's needed.

[Oldpuppymax]

FOLLOW THE MONEY! I’m convinced republican elites chose McCain in order to make certain of defeat. The financial fiasco will be much, much worse than anyone has let on and the repub higher ups do not want one of their party in the White House to deal with it. (Especially given the fact that Bush did so much to help the disaster along!) They want dems blamed, pure and simple. So the US and the American public are being sacrificed to Marxism to save our elitist repub crowd. PROOF?? Watch and see if the party spends the 75 million it is reputed to have in its coffers. If that money is spent on McCain commericals in the coming weeks, I’ll take it all back.

[odin2008]

Dems invented anal exams.

[Spok]

Within days, reports were all over the news that Joe owes back taxes, he doesn’t have an Ohio plumber’s license,”

Obama grabs this ordinary Joe at a rally to prove how he champions the ‘little guy’, but when Joe doesn’t dance to Obama’s tune, they dig up dirt and assassinate his character. But McCain’s the ‘hate monger’, running a campaign of personal destruction (according to the MSM). If America doesn’t see through the hypocrisy it’s going to pay dearly.

[neocon1984]

“I’m convinced republican elites chose McCain in order to make certain of defeat”.

I am convinced you are sitting at your computer with a tinfoil hat on.

Any new Illiminati conspiracies?

[McGavin999]

The media, and liberal politicians, thought middle America was filled with dumb rubes. Joe's quiet strength, humble bearing, and obvious intelligence must scare them to death.

They thought we'd let them make us into a banana republic. They were wrong.

[WHBates]

"You know it is bad when Joe the Plumber background gets looked into more closely the Obama’s.

It should scare the heck out of any thinking American, that the MSM can do in three days to Joe what they haven’t done in two years to Obama. It is a truly frightening situation.

[Kay Syrah]

Thanks! Yes, it’s mine.

[CRBDeuce]

Bottom line, Joe the Plumber is not being punished for asking a good question. He’s being punished for getting a bad answer.

Hmmm, more like Joe the Plumber is not being punished for walking up to Obama, he's being punished for Obama walking up to him (Invading Joe's neighborhood, hawking socialism in a capitalist home).

[elk]

That could very well be true. So, I'd better use my free speech while I still have it.

There are some INCREDIBLE gaps in Obambi's resume. No fine tooth comb has been applied to his background. Only spin.

[ChinaThreat]

I was at a big SEC college football game last night, wearing my McCain/Palin sticker along with my team colors. Some drunk guy accosted me yelling profanities at me telling me “we didn’t have a chance”. At first, i thought he was talking about my football team, until i realized he was wearing our team’s colors to. He as an Obamathug.

He started to get in my face about the time i realized he was referring to McCain/Palin sticker.

I guess my body language let him know he better back off, and back off quickly ;-) He did so quickly.

[timestax]

bttt