Joe the Plumber: Destroy Him!!

Isn't it interesting how predictable the American Left is?  When someone scores an indisputable point against "the One", they ignore the message and attack the messenger!  "Joe the Plumber" has revealed and highlighted Obama's socialistic agenda – and it's had an impact on Obama's support!  So he must be destroyed.

 

So, first, we heard the immediate "I don't know any plumbers making $250,000" argument.  I'm still not sure what the purpose of such a statement could possibly be, but the dismissive tone accompanying the statement is obviously intended to attempt to ridicule Joe away!  But the statement is completely disingenuous, as Joe didn't even say he was a plumber!  He said he's considering buying a PLUMBING COMPANY, which EMPLOYS plumbers, and which GROSSES around a quarter mil.  He didn't say he makes $250K.  He didn't say he'd EARN 250K after buying the business.  The business grosses $250K.  The business pays it's employees.  The business maintains its vehicles.  The business buys its materials.  The business pays for its office, phones and utilities.  The business pays its taxes.  The business pays to advertise.  After all that, the business owner can take a salary.

 

Next the LeftMedia lights up with the accusation that Joe isn't even a registered voter.  Aside from the fact that this is blatantly false… Joe is registered and voted in the OH primaries… what possible relevance would this have?  I thought ACORN has, as its purpose, to get unregistered people interested, active and REGISTERED now!  So here's a guy who's now very interested and engaged in the political process.  We should rejoice!

 

So then the thugocracy dispatches their investigators to dig dirt on Joe.  They claim he's not licensed… But he doesn't need one presently, and the company he works for has one!  From the Toledo Blade, "According to Lucas County Building Inspection records, A. W. Newell Corp. does maintain a state plumbing license, and one with the City of Toledo, but would not be allowed to work in Lucas County outside of Toledo without a county license."  Does he even need one to OWN a plumbing company that EMPLOYS plumbers?   And again, how is this relevant to Obama's Socialism?

 

Finally, the thugs discover that Joe has a tax lien on about $1100 he owes in back taxes.  Does this mean he's not credible to ask Obama a question on the impact of his tax policies?  Does this have bearing on the fact that Obama's answers reveal him to be a Robin Hood Socialist bent on redistribution of wealth?  It would seem that someone struggling to meet his CURRENT tax liability would be uniquely appropriate to question how Obama's policies might make matters worse!

 

You may have heard the phrase, "Don't kill the messenger."  This phrase is usually attributed to the ancient Greek and then later Roman custom of employing messengers to carry news throughout the empire. The law PROTECTED these messengers, and decreed that they should be allowed to pass unharmed as they carried out their duty, even if the recipients found the message distasteful.

 

Sadly, Obama and his minions DO try to destroy anyone who can bring a message critical or damaging to the campaign.  Live long and prosper, Joe!

 

 

Copyright © 2008 by

Doug Edelman

Comments

[Just Bob]

Doug, come on, get real. Nobody has called Joe the Plumber unpatriotic, a traitor, a socialist or a communist. Nobody has called him a Nazi, fascist, sexist or racist. Some of those on the foaming-at-the-mouth extreme right like to call anyone who disagrees with them various names from the first list. And there are those in the left-hand side who like to call George W. and his supporters names from the second list. These are people who don't listen to anyone they don't already agree with and disparage anyone who thinks differently.

I don't think the stuff that's been put out about Joe the Plumber reaches that level. It's useful to know who he is and where he's coming from. He's got a tax lien, so what....he's a divorced homeowner with a kid, probably either paying child support or raising the kid by himself. It happens. It doesn't suggest that he's a bad guy. Maybe you should look at your reactions to the facts presented about Joe and your prejudices about the media. I think "thugs" is figment of your assumptions.

Thugs.....Ann Coulter is a thug. Glenn Beck is a thug. Sean Hannity is a thug. And Rush Limbaugh is certainly a thug. There are plenty of equivalent left-wing thugs too, just not in positions as prominent as the ones I've mentioned here. In the articles about Joe the Plumber, you could complain about journalistic laziness, ignorance or carelessness. The only way to get a fairly clear impression of Joe is to read all of the facts in 6 or 7 different articles and then any that claim that they contain inaccuracies.

You seem upset about income redistribution. So think about this. George W. Bush and his Republican congresses have borrowed 5 TRILLION dollars since he got into office. They gave a lot of that money to their friends at defense and security contractors. So who pays the money back? You do. You and me, your children and mine. Any redistribution Obama and the Democrats do is likely to pale in comparison. And if the top one percent gets more tax breaks, they'll create jobs alright - in China and India, Thailand and the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia. And don't forget Mercedes, BMW and Rolls-Royce. Not likely to do much for the economy of Missouri, Colorado or Michigan.

If I was Joe, and Obama told me that, as long as I continued to make under $250K in taxable income, my taxes would be lower and that if I managed to make $250K, I would have to pay $1000 more in taxes, i.e. less than 1% more than under McCain, I'd say no problem.

As a self-employed person, my biggest problem (and I think Joe's) is more likely to be local business regulations and the complexity of payroll taxes for my employees. Joe's current employer, the company he want's to buy, needs separate licenses to work in Toledo and in Lucas County? Well, if it's only 2 licenses, that's one thing, but there are 4 other counties that are close to Toledo, Fulton, Henry, Wood and Ottawa. To stay legal, would Joe's business need licenses in all of those? Would he have to charge sales or service taxes based on the location of the job? Ohio has local income tax too...If Joe's company works on construction in multiple jurisdictions, would Joe's company have to keep track of where his workers were working and withhold based on the location? Taxes and other business regulations that require lots of jumping through hoops are a lot more expensive than merely paying the taxes because learning about them and doing the paperwork will take up time Joe should be spending getting work from new clients, supervising his employees or thinking about how to grow his business. If Joe buy's the plumbing business and grows it to the point where it makes $250K of profit, his income and his business are likely to be big enough that another $1000 dollars of income tax is likely to be the least of his worries. And his accountant can probably find a way to let him pay less than you do or I do.

You miss the point. JOE is irrelevant. I don't care if LUCIFER himself asked Obama a question and was lucky enough to get an unfiltered answer out of him. The point is Obama's answer reveals his socialistic bent. We've long known about his ASSOCIATIONS with socialists and Marxists (Heck... he SOUGHT OUT 'Marxist professors' according to his own words in his book!) but now we hear, from his own lips, that he subscribes to the socialistic tennet of wealth redistribution!

Of course, the fact that Obama's own words resonate a negative tune in the public mindset is enough to trigger the "attack the messenger" response from the Left. But again, it's Obama's words, not Joe's question, his character, or his income, that is the salient point here.

-- Doug

[Wendy]

Doug,I completely agree with you, he tries to destroy anyone that is against him. It's not enough to agree to disagree, with Obama you must be destroyed. I love Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. I believe Obama is Lucifer and if not then I will be suprised. Next thing you know he will have a guillotine set up on the White House lawn putting everyone who doesn't believe like he does to it.

[Wendy]

Oh, and an after thought..I can't wait for Obama to spread Oprah's wealth. Maybe some of it will trickle down to me. I need it.

[Doug Edelman]

Just Bob...

With nearly a year of perspective to look back on, please re-read your comments and see if MAYBE just MAYBE I was correct in my assessments and maybe you were perhaps a tad naiive about our Marxist in Chief!

You mentioned Bush and the Republicans borrowed 5 Trillion over 8 years. (Actual number is smaller but let's just go with that...) Obama is bleeding trillions PER YEAR, spending money that isn't even printed yet - and driving the dollars value in the toilet with every sheet of bills he does print!

I think you can see Obama's promise not to tax those under $250K has (as predicted) evaporated.

And we tried to warn you about Thuggery, and about ACORN.

VERY curious what your opinions are now. Voter's remorse?