Joe the Plumber: A Registered Republican but Not a Plumber

The McCain Staff Vetted This Guy, Right?

Everyone got an earful of "Joe the Plumber" Wednesday night, October 15, during the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York. Senator McCain brought him up, as every pundit and political analyst predicted he would, to emphasize that Senator Barack Obama's tax plans were inferior to his own, that people like "Joe The Plumber" would have a tough time keeping a business afloat if saddled him Obama's tax plan.

In fact, by the time the debate was over, most people were tired of hearing about "Joe the Plumber." When he was interviewed by CNN, he said he was surprised to be in the national spotlight but was glad to it might help get the candidates to discuss issues that they had heretofore neglected.

"Joe the Plumber" is Joe Wurzelbacher, a plumber in Toledo, Ohio, who, when Senator Obama was doing a house-to-house canvass on Sunday, October 12, to drum up support, told Senator Obama that, under his tax plan, he would go out of business. The video went ballistic on YouTube and Fox News pared it down just enough to make Obama look bad.

Senator John McCain not only used "Joe the Plumber" to good effect (if perhaps too often) in Wednesday night's debate, he told Fox News, "I'm probably going to call him this morning. I thought he would probably be up late. I heard that his -- that his phone lines were pretty well were flooded. But I think we're going to be spending some time together."

But Joe Wurzelbacher, plumber from Ohio, may become an embarrassment for the Republicans. Not only is he , people started to wonder if he was even registered to vote. In addition to that, he may not even have a plumber's license.

Joe Wurzelbacher Is Not Registered To Vote?

Early Thursday, October 16, various news agencies were trying to track down Joe the plumber's registration, to find out who he actually was. There ensued speculation that the real Joe -- the plumber - may not even be a registered voter. He couldn't be found on any of the voter registration rolls.

But then it was found out that his full name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher and that he was a registered Republican.

Okay. A Republican. It seems that Joe the Plumber was simply a normal voter.