The Toledo Blade Online
The Toledo Blade OnlineThe Toledo Blade Green Edition
Click here to subscribe or renew!
Temp: 26°
Humidity: 92%
Tuesday, 02/09/10
Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here
Home »   Latest News »   Politics/Elections » 

Click to Receive RSS Feeds!EmailPrint IndexHelp FacebookTwitterDiggDel.icio.usFark

Article published November 04, 2008
Joe the Plumber slams media, says he’ll share wealth with "fellow Americans"
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )

Joe the Plumber has decided to go cyber to spread not only his views as a political watch-dog but also to raise money for his fellow countrymen after taking his minor cut.

He said Tuesday afternoon he plans to create two Web sites with the motto of keeping a check on the federal and state governments and to distribute Americans’ hard earned wealth amongst other Americans.

In an exclusive chat with this scribe on the election day, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, or "Joe the Plumber," while standing in the driveway of his Springfield Township house, refuted the claim that he turned the presidential race on its head by asking Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama a simple question about his tax plans last month.

ALSO
READ:Toledo police warn 'Joe' instead of a ticket
VIEW: Palin and 'Joe the Plumber' at BGSU
VIEW: Joe the Plumber photo gallery

"I don’t know about turning the debate around, all I know is that a simple question has turned my life upside down and more people know about me than Obama," said the ordinary looking average American, wearing sports pajamas and T-shirt.

"I asked what every Joe in America wanted to ask him and for that I was made an example by the media for asking that simple question, because no one in the media was asking him this," Mr. Wurzelbacher said very open heartedly. "I am not the kind of guy who seeks fame, but every other thing has come on me except a good fortune."

Questioning the credibility of the media for acting as an agenda-setter instead of representing and reporting the facts as they are, he said: "After that one question, everybody knows everything about me, but not about Obama and I have to go through various things which I cannot even make public."

Mr. Wurzelbacher lambasted journalists and media who twisted his words saying, "Its not journalism, it’s like spreading personal views than reporting facts. The media is on an agenda as it sealed the elections for Obama almost after the presidential debates, being off-limits on many issues and involved in character assassination."

He also said the "media has been against [President] Bush throughout and before his first election in 2000, with the exception of 9/11, period."

Mr. Wurzelbacher claimed the media labeled Republicans pro-corporate, money makers, and war-mongerers, "but that’s not the case and some of this bothers me a lot."

But Joe the Plumber also rallied against capitalism: "Capitalism needs some moral compass as nobody should be allowed to build fortunes or get away with $30 million without paying any taxes.

"I don’t know what they would do with that kind of money, but I know what I will do with that amount. I will give more of the money to various charities for various noble causes because I am a modest and simple-living person and love to spend my fortunes on missionary things," said Mr. Wurzelbacher.

He added quickly: "But I won’t let the government decide that for me what to do about that kind of money. I will decide it for myself."

Mr. Wurzelbacher said he planned to launched the Web site www.secureourdream.com, which will soon become the nations largest political watchdog.

"We will keep a check on both the Republicans and the Democrats for not only living up to their promises, but also not let them dictate to people how to live and spend their hard earned fortunes," he said.

He added that he also planned to launch www.secureourdream.org, which will be a charity branch of the watchdog site to raise money "for all sorts of charities and causes for fellow Americans."

Praising his fellow countrymen for being very generous to various charities, he said he hoped that people would donate at this Web site. He said his Web site would be run in a very transparent way so that everyone will know how much money is raised and distributed.

When asked about how much money he would take from the site, he said: "Yes, I would make money to some degree from this charity Web site, but not a whole lot because majority of the portion collected through this website would go to help fellow Americans get a decent living."

Joe the Plumber said his plan to distribute of wealth is different than Mr. Obama’s because, "I am talking about redistribution without taking," and Mr. Obama "wants it to go through the government, so [my plan is] alot more different than his slogan of re-distribution of wealth."

Saeed Minhas is editor of the Pakistan Urdu newspaper Daily Aajkal. He is covering the United States’presidential election from Toledo under a program sponsord by the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) on Election 2008 program.


Permanent Link

State
Updated: 4:39 pm
Weather-related crashes kill 2 on Michigan freeways >>
Accidents/Vehicular
Updated: 4:21 pm
U.S. 24 traffic rerouted, I-75 backed up >>
Nation/World
Updated: 4:20 pm
Transport Canada offers to buy Ambassador Bridge >>
Blade Area
Updated: 2:07 pm
Toledo officials given raises up to 26.9% >>
Blade Area
Updated: 12:12 pm
Driver hurt when Monroe school bus collides with vehicle >>
Blade Area
Updated: 12:12 pm
Officer says 33 dogs seized from suspected puppy mill >>
More news stories
 



click here!

ADVERTISING SECTIONS
Tom Henry
Updated: 7:13 am
Playing the odds can help mitigate disasters >>

S. Amjad Hussain
Updated: 5:53 am
France draws line over Muslim women’s dress >>

Marilou Johanek
Updated: 5:54 am
Sense of superiority drove church to 'help' Haitian children >>

Jack Kelly
Updated: 5:42 am
As Democrats schmooze, Obama’s credibility slides  >>

Jack Lessenberry
Updated: 5:32 am
Granholm failed to make case in last Michigan address >>

Rose Russell
Updated: 6:09 am
Even in South Africa, pols' private affairs are people's business >>

David Shribman
Updated: 9:37 am
Love means never saying budget deficit >>

Mike Sigov
Updated: 12:31 pm
Russia's president brings little to the table >>

Tom Walton
Updated: 5:40 am
Apologies in politics are unprecedented >>

More columnist stories
MOST READ STORIES
1.  High school sports events postponed; library branches closed; colleges, universities closings
2.  Toledo officials given raises up to 26.9%
3.  Officer says 33 dogs seized from suspected puppy mill
4.  U.S. 24 traffic rerouted, I-75 backed up
5.  Northview principal gets words of support
6.  Introducing the new Sports Illustrated cover model, Brooklyn Decker
7.  Movie Gallery chain to shut 7 area stores
8.  Weather check, radar and roads
9.  Knights' Cromwell steps down
10.  Swiergosz sentenced over police standoff
MOST E-MAILED STORIES
1.  Tennis champ accused of phone harassment
2.  Toledo strip club puts cover charge into quake relief
3.  Mental health agency looks to pare $3.5M from services
4.  Homelessness board votes for outside audit; advocate Ken Leslie safe for now
5.  Sylvania lawyer charged in thefts from 2 clients
6.  'Stagecoach Mary' broke barriers of race, gender
7.  MAC basketball struggles with fall from elite
8.  Clyde plans to generate electricity from trash
9.  Equine devotee faces 42 counts of animal abuse
10.  Students, staff navigate Perrysburg High School halls in wheelchairs


AP  News Headlines



AP  Business Headlines



AP  Sports Headlines


AP  Features Headlines
Copyright 2010 The Blade. By using this service, you accept the terms of our privacy statement and our visitor agreement. Please read them.
The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660, (419) 724-6000
To contact a specific
department or an individual person, click here.
The Toledo Times ®