Apparently putting people to work is welfare.

I wonder if being paid to be devoid of any original thought could be considered welfare?

I'm willing to be generous and blame both.

It would be funny if it weren't so serious.

Lest we forget, JTP was at one point on welfare himself, so count one more for the side of blatant hypocrisy.

Nope, sorry, I gotta blame Sam too. I'm intelligent, well-informed and very well educated, but if some party bigshot came to me and asked me to come speak to a party gathering on official economic policy, I'd politely demur with something to the effect of, "Are you on crack? I don't know jack about economic policy." Instead Sam the not-quite-plumber is so narcissistic and such a publicity whore that he can't resist another moment in the spotlight, and more dangerously, has absolutely no concept of his own limitations. Sounds an awful lot like our recently ex-President, come to think of it... does anyone really think GWBush is just some poor schmuck who was in over his head and is really blameless for his incompetence?

If they keep trotting this jackass out, and Limbaugh becomes the de facto leader of the party, they are going to make the Democrats' self inflicted wounds over the years look like paper cuts.

donbux -
Sam the not-quite-plumber is so narcissistic and such a publicity whore that he can't resist another moment in the spotlight, and more dangerously, has absolutely no concept of his own limitations. Sounds an awful lot like our recently ex-President, come to think of it...

You're right!! He's every bit as qualified to be president as Bush was, so let's hope the GOP pairs him with their other clueless (but strangely popular) candidate in the next election cycle.

Wurzelbacher/Palin '12!

I think Democrats should contribute to the Palin / Wurzelbacher campaign. I can't think of a better way to completely dominate in 2012.

Another clever quote from old Joe:

And no reason to be subtle, he said, as long as folks inform themselves. “I don’t believe there’s two sides to every story. It’s black and white,� Wurzelbacher explained. “There’s right and wrong.�

I hope the homemade porn tape of Joe and an over the hill stripper ends up on line soon, so we can be finished with this clown.

I'm sure he's made one.

So, has Joe set up his PAC yet? I want to see how much more political dough Republicans can toss down the drain. Or perhaps he's still hoping that he could buy his boss's PAC, if only Obama's tax plan didn't prevent him from doing so.

Screw you tap-dancing socialists!

No, I blame us, the Congressional dems and President Obama for the fact that this "schmo" is beating the living daylights out of all of us on the very issues he's so ignorant of.

"They need to dig their heels in and fight for what needs to be done."

Sounds like good advice to me, for the party in charge that is. Maybe Joe can talk to the Dems. It might do them some good.

It's easy to make fun of this schmuck and the people putting him out there, but what's the message he's selling?

The stimulus bill is chock full of pork and should be killed?

That seems to be the dominant message about the stimulus bill.

It's hard to be overly critical when this yutz is doing a better job selling the Limbaugh line than the Democrats are at selling theirs.

I hope the homemade porn tape of Joe and an over the hill stripper ends up on line soon, so we can be finished with this clown.

Screw that. I want this bozo around for a long time. Same with Palin. Not only are they comedy gold, but they're the road to damnation for Republicans. The inmates have taken over the crazyhouse and it's only going to get worse.

Never again will a Republican be able to pretend to be a "compassionate" conservative. Let the loonies lead the way!

Good point g. powell, it's goddamn pathetic that Joe the Fucking Plumber is more vocal on this than all the democrats combined.

Get that democrats? JOE THE PLUMBER is making you people look like skirt wearing pansies!!

(not)Joe the (not)Plumber is getting fairly full of himself.
From TP:
When asked if he has a career in politics, Wurzelbacher said, “I don’t know if the American public deserve me, but my son definitely deserves my time now.�

Wurzelbacher/Palin '12!

David, PLEASE don't joke about that. I guarantee someone is actually considering it. If we get another election cycle of "In what respect, Charlie" I'm putting my foot through every TV I come across.

And citizen_pain, woman =/= pansy. Find another comparison; as a liberal you're supposed to be at least that bright.

Could we please, please stop paying attention to this idiot? And by "we," I mean we liberals, not the Republicans. Seriously, the only reason they keep him around is because they think he pisses us off, and it's not helping that we constantly point out what he's doing and where he's going and to whom he is speaking. If we really don't care about this moron, LET'S PRETEND HE DOESN'T EXIST and maybe he will finally, mercifully GO AWAY. To continue pointing him out and pretending we don't care about what he has to say only makes us look moronic ourselves. "We don't care about JtP! Really! Seriously! See how much we don't care about him? Did we mention we don't care?"

Let's start not caring for realz, okay? Sheesh.

Looking askance at those dabbling in disciplines beyond their skill level is so Leftist! I suppose you're going to tell me that brain surgery I'm performing this afternoon is unwise? Hmmm? Thankfully I'll finish running my bus route in time to scrub...........

A lot of people on the Left totally misunderstand the Joe the Plumber phenomena.

Yes, the guy's a total idiot. But I have to admire a bit someone willing to go out there and fight for his beliefs, even if those beliefs entirely wrong.

The Dems, on the other hand, are pathetic. I like Barney Frank and I like Bernie Sanders, and he's not even a Dem. Those guys are fighters. But the rest are a bunch of wussies.

We can learn a lot from Joe.

I hope this guy never goes away. The gift that keeps giving and giving...

This guy embodies the core republican ideals of ineptitude, xenophobia, ignorance and hubris. What's not to love?! A mover and a shaker! JTP 2012!

And no reason to be subtle, he said, as long as folks inform themselves. “I don’t believe there’s two sides to every story. It’s black and white,� Wurzelbacher explained. “There’s right and wrong.� Posted by: Franklin on February 4, 2009

So Joe, how much should I pay for a loaf of bread? C'mon, tell me what's "right"!

Using Joe for cover is the cowardly way for Congressional Republicans to subvert the President's plan to save the economy. Why aren't there more courageous Republicans, like Limbaugh, who will just come right out and say they plan to destroy us all.

Um, MarkH, the GOP strategy has been pretty successful so far, cowardly or not. When are the Dems going to get some courage?

I'm only waiting to hear Joe shout "It's clobbering' time!" and then I'll know I've finally woken up in the surreal graphic novel that has been the last eight years.

I'm sorry, but I also blame the "schmo" who's in over his head. If you don't know what you're talking about, and you KNOW you don't know what you're talking about, how about you STFU and stop propagating ignorance!

Did anyone point out that Joe Wurzelbacher was ON FUCKING WELFARE FOR A FEW YEARS!!!!!!?????

The sad thing is, JTP's manifest ignorance doesn't make him and outlier in the current GOP; it makes him its perfect representative.

-Z

I think that the Republicans think that more people think like Joe the not-Plumber than actually think that way.

I'm not sure that Sammy is actually guiding anything. All he seems to come up with are Republican talking points so it appears as if he is being used sort of as a shill by the GOP, not anyone of consequence. As long as the lowest common denominator of the population thinks he's worth listening to, the Republicans are going to use him to broadcast their points.

Not only did they shave the dog's ass and teach it to walk backwards, they also taught him to speak out of it.

The dog already knows how to lick his own balls.

"I think that the Republicans think that more people think like Joe the not-Plumber than actually think that way." Cindy McCant.

You are so right. And we're the elitists? I haven't met a Republican yet who isn't so cynical about other people (especially the poor) and gov't that is is painful to witness.

"I hope the homemade porn tape of Joe and an over the hill stripper ends up on line soon, so we can be finished with this clown."- Saint Zak

I hope the homemade porn tape of Joe and an over the hill male prostitute ends up on line soon, so we can be finished with this clown - there fixed it!

Why do conservatives keep putting Joe the Plumber in situations where he is sure to embarrass himself? My best guess: They’re waiting, patiently, patiently, for just the right person on the left to get so exasperated with his idiocies that they can’t stop themselves from saying something like: “Jesus Christ, what does he know -- he’s just a plumber!’’ And then, yes, the sweetest thing ever: a chance to blast the liberal elites for being out of touch with real Americans like Joe the Plumber. Cultural resentment – just the tonic for a malignant political movement with a proven record of policy failure and nothing new or constructive to say.

did joe ever pay the back taxes he owed?

Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- ``Joe the plumber,'' the Toledo, Ohio, man whose complaints about Barack Obama's tax plan were highlighted by John McCain in the final presidential debate, owes the state of Ohio almost $1,200 in back income taxes.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to the 2012 Campaign Entertainment Ride as the GOP Palin/Plumber ticket takes off. I wonder if Palin/Plumber12 stickers are available yet?

Am I the only guy who sees ratings gold if we get Joe the Plumber and Rod Blagojavic on a Sunday morning commentary show?

Kinda like "Hannity and Colmes" meets "Bill and Ted".