Interesting to see that McCain mentioned Obama a lot more than Obama mentioned McCain.

By the way, the full video of “Joe the plumber” and Barak is here…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA

The Fox version making the rounds is heavily edited.

“Joe the Plumber” is going to turn into more grief for McCain than he anticipated. Why is he now concerned about what is going to make it difficult for him to own a business? I am satisfied that Senator Obama put the perspective on how this move was just as difficult five years ago as it would be today. Would Joe the Plumber have been such a hero by pointing out that the Bush Administration/Republican Congress tax cut for the wealthy did not trickle down his way? Now we find out that this guy isn’t even registered to vote. That may be OK for Senator McCain because Joe the Plumber is able to write a check to help reduce McCain’s campaign debt.

McCain stumbled all over his words last night. It seemed like whenever McCain opened his mouth he let go an incoherent word cloud. My favorite McCain gaffe was when he called Senator Obama “Senator Government”

““Joe the Plumber” is going to turn into more grief…” — LU 95

If Senator Obama (aka senator government) wins, “Joe the Plumber” will forever be the albatross around his neck.

What did trickle down —— all the way down through the world economy —— was the BarneyFrank/ChrisDodd/FranklinRaines gift of sub-prime loan.

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Keep an eye on ol’ Joe. Obama Stormtruthers are about to do a number on him.

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No he will not be an albatross around Obama’s neck. For Joe the Plumber and any other Republicans in America that want to earn an income of a quarter million dollars or more each year be prepared to hand over one third of that amount to the U.S. Government. Most of it will go to pay for a war in Iraq that we did not need. The people that had at least the last six years to enjoy a small decrease in paying income taxes, it is over. The notion that food stamps and public housing is spoiling the poor is being refuted. That divisive argument about people being “lazy” will not work anymore because MILLIONS of very hard working people in America reject that argument. The sub-prime loan argument is another version of blaming the victim. The value of the stock market is at a fierce decline because of investment scams made by already wealthy people on mortgages. How quickly you forget Enron. I guess you will also blame people that have insurance policies through AIG for not paying enough premiums to keep the the executive suites in that Company flush with millionares. I will concede one element; Frank Raines has absolutely no good reason to walk away from Fannie Mae with multi-millions of dollars.

“No he will not be an albatross around Obama’s neck”
Most definitely — the image of BhO trying to educate Joe the Plumber will pop into citizens’ minds followed by a slap to their foreheads saying, “Doh!”

“… that want to earn an income of a quarter million dollars or more each year be prepared to hand over one third of that amount…”
You seem to not get how our economy works. Why only a third… and not a full 50%?

“Most of it will go to pay for a war in Iraq that we did not need.”
Ah, you’re one of those Bush Lied / People Died folks. Got it.

“people had at least the last six years to enjoy a small decrease in paying income taxes, it is over”
Ah, you’re one of those populist-class envy types. Got it.

“The notion that food stamps and public housing is spoiling the poor is being refuted”
Ah, you’re one of those people unfamiliar with Daniel Patrick Moynihan and his concern over unintended consequences of the Great Society programs. Got it.

“The sub-prime loan argument is another version of blaming the victim”
Well-intentioned Democrat Party policy pushed GSEs Fannie & Freddie to guarantee loans that had near-zero chances of being paid back.

“value of the stock market is at a fierce decline because of investment scams made by already wealthy people on mortgages”
See below link. I especially enjoyed seeing the Fannie & Freddie CEOs
fortunewatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/losers.jpg

“How quickly you forget Enron“
Paul Krugman — the recent Nobel Prize winner — used to be an adviser to Enron. Go figure.

“I will concede one element; Frank Raines has absolutely no good reason to walk away from Fannie Mae with multi-millions of dollars”
Ah, maybe you do get it … nah! You failed to acknowledge Democrats BarneyFrank, ChrisDodd, ChuckSchumer as being complicit.

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I just watched the ABC news interview with “Joe the plumber.” Does he really believe that someone making a million dollars a year or more works as hard as the person doing a job that requires manual labor? Most people with big incomes are making their money from investments, stocks, real estate, etc (often inherited) not from actual work. It is much easier to make money from money rather than physical work or even brain power. I don’t call a slightly higher tax on wealth socialism. I call it fairness We seem to think it is this countries social responsibility and moral obligation to fix all of the worlds problems with our money. Do we call that socialism? What’s wrong with a little fixing (a lot really) right here in our own back yard? We need to pay for it somehow. Let those living the privileged lifestyle and making the easy bucks pay a little more. I think that is fair. Most of us are just trying to keep our heads above water. I feel like Joe has really sold out the little guy who is working as hard as possible. Why is he taking the side of the wealthy? Something smells bad to me!

A good nationwide conversation needs to take place. I am happy to comment to articles and blogs. Joe the Plumber will need to earn a license to ever have his name in front of the business. As one that earns somewhere in the neighborhood of $40K in a year, his defense of those earning literally five times that in a year is kind of like a slave cheerleading for a plantation owner. As someone that has been eligible to vote for well over twenty years it is underwhelming that he may have only voted for the first time last Summer. He should have realized that the 24 hour news cycle is constantly looking for stories. If this is what the Republicans want to use as persuasive, Please get Joe the Plumber back on TV some more. I also and obviously stand corrected in my remark that he is not registered to vote.

“Joe the Plumber” makes an interesting point; “why should I pay more taxes if I make over $250,000 annually?” To answer his question…

Joe, that salary marks the middle of middle class. If Senator McCain becomes president, that class will no longer exist. There will be the rich and…the poor! As a nation we need to stop being so selfish and only worrying about ourselves and begin to start caring about those that precede us. As the ol’ cliche goes “I beleive the children are our future,” and we need to start acting like it and invest in them. The only way that is going to happen is if people like Joe get off their soap box and GIVE BACK!!!