Snooping on Joe the Plumber

And still insulting Sarah Palin. My goodness. Don't these guys ever give up?

"A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about "Joe the Plumber."

Brett A. Gerke, 52, of 2329 Woodcreek Place on the Far North Side, is charged with attempted unauthorized use of property.

Gerke entered a diversion program on Oct. 2, which typically results in the dismissal of a criminal charge. He has not entered a plea. The charge is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.

The State Highway Patrol says that Gerke used a law-enforcement computer network on Oct. 16, 2008 to access personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher."

Columbus Dispatch

No word yet if Gerke is a Democrat operative. Or whether Dave Letterman is a jerke.

Proud to stand

with Dodd and Feingold on FISA in February (aka Patriot Act). Backing Bush in June. Yes, he was for sure against amending FISA to allow the government to monitor more communications without a warrant. But then political expediency (he wasn't actually there for the vote--surprise, surprise!) starts to dawn on him. He might actually get to the White House after defeating Hillary in the primaries, and these powers of surveillance might be very useful, so he flipped on a clear promise to his supporters, stabbing his leftist buddies in the back (although they're loving him for it now).

"Given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program," Obama said in a statement hours after the House approved the legislation 293-129. [WaPo account]

Democrats hated FISA under Bush (1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act under Carter), but they've already learned to love it. Especially our Ohio Democratic administration. They are practicing to be good ObamaToms. So ripping through Joe the Plumber's records in Ohio (standard procedure we were told when someone's name appears in the news) is just a foretaste of what's to come with President Obama and the new, improved FISA. The fact that asking a question about taxes hardly makes one a national security threat, unless questioning Obama is perceived not only as racism, but a security threat.

HT Larry Johnson

Looking for the vigilant liberals

especially librarians who were all over Bush's case for tracking down foreign terrorists by violating their privacy and freedom to bomb us. Both the state of Ohio and Ohio State have been unable to keep hackers out of our personal information (I think mine has been lost, strayed or stolen three times either on purpose or staff ineptitude--and those are the cases about which I was notified). But all that stuff about Joe the Plumber who questioned Obama's "spread the wealth" threats promises that mysteriously appeared in all the media the day after McCain mentioned him during a debate? You know, damaging information like his "real name." Well, that wasn't hacked, that was pulled by a hack and redistributed to the waiting media.

"Ohio's inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the state child-support computer system for information on "Joe the Plumber."

Helen Jones-Kelly, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed today that she OK'd the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher following the Oct. 15 presidential debate.

She said there were no political reasons for the check on the sudden presidential campaign fixture though the Support Enforcement Tracking System.

Amid questions from the media and others about "Joe the Plumber," Jones-Kelley said she approved a check to determine if he was current on any ordered child-support payments.

Such information was not and cannot be publicly shared, she said. It is unclear if Wurzelbacher is involved in a child-support case. Reports state that he lives alone with a 13-year-old son.

"Our practice is when someone is thrust quickly into the public spotlight, we often take a look" at them, Jones-Kelley said, citing a case where a lottery winner was found to owe past-due child support. "Our practice is to basically look at what is coming our way." " Columbus Dispatch

Now Governor Strickland, a Democrat and big time Obama supporter, yes that Ted who said he didn't give a damn about Obama's relationship with Ayers, says he is satisfied that there hasn't been any political mischief. Just like there wasn't any racism in the campaign to defeat his black Republican opponent two years ago. And there wasn't any malice intended by the 13 honor scholars from the east coast and abroad who came to Ohio to register Ohioans too dumb to figure it out by themselves. Democrats. They are so transparent it is pathetic. Was I that way when I was a Democrat all those years?

According to Open Secrets dot org, Jones-Kelley contributed $2,500 to Barack Obama in July 2008. Wow. What a surprise.

Backatcha!

Instead of addressing the fraud among their volunteers, Obama's campaign has chosen to investigate the investigators who uncovered the problem. See story at Maggie Thurber. Move over Joe

Rather than address the fact that some people supportive of Obama have registered and voted incorrectly, these Obama campaign workers want to demonize the individuals who've exposed them

And then there's the on-going saga of Joe the Plumber and what a terrible threat a simple question was to the Obama Campaign after Obama told Joe he wanted to spread the wealth (something he's said many times, but not recently, and not on the campaign trail). So much so that someone thought the means justified the end, and hacked Joe's personal information.

Personal information on "Joe the Plumber" was sought through the state's child-support computer in a check run from the main offices of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles confirmed today that he is investigating the incident. He declined to provide details.

The inquiry on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher was run through the Support Enforcement Tracking System from the state department's offices in downtown Columbus. Columbus Dispatch

You've read or seen "I am Joe"

Don't miss "I am Bill" for equal time, to be fair to the other side, to spread the wealth and fun around.

In his 2001 screed, Fugitive Days, Ayers recounts his life as a Sixties radical, his tenure as a Weatherman lieutenant, his terrorist campaign across America, and his enduring hatred for the United States. "What a country," Ayers said in 2001. "It makes me want to puke." Discover the networks

I am Joe, and he doesn't mean Biden

I am Joe.

I shop at WalMart at least once a week. I take my own car, a Ford Taurus that I bought used, to Jiffy Lube. I’ve lived in the same suburban town all my life and I’m ten minutes away from the house where I grew up. My Sundays consist of two things: church and football. During hunting season my freezer is full of deer meat given to me by my friends who are avid hunters. I’ve been on Jeopardy and consider myself highly-educated, though I don’t have a degree. I’ve worked in a gas station, a hotel, a warehouse, and for most of my adult life, for two different police departments. I fix my own faucets when they leak and unclog my own drains. When I go out to dinner, it’s to Olive Garden or a good burger joint. If you pick a fight with my family or my friends, you’ve picked a fight with me. I roll my own smokes and like a good, cheap cigar from time to time. The wine I prefer doesn’t cost 50 bucks a bottle. It comes from Australia and I’m more likely to drink it with a hamburger as I am a filet mignon. I’ve never ordered “lobster hors d’oeuvres, two whole steamed lobsters, Iranian caviar and champagne” from room service in a hotel. Heck, I’ve never ordered room service from a hotel at all. Though I’ve never been a community organizer, I’ve served on the Board of Directors of two non-profit community musical groups, one of which I helped to start.

I don’t want nor do I need some handout from the Magic Government Fairy. I know better what to do with my money than any bureaucrat in Washington or any socialist goon who believes he was born to “change the world”. I’m sick and tired of people looking down their noses at me and mine because I don’t live the kind of life they believe I should be living. I’m proud to live in a country that threw off that threw off the old class system and says, even today, that you can live your dream if you’re willing to put in the work. I have no intention of letting Barack Obama’s Thugocracy or the media green rooms full of elitist snobs put an end to that “for the common good”.

Come November, I’m thinking that we’re going to find out that there are a lot more Joes out there. They’ve riled us up and, to quote Mal Reynolds, we aim to misbehave.
Little Miss Attila is Joe, too.

from Sundries Shack

What happens if you question Obama

A media circus.

Obama's fairness doctrine

The damage of Obama's slip up in talking to Joe the Plumber, and why the press is trying to take your eye off Obama and focus on an ordinary citizen working for a living for a plumbing company in Ohio, is that even the most undecided voter knows that "spread the wealth around" is socialism.

For some reason, the voters haven't caught on to the lie, "95% will have their taxes reduced." These are the same people who don't realize credit means debt and sale means spend. In this parable he's talking about reinstating welfare for millions; millions of people don't pay taxes, so they will get a tax credit, i.e., will be paid for not paying taxes. McCain has been really weak in demolishing this phony claim.

Also, voters don't seem to remember one of the most successful features during the Clinton years was the Congress forcing his hand on welfare reform. Oh! the Democrats moaned and groaned, they predicted horrible things, but the economy soared by putting people to work. And Clinton got the credit--about his only positive legacy. The "community organizations" immediately went right to work pushing the newly employed or low income into NINJA loans so they would have something to do when they took their clutches off the necks of the poor.

Also, voters in 2008 don't remember the promises Bill Clinton made about reducing taxes on the middle class during his campaign in 1992 (I voted for him, did you?)--took about a month when he told us that he really couldn't do that--we'd all have to pay more. Maybe McCain is too much of a gentleman to bring it up, but he could turn that one over to Sarah.

Someone, and I don't care if it is Governor Palin or Senator McCain, needs to tell the voters that when Obama hits up the rich for more taxes (because "it's fair" or "patriotic"), he is simply penalizing the investors. The truly rich will still hire the accountants and lawyers and buy their boats, houses, and travel, but there will be much less left to invest. I saw some figures on how much Cindy McCain has lost recently. You're not sorry? I am. That's money that won't create jobs. (And she won't pay taxes on her losses, remember, so we're hurt two ways). So tax rate for the top 10% goes up, but Joe the Plumber or Jane the Pharmaceutical rep may be 100% out of a job. Jobs are created by the rich, not the poor.

Bush certainly hasn't been frugal. He's thrown money at education like he was a drunken Democrat from Massachusetts instead of a recovering Republican from Texas. He's infuriated conservatives. But he knows the way to bring in more money is to reduce the tax rates--that really spreads the wealth. Our nation's unemployment was under 5% for most of the Bush years because of his tax cuts. And before the housing meltdown caused by Democrats failing to rein in Fannie and Fred, the market was at an all time high. Obama doesn't care. He wants your job--as long as some rich investor gets taxed more. If you are 100% unemployed, well good, it just gives him more opportunity to make you more dependent on him. Makes him feel good--or powerful--or both.

The Team Obama's treatment of Joe the Plumber is just a foretaste of what's to come.

John the Plumber, not Joe

is making robocalls in Ohio according to Maggie Thurber, a radio talk show host in Lucas County keeping an eye on local, state and national politics. When you check the caller ID number, you get recorded B.O. I still think they're mad that Joe the Plumber was more articulate than Barack the Candidate.

Off the reservation?

Leftists can't hack it. Blacks and women are not allowed to leave the reservation/plantation/basement/kitchen. Now the working class can't either. As soon as they discovered that "Joe the Plumber" from Ohio could speak better off the cuff and was more knowledgeable than the candidates, BO and Biden, they swung into action to destroy him. Checked his plumber's license. Nope. Checked his union membership. Nope. Checked his voter registration. Yes (although some got that wrong). Checked his taxes. Wow. Look at that! He like thousands of others, still owes Ohio money. No wonder he doesn't want Obama to raise his taxes. Just like they flew a covey of lawyers to Alaska to find dirt on Palin and her husband and children, they have launched a "destroy Joe" campaign.

Joe's American Dream: "was to have a house, a dog, a couple rifles, a bass boat. I believe in living life easy and simple. I don’t have grand designs. I don’t want much. I just wanna be able to take care of my family and do things with them outdoors and that’s about it, really. I don’t have a “grand scheme” thing. My American Dream is just more personal to me as far as working, making a good living and being able to provide for my family, college for my son. Things like that – simple things in life, that’s really what it comes down to for me. That’s my dream." Interview

Now Obama is lying on the campaign trail about what Joe said. I heard him this morning on the radio. "How many of you know plumbers who make a quarter of a million a year?" he said slipping into a little patois just to be authentic. Joe never said he earned $250,000 a year--he said he'd like to buy the business some day and not pay even more taxes under Obama's plan. Joe's a working guy who'd like to do better someday. Under President Obama, that's not allowed. Step back, working folk. Do the Obama blue collar, black face shuffle.

Pot to Kettle: Martin Nesbitt's tax liens (Obama's treasurer).

See Michelle Malkin who is tracking this.

Update: This comment #23 at Malkin was good: "Thank you to all the MSM hyper Obambi lovers and supporters. Thank you, thank you, thank you. In your zeal and hatred of the American workers you have kept Joe and his story in the news. This could very possibly be your Dukakis in the tank moment. With the race tightening up voters are hearing Obambi over and over again espouse his socialism and the thug-ocracy of the Obambi machine. Thank you again." Marshall Russ

The MSM has tracked down the truth and reported: His name isn't Joe; that's his middle name. Oh the shame and horror!