This Needs to Stop... before I Vomit

If I have to hear another thing about Joe the Plumber, I am going to vomit. Who cares about this wingnut? Here is what we know about Joe: he makes less than $100,000 per year, owes the government back taxes, has a possible history of spousal abuse, and is not a real plumber. Under the Obama tax plan his taxes would go down. Yet for some reason the McCain campaign keeps trotting his name out in the public as if he means anything. The literal meaning of the narrative McCain is spinning is bizarre; Obama's tax increase on people making > $250,000 is bad not because it affects wealthy people, but because someday people like this fake plumber might actually get rich, and in the event they do, the portion of their income in excess of $250,000 would be subject to a 3% marginal tax increase.

This is such a confusing and disingenuous way of attacking Obama's tax plan. If McCain wants to make a philosophical argument that wealthy people should pay less taxes, thats fine. But to use this tortured logic, the idea that tax increases hurt middle class people who might someday get rich... that's just pathetic. The real reason McCain has to construct this bizarre Joe the Plumber narrative on taxes is because as late as 2005, McCain himself said that the Bush tax cuts "offended his conscience." In other words, McCain has no real moral authority to attack Obama's tax plan, so instead McCain has to couch it in a bizarre and convoluted middle-class narrative.

As you can see from this McCain rally today, there was a little miscommunication about whether ol' Joe would be there. And according to CNN, Joe is legitimately offended at the situation.

The way the McCain - Palin campaign is seemingly ending is so sad. Obama has an infomercial across seven networks last night and a big lead in many key states, and McCain's response this morning is to fecklessly call out for Joe in a rally - like a confused old man looking for his slippers as he shuffles around his living room, all while his thankless daughter looks on while plotting to steal his Social Security check.