McCain ruined the life of Joe the Plumber; McCain owes him more than an apology

October 17, 12:50 PMPolitical Issues ExaminerJudah Freed

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"Joe the Plumber" pursued by news crews.

John McCain owes more than today's apology to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who is suffering needlessly because McCain heedlessly used him as a political prop in the third debate.

For those unaware by now, at a campaign stop in Toledo last week, Mr. Wurzelbacher asked Barack Obama a skeptical question about the candidate's tax plans for small businesses. The man mentioning that he hoped to buy the plumbing business where he'd been working for more than a decade. Obama explained his program and closed with a quip about spreading the wealth. 

McCain picked up on the line about sharing wealth and made that a major theme of his attacks on Obama in the final presidential debate Wednesday night.

In McCain's view, government should help individuals earn wealth rather than act to redistribute wealth, which is way too progressive for him, apparently.

(This view ignores the legislative history behind the federal income tax, by the way. The 16th Amendement was meant to shift or redistribute the burden for supporting government from those with scant wealth to those with more wealth. The income tax also was meant to provide revenue for government, which directly and indrectly shares the wealth through services to all citizens.)

To add emphasis, McCain repeatdly turned to face the camera to speak directly to "Joe the Plumber" like he was the great American middle-class Everyman.

The problem is that apparently John McCain never asked Mr. Wurzelbacher for advance permission to make him an instant celebrity. McCain assumed that his political ambition gave him the right to violate the privacy of this working man.

As a consequence of his overexposure during the debate, "Joe the Plumber" became the overnight object of investigation for the naturally curious press. A basic background check readily revealed that the plumber is unlicensed in the Toledo area, which has caused the local government to put him out of business. This only adds to his financial woes, including a tax lien.

Consequently, a private citizen in Ohio who asked an innocent question has been publically humilated before the entire nation by a self-serving candidate hoping to pick up a few points in the polls. Republicans are blaming Obama for the plumber's rash of legal and financial problems since the debate. Actually, McCain holds sole reponsibility for shining a national spotlight on the man.

I would not be making a big deal about this incident if it did not suggest a larger problem with John McCain's principles. If McCain is callous about infringing on the natural rights of a citizen for political expedience, if he becomes president, would he likewise trample on the rights of U.S. citizens whenever it suits him?

McCain has never repudiated the numerous violations of the Bill of Rights by the Bush administration, please bear in mind. He's actually defended many of these unconstitutional actions, such as the "sneak and peak" provisions of the Patriot Act as well as  warrantless wiretapping.

My concern is that the harm Sen. McCain has done to Joe the Plumber is merely a foretaste of what he might do to all Americans if the Arizona senator becomes our next president.

To make things right with "Joe the Plumber," and to reassure those of us who care about civil liberties, I now invite John McCain to use his next media event to go beyond today's public apology to Mr. Wurzelbacher. I invite Sen. McCain to promise he will be more respectful of everyone's privacy rights from now on.

Further, I believe Sen. McCain owes a personal amend to Mr. Wurzelbacher, if only to get back into integrity with the man who's reputation he has damaged.

I propose, therefore, that John McCain dip into his personal fortune and pay to Lucas County, Ohio, the full amount of Mr. Wurzelbacher's tax lien, $1,182.98, a paltry sum for a wealthy presidential candidate who cannot remember how many houses he owns. Sen. McCain also should offer to pay for all of the professional licensees fees that the plumber could not afford, so the man can get back to work and earn a living.

Helping Mr. Wurzelbacher recover financially from this suddenly misfortune would be the morally proper thing for Sen. McCain to do, but I doubt if John McCain will chose to do the right thing in this case. Why not? Isn't it obvious?

That would be sharing the wealth.

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