Political Browser: The Trail
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STUMP SPEAKING
McCain Getting Mileage From 'Joe the Plumber'
WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Barack Obama may have Colin Powell in his corner, but John McCain still has Joe the Plumber.
As he barnstormed the Buckeye State on Sunday, McCain hailed Joe Wurzelbacher, the 34-year-old tradesman from Holland, Ohio, who has become famous since McCain repeatedly pointed to him in the debate last Wednesday as an example of someone he says would be harmed by Obama's tax policies.
Wurzelbacher is not a licensed plumber or small-business owner, and there's considerable evidence that his taxes would not go up under Obama. Nonetheless, at a rally in this small Ohio town near Columbus, McCain credited Wurzelbacher for helping highlight Obama's intention to "spread the wealth around," as the senator from Illinois told Wurzelbacher he would do in a conversation last week.
"The real winner this week was one of Ohio's own: Joe the Plumber," McCain proclaimed as he greeted a boisterous crowd of several thousand people packing the gymnasium of Otterbein College here. "He's the only person who could get a real answer out of Senator Obama. . . . Congratulations, Joe, you did what nobody else has been able to do. That's an impressive achievement."
Wurzelbacher is providing fuel for McCain's campaign as he crisscrosses Ohio, a crucial swing state that went for George Bush in 2004 and where polls suggest McCain and Obama are neck and neck.
Obama's comments suggested that he believes in "redistributing the wealth" rather than policies that "grow the economy," McCain told the crowd in Westerville. McCain also assessed the state of the race, saying, "We have 16 days to go, we're six points down" and "Senator Obama is measuring the drapes" at the White House.
"They forgot to let you decide," he said. "I love being the underdog, my friends. We've got 'em just where we want 'em."
-- Michael Abramowitz
OUTREACH TO JEWS
