'Joe the Plumber' v. Ohio and he can't find a job --how the mighty has fallen

[CatWoman]

:rofl:

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum

WASHINGTON -- Judicial Watch formally filed a federal civil rights law suit on behalf of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, Joe the Plumber today. It alleges that "officials of the State of Ohio violated Mr. Wurzelbacher's constitutional rights by illegally accessing confidential information from its official databases," per Thomas Fitton, president of Judicial Watch.

"It is our contention that there is an open question whether Joe the Plumber was number one on Obama's enemies list," Fitton said, referring to the alleged White House enemies list including Rush Limbaugh. "We already have evidence that government officials were misuisng government resources to, in our view, to try harm our client for speaking out against Mr. Obama."

Fitton said four days after Wurzelbacher's interaction with Obama on Oct. 12, 2008, the three highest ranking employees of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services at the time held a meeting where they discussed Joe the Plumber. Fitton also said the three Ohio employees, who Fitton said are "believed to have been supporters of Obama's presidential campaign," then instructed agency personel to search confidential databases for information about Wurzelbacher.

Wurzelbacher also blamed the media. "Stop doing it with an agenda," he said to the media. "I wish they would report the facts and not what they think."

"Mainstream media has done their best to discredit everything and anything about me," Wurzelbacher said, telling reporters he can no longer find work as a plumber after this incident. "I'm actually making less than what I made as a plumber. He has damaged me in that aspect as well."

Wurzelbacher said allegations of not having a plumbing license is not to blame. Instead, he said, people may like his work but say he overcharged, etc if they do not agree with him politically. Wurzelbacher is now doing some reporting work for Pajamas Media.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/05/1822814.aspx

[petronius]

1. I don't care about Wurzeldouche, but I still want to know if there's substance here

If someone truly accessed confidential records, they should be punished; if he filed this suit as a publicity game he needs to be massively slapped down...

[vadawg]

7. My thoughts exactly, if they accessed the files then i hope its huge payout time

I dont care whos side the officials are on, government workers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent when they pull crap like this.

[csziggy]

27. What are Ohio's laws about accessing records?

Here in Florida, public records such as professional licensing are readily accessible on the internet. If Joe were claiming to be a plumber here I could have checked on his license without leaving my house. This is one thing Florida has right - almost all records are out there for anyone to check. But I do not know what the laws are in Ohio - checking on someone's license to operate as a tradesman ought to be permissible so the public can know if the guy under their sink is working legally. IMO, of course.

[petronius]

28. I have no idea about Ohio's laws, but the article makes it sound like

it was more than looking up a license. This one seems like it will be easy to figure out when it gets to court: either someone abused their authority, or someone filed a frivolous lawsuit - either way, someone needs to get slapped...

[Grinchie]

31. Like they did with Obama and Hilarys passport records 2 years earlier?

Poor Joe.. Abused by the same system that remained broken since the first data theft.

Maybe he can volunteer to look for 5 million missing emails while he's at it.

[muntrv]

2. Joe's accusing the media of using his tactics, agenda.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Here it is, the latest in Republican political analysis technology:

Projecting is so much easier for them now that they have the right equipment...

[Beartracks]

4. Isn't 'tool' a job?? n/t

:eyes:

[Bozita]

5. I thought he was gone on a book tour.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

44. Apparently, being a world renowned author pays less than an assistant turd herder.

[polichick]

6. Where's McShame now? Can't he offer his hero a job??

[CatWoman]

8. yeah

with all those houses McCain has, he's bound to have a busted pipe here or there.

[polichick]

9. Lol - let's see Joe the Plumber do some actual plumbing!

[petronius]

11. Considering how sour Cindy always looks, it's pretty obvious

that McCain has a busted pipe... :)

[CatWoman]

13. *snicker*

:)

[polichick]

15. Hmm, maybe young Joe could be put to lots of use in those houses!

[petronius]

16. I'm thinking a plumber might come in handy, but Joe's not the dude

Cindy's gonna need to browse the Yellow Pages on her own... ;)

[Bozita]

14. I heard he knows of jobs picking lettuce for big bucks.

[polichick]

17. I forgot all about that! I'll bet both Joe and Psycho Sarah feel used by McShame.

[Grinchie]

33. Jinx*

You beat me to the Lettuce picking debacle of john McCain.

Well played. Well played indeed.

[Grinchie]

32. Lettuce picking season will be here soon, McCain can pay Joe $50.00 an hour

He offers this job every year, then backs out by saying that they couldn't handle it.

[rocktivity]

10. "Allegations" of not having a plumbing license? Either you have one or you don't

As for the media discrediting you, Joe, it's not their fault that you are not a plumber, and were in no position to buy a business. You discredited yourself.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Raine]

12. Well he has his book sales to fall back on

OOPS ... five sold ... maybe not, still there's always the 99 Cent Store maybe they'll take his books. :P :rofl:

[buff2]

18. That's not going to go anywhere

The lady that accessed that information on poor Joe resigned from her job. It's all been taken care of. Another worthless law suit filed by rightwingnut "Judicial Watch". :hi: :rofl:

[Louis-Emmanuel]

41. if that were the case, all lawsuits would be avoided

By simply resigning or telling an employee to resign.
The plumber is a scumbag, but I think what was done is grounds for a lawsuit.

[rasputin1952]

19. They can hash out the legality of gaining "confidential" information...

and that would indeed be bothersome.

However, JtP can't get a job because people don't want to hire him; he can't sell more than 5 books, because people don't want to buy them; he didn't pay his taxes, because he either couldn't, or didn't want to, (someone else paid his back taxes); no one wants to listen to him because they see nothing of value in what he has to say.

Joe, the worst thing you did was listen to those who wanted you to try and make the future president look like a fool, you lost. You are, in the classical sense, a stooge. Live with it.

[zulchzulu]

20. You'd think Sam The Scab would figure out his 15 minutes was over 20 hours ago n/t

[Grinchie]

34. Nope, JtP is just another stupid twit banging his head against reality.

Just like the rest of the Republican base.

[tanyev]

40. He's just serving as a useful idiot for Judicial Watch.

I bet they approached him about filing the lawsuit.

[MiniMe]

21. Seems like McCain and Palin were more responsible than anybody else

[ecstatic]

22. He thought he could find work after standing on stage with McFailin

and spewing nonsense on FNC day in and day out? He ruined his own career. I wouldn't want that LIAR in my home either.

[Grinchie]

35. Hey, hey did a great job in Gaza!

Unfortunately, the phosphorous shells whith Joe the Plumber written on them missed.

[Juche]

23. That tool tried to milk his 15 minutes of fame and it backfired

The fact that he is a lying fascist (listen to some of what he has said) know nothing is why people turned on him. He tried hard to milk every penny out of his 15 minutes, now he is trying to blame others (the media, obama) for the consequences.

[iamthebandfanman]

24. "I wish they would report the facts and not what they think"

lol , oh the irony of that statement.

[firedupdem]

25. Fuck this guy. He's a bum. He was a bum before Obama came

around. He wasn't a plumber when they found his fraudulent ass.

[President Decider]

26. With McCain owning 7 homes, don't cha think he would need a flipping handyman?

Come on John, hire his sorry bald ass!

[LynnTheDem]

29. WHO was in charge of the US govt on OCTOBER 12, 2008???

But hey, blame the Obama admin.

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

30. The Voters are becoming more SAVVY....more Aware,....More Concerned, ...

http://www.politicallore.com/cartoon-of-the-week/rush

Them Pubs are looking like shit these days....its the elephant in the room syndrome

[MurrayDelph]

36. Joe, when you hear the tone

the time will be 16 minutes after the hour.


BEEP!

[Hellataz]

37. Doesn't him not having a job have more to do with him not having a license?

[eridani]

38. Don't think you need a license to work for somebody else

--just to own a plumbing business yourself.

[depakid]

39. You do need a license to drive, though

Which this guy apparently obtained from Ohio fraudulently.

[eridani]

45. That's probably a matter of public record, then

Shouldn't require any unauthorized snooping at all.

[trapper914]

42. Agreed

If someone illegally accessed non-public records, they should be held accountable.

As for Sam the non-plumber feeling judged by potential employers...suck it. Sam could've asked his question of Obama without sitting for all the interviews and trips to McCain rallies. When you become the face of an irrelevant political party, you just may have to deal with consequences down the road.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

43. But his book tour is going so well

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022600005.html

[Cha]

46. Remember at the mccain rally

when mccain thought joe the plumber was in the audience and kept calling out his name to no avail? He wasn't there and now mccain doesn't write or call..sad really when love goes bad.