Before getting to Joe Plumber, let me point out that I didn’t watch the debate. I haven’t watched a presidential debate since Lieberman vs Cheney, and the last one before that was probably Bush the First vs Dukakis. I prefer to watch the post-debate spin. Wasting time on the actual debate would hinder me from concentrating on what’s important.
So here’s how the left-wing activist group Associated Press is trying to spin it in an article by John Seewer.
HOLLAND, Ohio (AP) — Joe the Plumber’s story sprang a few leaks Thursday. Turns out that the man who was held up by John McCain as the typical, hard-working American taxpayer isn’t really a licensed plumber. And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes.
It’s the typical government-centric point of view. A government-centric reporter defines a plumber as someone who has made proper obeisance to the ruling class so as to have been graciously granted the proper documents. A people-centric reporter would think of a plumber as someone who does plumbing work for other people who need to have such work done.
And the $1200 in back taxes? Doesn’t that help make McCain’s point?
If a person owes more money to the bank than his home is worth, the left holds that up as a failure of capitalism. They want the government to take over. But owing $1200 in back taxes is somehow not seen by these same people as a failure of big government.