With Sotomayor there is no reason for any Republican to vote yes on someone who doesn’t value the Constitution and on someone who is obviously a activist judge. But apparently they’re hoping to get 23 no votes out of 40 Senators.

Pathetic.

Sessions came out swinging today thankfully:

Republicans came out firing at this morning’s confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor, as Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, accused Sotomayor of being prejudiced.

Citing a controversial racial bias case in which a fire department discarded the results of a qualifying test when black firefighters scored too low, Sessions said Sotomayor was biased in favor of the minority employees.

“It seems to me that in [Ricci v. DeStefano], Judge Sotomayor’s empathy for one group of firefighters turned out to be prejudice against the others,” Sessions said.

But Sessions’s attack wasn’t confined to the Ricci v. DeStefano case. The Alabama Republican indicted Sotomayor’s entire philosophy as based on non-judicial factors.

“Call it empathy, call it prejudice, or call it sympathy, but whatever it is, it is not law. In truth it is more akin to politics. And politics has no place in the courtroom,” Sessions said.

Sessions statement is a clear sign that Republicans intend to hammer away at the Ricci case when they have a chance to question Sotomayor tomorrow.

Republicans will also call two of the firefighters from that case to testify later in the week.

The activist groups are up in arms tho, claiming they will be watching for racism from everyone except the person they are backing, Justice Sotomayor:

Latinos will be watching Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings “like hawks” for evidence that senators on the Judiciary Committee are mistreating the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, or are mischaracterizing her record, leaders of Latino political, professional and advocacy groups tell ABC News.

“We accept tough questions. But what we are going to object to are questions that misrepresent the judge or that distort her record,” says Estuardo V. Rodriguez, director of Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary. The nonpartisan umbrella organization includes the Hispanic National Bar Association, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Of course when its a Hispanic nominated by a Republican the Democrats sing a different tune: (via Hot Air)

Second, yesterday’s meeting focused on identifying the most controversial and/or vulnerable judicial nominees, and a strategy for targeting them. The group singled out three — Jeffrey Sutton (6th Circuit); Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit); and Caroline Kuhl (9th Circuit) — as a potential nominee for a contentious hearing early next year, with an eye to voting him or her down in Committee. They also identified Miguel Estrada (D.C. Circuit) as especially dangerous, because he has a minimal paper trail, he is Latino, and the White House seems to be grooming him for a Supreme Court appointment. They want to hold off Estrada as long as possible.

And while all this is happening the left is doing their best to run Ricci, the firefighter who’s case was wrongly decided by Sotomayor, into the ground:

The widespread criticism of Sonia Sotomayor’s dismissal of the New Haven firefighters’ claims must have struck a chord: Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick has published an attempted character assassination of Frank Ricci, the namesake plaintiff of the infamous Ricci case.

Lithwick’s move isn’t surprising — she’s a reliable left-wing partisan. What’s particularly amusing, though, is that the McClatchy newswire already has blown her cover, by reporting that People for the American Way has been urging writers to attack Frank Ricci on precisely the grounds cited by Lithwick. Lithwick obviously did little more than take a PFAW press release, reword it, and run it under her own name.

Not surprising in the least.  Joe The Plumber ring a bell?

Sarah Palin ruled CPAC. Although this remarkable Governor could not attend the conference, her presence at this event was tangible. Two exhibits were dedicated to her: Team Sarah and Sarah 2012, and she was featured in the John Ziegler film Media Malpractice.

You can view the rest of my photos from CPAC on FLICKR

The Rise of Conservatism

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to report that Conservatism is alive and kicking! The Republican Party, however, is on life support. Attending CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) after a disastrous presidential election cycle, I was curious to gauge the mood of the grassroots conservative activists in the Age of Obama. What I discovered was a strong sense of renewed energy and purpose from the activists At random intervals during the conference, I asked attendees to gauge the mood of the activists and consistently received positive feedback. Conservatives understand the treacherous challenges facing our nation domestically and globally. They are ready to roll up their sleeves and work together towards the goal of turning the nation back from the brink of disaster. I would like to believe the RNC is trying to grasp the concept, yet the Party leadership stubbornly clings to habits that have not served them well over the past two election cycles. The inability to adapt is the quickest way to extinction.

A wise party leader would reach out to embrace the energy of the grassroots activists and work with them to present a unified message to the public. A party that simply votes “no” on an out of control spending scheme is not enough. Party leaders have to continually make the case of why this spending bill is akin to voodoo economics and offer an alternative solution to the public. The RNC working in concert with a solid grass root network could amplify and spread the message to every corner in the US.

To be fair, this is no easy task. Numerous lectures at CPAC carefully detailed the magnitude of the creeping social engineering programs being rolled out under the guise of the Democrat endorsed ‘economic recovery’. For the nation’s sake, I hope these programs fail, and that private industry is allowed to stand on its own two feet again. Despite what Rham Emanuel states, Rush Limbaugh is a great showman of the conservative movement but he is not the authority. The party is missing the Buckley/Reagan combination that brought conservatives of all flavors to the table.

CPAC brought together 8,000 grass root conservative organizers from across the nation who are optimistic, engaged in promoting solutions and not placing blame for the disastrous election cycle. CPAC invited speakers who presented solutions that do not require Jane and Joe America to surrender more of their freedom or tax dollars in order to save them from an ill defined threat. Through organizations such as the DontGo Movement, Rebuild the Party, Operation Tea Party and PACC (Pennsylvania Conservative Council), conservatives have demonstrated the ability to organize effective grassroots campaigns. We have the message and the networking capability to promote real change in Washington and the nation. The RNC can embrace conservative activists or get rolled in the upcoming 2010 and 2012 election cycles.

Did I tell you I met Joe The Plumber?

You can find my interview with Joe The Plumber HERE – Tea Time with JTP

In the few seconds it took Iraqi journalist Muntather Zaidi to wing a pair of shoes at President George Bush, the Middle East got its own version of Joe the Plumber.

Just as Joe Wurzelbacher’s gripes to Barack Obama during the U.S. presidential election catapulted him to fame, Zaidi’s burst of rage toward Bush during a Baghdad news conference Sunday has made him a household name across the Middle East.

To many, Zaidi is a hero for engaging in the ultimate Arab world insult — hurling his shoes — at Bush, who ducked to avoid being slammed in the head. To others, Zaidi is an embarrassment for a society that prides itself on being hospitable to guests, even those who are not much liked. Whichever way his act is viewed, there’s no question that Zaidi, like Wurzelbacher, is no longer just another Joe.

Comparing a man who dared to ask Obama a simple question while he was running for President with someone who physically assaulted a sitting President is just plain, well…how do I say it? Retarded. With a capitol R.

Yeah, no doubt about it…the man became famous for throwing those shoes and the same people who cheered as the towers came crumbling down are the same people cheering for him. Did the left in this country cheer when those towers came down? For the majority, no, they did not. But they will stand in solidarity with a man who assaulted a President because they don’t agree with the man.

I couldn’t put it any better then Kerry Picket:

This may be shocking to Susman, but only liberals physically attack those who do not agree with them.  Newsweek celebrated the physical assaults on those like Ann Coulter, Bill Kristol, Pat Buchanan, and David Horowitz. Thomas Friedman recently joined this club.

It is not just prominent conservatives, though, who have been physically attacked by lefties. Just ask any celebrity in Hollywood who dared to wear fur one evening and had red paint hurled on them by a PETA activist.

Maybe Susman had a revelation for a moment that only Che-Guevara worshiping individuals throw shoes, pies, and paint at other people they do not like.  Why should it matter?  As far as Susman is concerned, asking Obama a challenging question is the same as assault.

The lack of character on display by our left is simple breathtaking.

Huh?

The unlicensed pipe fitter known as Joe the Plumber is out with a book this month, just as the last seconds on his 15 minutes are slipping away. I have a question for Joe: Do you want me to fix your leaky toilet?

I didn’t think so. And I don’t want you writing books. Not when too many good novelists remain unpublished. Not when too many extraordinary histories remain unread. Not when too many riveting memoirs are kicked back at authors after 10 years of toil. Not when voices in Iran, North Korea or China struggle to get past a censor’s gate.

I’m not sure why Egan’s got a problem with American entrepreneurialship, but I daresay Joe Wurzelbacher will not be the first citizen to cash in on his reluctant public 15 minutes of fame. Gennifer Flowers did well with Passion and Betrayal about her affair with Bill Clinton. Anita Hill has done an effective job changing from law professor to authoress… all starting with her sexual harrassment accusations against Justice Clarence Thomas. No doubt they have had ghost writers in tow.

Joe indeed does credit his ghost writer, Thomas N. Tabbock. H/T to Newsbusters’ Warner Todd Huston for the extra details on this same op-ed.

It can be said that if you sleep with the right people, not only publishers, but all of Hollywood will kneel at your feet for the rights to a juicy movie of scandal. At least Joe’s book isn’t founded on a leap to 15 minutes of fame based on sexual interactions with a famous partner….

Egan gives a pass to Obama, another non-writer. Tho the President-elect penned nothing as editor of the Harvard Law Review, he felt the need to write (or perhaps by an uncredited Bill Ayers ghost writer) a couple of autobiographical books quite early in his life. Whether BHO had won the nomination or not, his choice to be a candidate (whether deliberately or not) placed him in the position to gain financially. His candidacy propelled the sales of his books – going from $1 mil income in 2006 to $4.2 million in 2007.

But Egan – ready and willing to give a pass to other non-writers who’ve capitalized on their experiences – isn’t content to whine merely about Joe’s career change. He also assails him on his owed back taxes… labeling him “no good as a citizen”.

Joe, a k a Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, was no good as a citizen, having failed to pay his full share of taxes, no good as a plumber, not being fully credentialed, and not even any good as a faux American icon. Who could forget poor John McCain at his most befuddled, calling out for his working-class surrogate on a day when Joe stiffed him.

With a résumé full of failure, he now thinks he can join the profession of Mark Twain, George Orwell and Joan Didion.

Egan, like too may journalists, hasn’t done his homework and figured out that plumbers can plumb in Ohio without licenses. Since deficient and fraudulent info is common in the journalism profession nowadays, who can be surprised.

Joe, who also pays child support, has a lien for owing Ohio approx $1200 in income tax. Who knows his budget vs income. But at least he placed priority on taking care of the child support over Uncle Sam.

But to seize on owing taxes as the foundation of his personal assault on Joe’s character?? Woof…

This “no good as a citizen” status places him with some illustrious company who’ve also been (or are currently in) the same boat… i.e. Walmart, Fat Joe, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter, Al Franken, Al Sharpton, and…. ta da… ACORN.

Where’s the outrage and personal assaults there, Mr. Egan? Oh wait… perhaps they agree with you politically. Obviously Egan’s disdain is reserved for a special class of American citizen of a particular political flavor.

What Egan misses is that, with a book deal, Joe’s going to become not only a model citizen by paying his arrears taxes – with interest – from the proceeds, but step up into a new tax bracket and easily slide over the top of Obama’s every morphing threshhold of “rich”.

Perhaps Egan is too consumed with envy to see the bright side, eh?

She first said it was a routine check to see his status on child support payments, if any, because well….they do it for all the people who get publicity…wink wink.

Now the record checks turned out to be a bit more in depth:

Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, disclosed today that computer inquiries on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher were not restricted to a child-support system.

The agency also checked Wurzelbacher in its computer systems to determine whether he was receiving welfare assistance or owed unemployment compensation taxes, she wrote.

Jones-Kelley made the revelations in a letter to Ohio Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, who demanded answers on why state officials checked out Wurzelbacher.

Harris called the multiple records checks “questionable” and said he awaits more answers. “It’s kind of like Big Brother is looking in your pocket,” he said.

If state employees run checks on every person listed in newspaper stories as buying a business, “it must take a lot of people a lot of time to run these checks,” he said. “Where do you draw the line?”

~~~

Jones-Kelley wrote that the checks were “well-meaning,” but misinterpreted amid the heated final weeks of a presidential election.

Well meaning and misinterpreted? Puhlease.

These MULTIPLE checks of MULTIPLE records done immediately after the debate were not misinterpreted. They are comparable to the passport check of Hillary and Obama which received front page news stories for days and resulted in multiple firings.

This story?

Crickets from the national media.

And I thought California was bad.

If your in Ohio and speak ill of Obama you better be prepared for some “well meaning” record checks of your past….isn’t that grand?

The Ohio Head of Job and Family Services who approved a child support search on Joe Wurzelbacher immediately after the third debate is a max donor to Obama. (h/t Ace)

And we’re supposed to believe her excuse for the invasion of privacy, which was “we always do that” more or less:

Ohio’s inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the state child-support computer system for information on “Joe the Plumber.”

Helen Jones-Kelly, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed today that she OK’d the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher following the Oct. 15 presidential debate.

She said there were no political reasons for the check on the sudden presidential campaign fixture though the Support Enforcement Tracking System.

Amid questions from the media and others about “Joe the Plumber,” Jones-Kelley said she approved a check to determine if he was current on any ordered child-support payments.

Such information was not and cannot be publicly shared, she said. It is unclear if Wurzelbacher is involved in a child-support case. Reports state that he lives alone with a 13-year-old son.

“Our practice is when someone is thrust quickly into the public spotlight, we often take a look” at them, Jones-Kelley said, citing a case where a lottery winner was found to owe past-due child support. “Our practice is to basically look at what is coming our way.”

That has to be the lamest excuse I’ve heard in some time. So she supposedly approves a search of anyone who gets in the public spotlight? Pretty easy to check on that one….I’m doubting she is going to come out of this smelling like roses.

And it’s ironic that just two years ago she fought the press and went to court to protect the confidentiality of her agency’s records.

But not now. Not when it involves someone who dares to question the messiah.

And where is the wall to wall coverage from our MSM? Recall the media uproar after it was discovered that State Department contractors had took a look at Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain’s passports.

That was on the front page for days AND heads rolled with multiple people fired.

Whatever.

It gets better tho:

The use of a state computer system to search for information on Wurzelbacher is the fourth uncovered by The Dispatch.

Who were the other three?

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Toledo Police Department’s criminal records, and in the office of the AG.

This is what happens when you question The One in Ohio I suppose eh?

UPDATE

Clerk charged with unlawful search of Joe, the MSM yawns.

Toledo Police have confirmed that a TPD records clerk is accused of performing an illegal search of information related to ‘Joe the Plumber.’

Julie McConnell, has been charged with Gross Misconduct for allegedly making an improper inquiry into a state database in search of information pertaining to Samuel Wurzelbacher on Oct. 16.

Wurzelbacher came under the spotlight after being spoken about during the final presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

The inquiry into Wurzelbacher’s record is a violation of department and state policy governing the use of the Law Enforcement Automated Data System. The clerk is under fire for making the inquiry for a non-law enforcement purpose.

McConnell was hired by the Toledo Police Department in April 1995 and assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau.

Election Day is only two weeks away, and as John McCain and Barack Obama make their final pitches to “close the deal” with voters, a stunning new ATI-News/Zogby poll shows a clear majority of undecided voters disagree with Obama’s plan for wealth redistribution in America.

1214 likely voters were surveyed Oct 17-20th, and resulted in larger than a 2:1 margin of undecideds stating that they disagreed with the concept of distribution of wealth. 57% against, 24% for, and 19% just can’t make up their minds.

The gap was only slightly narrower for Independent voters, 52% against, 39% for, and 10% dazed and confused.

Clearly, the McCain campaign has an issue decidedly in his favor. Will Obama, the DNC and their media continue to “distract” the American electorate from Obama’s own words to Joe the Plumber?

Or will McCain refuse to let them get away with this utter nonsense, and drive home the documented membership of Obama in the New Party?

Is this the same as the Democratic Socialists of America? Officially, no. But the New Party was always included in the DSA’s newsletters updates. Why? Because philosophically, they are closely aligned.

From the Chicago Democratic Socialists of American website in July 2007

New Party Update
by Bruce Bentley

The Chicago New Party is increasely becoming a viable political organization that can make a different in Chicago politics. It is crucial for a political organization to have a solid infrastructure and visible results in its political program. The New Party has continued to solidify this base.

First, in relation to its infrastructure, the NP’s membership has increased since January ‘95 from 225 to 440. National membership has increased from 5700 in December ‘95 to 7000. Currently the NP’s fiscal balance is $7,000 and receives an average of $450/month is sustainer donations.

Secondly, the NP’s ‘96 Political Program has been enormously successful with 3 of 4 endorsed candidates winning electoral primaries. All four candidates attended the NP membership meeting on April 11th to express their gratitude. Danny Davis, winner in the 7th Congressional District, invited NPers to join his Campaign Steering Committee. Patricia Martin, who won the race for Judge in 7th Subcircuit Court, explained that due to the NP she was able to network and get experienced advice from progressives like Davis. Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration. The lone loser was Willie Delgado, in the 3rd Illinois House District. Although Delgado received 45% of the vote, he lost by only 800 votes. Delgado commented that it was due to the NP volunteers that he carried the 32nd Ward. Delgado emphasized that he will remain a visible community activist in Humbolt Park. He will conduct four Immigration workshops and encouraged NP activists to get involved.

If fact, at the same time as this New Party report on Obama’s IL Senate win, the DSA was exploring formal affiliation with the New Party that same year during their DSA Convention.

The only controversial business at the meeting was a proposal that Chicago DSA affiliate with the New Party. Ultimately, the meeting voted to, in effect, explore affiliation with both the New Party and the Labor Party.

And just what is the mission of the Democratic Socialists of America?

Our mission is to establish democratic socialism as a political force in the United States and around the world by training and mobilizing socialist activists to participate in a vibrant and diverse socialist organization at both the local and the national level. DSA both educates the public about democratic socialist values and policies and builds progressive coalitions to win victories that move the U.S. and the world toward social democracy.

In the near term, democratic socialists struggle for reforms that shift power and resources away from corporate elites and put them in the hands of ordinary citizens. In the long term, democratic socialists fight for a world in which all people share equally in the governing of the economic, political and cultural institutions and relationships that shape their lives.

The Obama faithful are quick to insist the New Party was hardly socialist. New Party activist, and Obama associate, Carl Davidson issued this statement:

The New Party in Chicago was never a socialist party. DSA in Chicago had little to do with it in any practical way. It was a pragmatic party of ’small d democracy’ mainly promoting economic reforms like the living wage and testing the fusion tactic, common in many countries but only operational in New York in the US.

The main trend within it was ACORN, an Alinskyist outfit, which is hardly Marxist. Most socialist left groups either ignored it or opposed it, even if a few of their members took part in it. That’s the truth of the matter.

Alinsky, “hardly Marxist”?

A passionate believer that social justice could be achieved through American democracy, Saul Alinsky methodically showed the “have-nots” how to organize their communities, target the power brokers and politically out-maneuver them. The lessons he taught people about the nature of power, imparted dignity to the poor and helped create a backyard revolution in cities across America. His work influenced the struggle for civil rights and the farm workers movement, as well as the very nature of political protest. He was a mentor to several generations of organizers like Ed Chambers, Fred Ross and Cesar Chavez. Alinsky’s still thriving Industrial Areas Foundation became the training ground for organizers who formed some of the most important social change and community groups in the country.

uh huh… Well, at least we can see where a younger, socialist Obama cast his future in the business of “community organizing”.

But back to the New Party, and the DSA. Considering this major socialist party was exploring formal affiliation, and includes New Party updates as part of their regular newsletters, I’m hard pressed to believe that “ignoring” or “opposing” of the NP comment by Carl Davidson of the New Party. Distancing the New Party and the DSA is an uphill battle indeed.

And be sure to read up on the “fusion voting”… or the ability of a candidate to be nominated by more than one party, appearing twice on the ballot as the candidate for each of those parties, and the ballots “fused”/combined for the total tally.

Today the New Party is considered an umbrella organization for grassroots political groups working to break the stranglehold that corporate money and corporate media have over our political process.

Their website links to the Working Families Party out of New York… more Obama supporters, of course.

The Working Families Party is fighting for a more just world.

One where the economy works for everyone. One where politicians are held accountable to working people, instead of big-money backers. One where all of us, no matter where we come from, can find a good job, get healthcare when we need it, afford a home, send our kids to good schools, and have a secure retirement.

Then, of course, we have Obama and William Ayers, blowing lots of cash on politics and very little on education reform during their joint educational experiment, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers, of course, is an outspoken proponent for a socialist/Marxist agenda in the public school system.

The “spread the wealth” comment obviously is not a one of a kind gaffe, or off the wall philosophical statement. Yet the media, the DNC, the “faithful” and Obama himself insist there isn’t a socialist bone in “that one’s” body.

The level of this denial leads me to believe they are either blinded by adoration, or they are ready and willing to embark on a socialist/Marxist/Communist path while refusing to be labeled what they are.

If this poll of the undecideds and independent is any indication, Obama, the faithful and the media will have to work overtime to disprove the obvious… that Obama has a history of, and proposes a future of American progressive socialism. If you’ve been blind and deaf, it’s time to wake up.

And if you’re one of the faithful, recognize just who Obama is and… if you still want to vote for him… please do not pretend to the rest of us we’re insulting you when we call you socialists. It’s time you took a good, hard look in the mirror and have the courage to admit openly just who and what you are.

But for those that still think this warm, if not smoking, gun is still insufficient to draw the parallel between Obama’s socialist political and philosophical past and present alliances, Henry Lamb makes it simple for you to weigh the socialist philosophy against the policies of the man in his Oct 19th article in the Canadian Free Press.

I’m going to post just the opening paragraphs, then have you link directly to the article to finish reading.

Socialism, according to Karl Marx, is the transition between capitalism and communism. To achieve communism, Marx says, there must be continuing revolution in which the fundamental principal is: the end justifies the means.

For more than half a century, capitalism in the United States has taken a beating from the socialist revolution. Despite the best efforts of conservatives, since the Roosevelt era, socialists have made great strides toward converting the nation to socialism. Apparently, the majority of Americans either fail to recognize the transition, or welcome it. The enthusiastic support for Barack Obama, especially among young people, is abundant evidence.

Obama has declared that he believes every person has a “right” to health care. The Socialist Party USA believes every person has a “right” to health care.

Obama believes that labor unions should be allowed to organize without a secret ballot. The Socialist Party USA calls for unions to be recognized without a secret ballot. (Hear Obama’s words here.)

The Socialist Party USA recognizes the “right” of adequate housing for everyone. Obama trained ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) workers to secure mortgages for unqualified people, in sufficient numbers to collapse the housing and home-financing industries.

The Socialist Party USA believes that “capitalism is fundamentally incompatible” with socialism. For years, Obama worked in Chicago through the Annenberg Challenge, along with Bill Ayers, to funnel more than $50 million to anti-capitalist education projects. In November, 2006, Ayers traveled to Venezuela to speak at Hugo Chavez’s Education Forum where he railed against “the failings of capitalist education,” and praised the “…Bolivarian Revolution and the profound reforms in education made by Hugo Chavez.”

The Socialist Party USA believes in open borders and six months residency as the only requirement for U.S. citizenship. Obama marched with illegal aliens in Chicago in support of “comprehensive” immigration reform. Listen to Obama’s promises to La Raza in 2007.

Continue reading, and to use the articles hotlinks, click here

Ask a question of a liberal Presidential candidate that allows his true Socialist dream to spew forth from his lips and the next thing you know you get run through the mill by the MSM. How dare you ask a question of The One.

Because of that question the MSM vetted Joe The Plumber more then they EVER did with The One. We find out that the guy has a tax lien on him. We find out he doesn’t have a license:

An official at Local 50 of the plumber’s union, based in Toledo, said Mr. Wurzelbacher does not hold a license. He also has never served an apprenticeship and does not belong to the union. (The national plumber’s union, the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, endorsed Mr. Obama, it should be noted.)

Like that last part? “Doesn’t Joe the Plumber understand his own unions back The One?”

Some MSM outlets even reported that Joe’s boss didn’t have a license. But wait a minute:

Mr. Newell is licensed. He is licensed in Lucas County. His license number starts with the digits 329 and then has two more digits. I don’t see any need to post more identifying information about innocent people. Search here, plug in the right parameters, and you can download the list of all licensed plumbers in Lucas County, Ohio. It is not difficult, though you have to provide information about yourself as the requester of the information.

So I got this list of licensees.

Mr. Newell is on that list. And if I read the rules of apprenticeship correctly (I am not an Ohio attorney, and yes I could be reading it wrong), the reported date of November 2003 as the date of filing of Joe’s apprenticeship papers seems to be just fine. According to this,

“The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (O.C.I.L.B.), Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance, issues state commercial licenses to the following contractors: electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing, and refrigeration. To receive a state license, an applicant must meet the following requirements: 1) be at least 18 years of age; 2) be a United States citizen or a legal alien-must provide proof of being a legal alien; 3) either have been a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade for which the application is filed for not less than five years immediately prior to the date the application is filed, currently be a registered engineer in this state with three years of business experience in the construction industry in the trade for which the engineer is applying to take the examination, or have other experience acceptable to the appropriate section of the board; 4) not have been convicted of or plead guilty to a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or of any felony; 5) pass the examination in the trade; 6) carry minimum $500,000 contractor liability coverage; 7) pay the applicable fees”

So here’s the point. Many news outlets have gotten it correct, but some have not and that needs to be corrected. Mr. Newell is licensed, and Joe the Plumber is just short of his five years before he can apply for licensure, but as supervised by Newell, he’s o.k..

But hey, its ok to tear this guy down because he dared to ask a question. Pam Meister wonders why the MSM isn’t asking Obama some questions:

Am I missing something? Is Joe running for president? What about the guy who is running for president? If we’re going to worry about past associations and baggage, why hasn’t the dinosaur media placed their laser-beam focus on any of the following?

• Obama’s campaign treasurer, Martin Nesbitt, [4] also has a tax lien.
• Obama’s mentor, who is mentioned in his book as merely “Frank,” was [5] Frank Marshall Davis, a card-carrying member of the Communist Party of the U.S.
• Obama’s as-yet unexplored [6] relationship with Khalid Al-Mansour, an Islamist with nothing good to say about whites, non-Muslims, and the West in general.

And that’s just for starters.

Hell, how about his relationship to Ayers and the lies he has told to explain that association? Or how about why it is that evidence of the relationship disappears once it becomes news? These are the kind of questions that should be asked to understand the character of a Presidential candidate. As Michael Barrett wrote, character matters:

Does it matter that Barack Obama associated with this man? Does his association with Ayers reflect on his character? It sure does. Depending on your character you may not think it’s a big deal, but character is the primary issue in every election, especially when we are choosing the next President of the United States.

But it matters not to our MSM apparently because instead of these questions being asked we hear crickets. We hear a roar, however, when a “regular Joe,” who has warts and blemishes as every regular Joe and Jane has, dares to ask a question that affects many business owners. “Why raise my taxes?”

The MSM has spent more time and energy into destroying regular Joe then they ever spent digging into the past of a man who wants to lead this nation.

At least it gave McCain an opportunity to defend Joe, as he did today, and it allowed him to explain why his question was so important:

The reason why Joe won is because he’s the only person to get a real answer out of Senator Obama about his plans for our country. I think you all know very well that Joe didn’t ask for Senator Obama to come to his house. Joe certainly didn’t ask to be famous. He certainly didn’t ask for the political attacks on him from the Obama campaign.

Joe, if you’re watching, I’m sorry you’re being put through this. No American should be attacked for asking questions of a presidential candidate. No one.

We learned more about Senator Obama’s plans from Joe’s question than we’ve learned in months of speeches by Senator Obama. Joe has now reminded us all that we didn’t become the greatest nation on Earth by giving our money to the government to “spread the wealth around”. In this country, we believe in spreading opportunity for those who need jobs and those who create them.

Economics 101 is being taught all over the nation, thanks to Joe the Plumber!

The ‘I am Joe” mantra trickled down into a McCain Victory Center as some volunteer callers identified themselves as ‘Jane or Joe Plummer’ when calling voters in Philadelphia.

One man in particular questioned Obama’s tax plan, telling him that he is about to buy a company that makes more than $250,000 a year.

“Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?” the man asked.

Obama responded by telling the voter that his business would get a 50% tax credit for health care, but that his taxes will go up from 36% to 39%.

“I want to give all these folks who are bus drivers, teachers, auto workers who make less, I want to give them a tax cut,” Obama explained.

The man wasn’t convinced, telling Obama that he has been a plumber for 15 years and doesn’t believe that he should be taxed more.

After explaining that the tax rate would be the same as under Bill Clinton and that 95% of Americans make less than $250,000, Obama made one last pitch to the voter.

“I’m gonna cut taxes a little bit more for the folks who are most in need and for the 5% of the folks who are doing very well – even though they’ve been working hard and I appreciate that – I just want to make sure they’re paying a little bit more in order to pay for those other tax cuts,” Obama said.

“It’s not that I want to punish your success – I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you – that they’ve got a chance at success too.”

Sounds like the very definition of Socialism.