I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW it: Joe the plumber's taxes

I knew it...

The first thing on my list of things to do today, before breakfast, before coffee, was to write a blog post about how I was positive that "Joe the plumber" -- a fellow who button-holed Barack Obama not long ago to tell him that he was leaning toward a vote for John McCain because Obama's tax policies would mean his taxes would go up if he pursued "the American Dream" by buying the plumbing business he had been saving for.

Obama had offered his standard line, basically, that unless a small business or family's income was at least $250,000 a year, it wouldn't face a tax increase.

Joe the plumber was not mollified...

Me, I was thinking, man, I'll bet you anything this Republican-leaning plumber doesn't know the difference between gross and net income -- that the plumbing company he wants to buy does not do over a quarter million dollars in overall business -- but that his actual, net income after figuring business expenses is going to be considerably less.

I didn't get the chance to write my post.

Bleary eyed, first thing this a.m. I zombied in to the bathroom and flipped on the radio.

It wasn't 15 seconds before I heard about Joe the plumber, who had been mentioned -- by actual count -- at least 20 times in the debate the night before.

And what did I hear?

Reporters had talked to Joe since the debate and -- what do you know? -- Joe had (presumably sheepishly) admitted the new business would not have a net of a quarter million or more a year.

Joe said he was still worried about Obama's tax policies, though, because some day he might...


He had said he was undecided when he first talked to reporters.

But he's clearly uninformed and --well, clueless -- enough to make a cynic (and this writer is not just a cynic but was, within the last year a Republican, himself) think that Joe the plumber has always been a closet McCain supporter and was just looking to 'sting' Obama in a one to one, on camera meeting.

Ha!

I knew it!


UPDATE: This short article at ABC News seems to confirm my suspicions about Joe and his leanings: Joe The Plumber: Obama Tax Plan 'Infuriates Me'