"Joe the Plumber," the small business aspirant and overnight media sensation agreed with a John McCain supporter Tuesday who asked him if he believed "a vote for [Democratic Presidential candidate Barack] Obama is a vote for the death of Israel."
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, has arrived in Israel to cover the war in Gaza.
Photo: AP
"I'll go ahead and agree with you on that," Samuel Wurzelbacher told the man, retired Florida lawyer Stan Chapman, who was visiting Ohio.
The Ohio plumber became famous after he was referred to constantly in the final presidential debate. McCain has been portraying the plumber as emblematic of people with concerns about Obama's tax plans.
Wurzelbacher also said that Obama would make America a socialist nation.
Wurzelbacher was joined at the rally by Rob Portman, a former Ohio congressman and budget director under President George W. Bush, who said he disagreed with Chapman's assessment of Obama's foreign policy.
Wurzelbacher himself has undercut the Republican message about him by revealing his income is less than earlier suggested, which means he actually stands to fare better under Obama's tax plan. But Wurzelbacher says Obama's plan would hurt him if he were able to buy the plumbing business from his current employer.
An Obama spokesman said Wurzelbach is misguided.
"Facts are facts: Barack Obama is the candidate who is standing up for the middle class, has a plan to turn our economy around and will give Joe the Plumber and 95 percent of working families a tax cut," Isaac Baker said.
Wurzelbacher's first trip to the podium was without notes. He often apologized to reporters gathered in a flag store for talking from his gut.
"I'm honestly scared for America," Wurzelbacher said.
He later said Obama would end the democracy that the US military had defended during wars.
"I love America. I hope it remains a democracy, not a socialist society. ... If you look at spreading the wealth, that's honestly right out of Karl Marx's mouth," Wurzelbacher said.
Wurzelbacher was scheduled to make stops in other towns in Ohio, an important swing state. The bus tour included guests billed as Mary the Flag Lady, Mike the Painter and Linda the Fitness Trainer
