Joe the Plumber Lawsuit Documents

Joe the Plumber or Joe the Gold Digger?

Joe the Plumber, vice president of Rush Limbaugh’s Republican Party, is suing former Ohio Department of Job and Family Services director Helen Jones-Kelley and others in federal court.

We all know that Kelley’s staff took a peek at Joe’s entries in their databases, but correct me if I’m wrong — isn’t that information public?  Granted, they didn’t go about it the right way — they could have called a journalist and asked them to do a public records request – but what’s Joe stand to gain?

Oh, that’s right, money.  There he is, one of  Republicanland’s standard bearers engaging in frivolously lawsuiting.  Didn’t Joe get the Republican talking points on use of the legal system?  The legal system is only for large, multi-national corporations wishing to avoid paying taxes.  It’s not for regular Joes.

Here’s what the AP reported:

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — “Joe the Plumber” is suing three former state officials in Ohio, saying they violated his privacy when they gathered his personal information in a records search.

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher says in the federal lawsuit filed Thursday that he suffered emotional distress, harassment, humiliation and embarrassment as a result of their actions. He’s seeking unspecified punitive damages.

The lawsuit names Helen Jones-Kelley, who resigned in December as director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and two assistants.

Ohio’s inspector general found that Jones-Kelley improperly used state computers to find personal information on Wurzelbacher, a Toledo-area man who rose to fame during the presidential campaign after asking Barack Obama about his tax plan.

The Plain Dealer No Better at the Math Than Ohio Legislature

A really crummy piece of legislation known as the ‘Joe the Plumber’ Bill was made worse on Monday by the the Cleveland Plain Dealer letting its snarkiness get ahead of the facts in an editorial. Read more

The Political Pursuit of Bad Legislation for Political Gain: The Ohio Republicans

The best thing that has happened to the Republican-controlled and term-limit-tarded Ohio General Assembly is Ted Strickland.

In 2007, they unanimously passed a budget through both houses, something which had eluded them in recent memory – even with a Republican governor.  Strickland, very often the only adult in the room at the state capitol, dragged them into an energy bill that ended up being good legislation and great public policy – making everyone happy.  He has fostered a sense of comity between the executive and legislative branches – a divide that could have grown deeper under the control of different parties – by meeting regularly with Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Jon Husted.  In short, Strickland has lived up to his promise to work in a bipartisan manner with the leglislators to get the business of the people done.

How do they repay him?  Let’s take two examples from the current lame duck session, also known as the death throes of the blow-dry Jonny Husted Republican House. Read more

Full Report: Ohio Inspector General Finds Fault With ‘Joe the Plumber’ Records Search by State Agency

Click here for full report from State of Ohio Inspector General, Re: Joe the Plumber Record Search.

2 ½ Days: News Coverage of the Election from Ohio | November 1

Columbus Dispatch

• Long lines – yes; longer hours – maybe
  
• GOP gets earful for answers on survey
  
• Mailers are making the TV ads look lame
  
• Boehner demands monitors at polls
  
• GOP volunteers steer up votes
  
• Paper ballot must be offered if poll is busy
  
• Biden, Clinton visit Southern Ohio
  
• Governator stumps for McCain
  
• Worker who checked on ‘Joe’ speaks
  

The Plain Dealer

• McCain predicts comeback victory; Obama advisers skeptical
  
• Multiple absentee ballots sent to some Ohio voters
  
• Op-Ed, Joe Frolik: Election Day Primer
  
• Op-Ed, Kevin O’Brien: Obama a Socialist
  

(Editor’s Note: Op-Ed, Pelikan: Kevin O’Brien is a douche bag)

Youngstown Vindicator

• Most at YSU couldn’t see or hear McCain
  

Dayton Daily News

• Biden derides McCain in Kettering
  
• Boehner’s name-calling desperate: Obama Aide
  
• McCain keeps up attacks on Obama
  

Akron Beacon Journal

• Race to finish in search of votes
• Voters make up minds to try something new
• Editorial: Plumbing for Answers
• Editorial: Lying about his record
• Op-Ed, Steve Hoffman: Why wait for Tuesday? Here’s the deal …

Cincinnati Enquirer

• CT man voted here
  
• Political fliers at churches slammed
  
• Down to the wire, Obama, Palin coming
  

Toledo Blade

• MI woman heads south to door knock
  
• Bus tour rolls into Bowling Green
  
• Boehner appears in Perrysburg
  
• ‘Terminator’ Rallies McCain Faithful
  
• Biden denounces Bush legacy in Lima
  
• Op-Ed, Reg Henry: We’re all runners in this race

Campaign stays hot in Ohio: 2008 Elections Coverage by Ohio’s Major Dailies

Columbus Dispatch

• McCain camp sees gap tightening in battleground states
  
• Clinton talks up Obama in Youngstown
  
• In So. Ohio Hillary says Nation needs Obama
  
• Obama army blankets Ohio
  
• Editorial: Sex, Lies and Gifts
  
• The Arnold heading to Columbus
  
• GOP says sorry to House Democrat
  
• Obama likes Clinton vet to serve as CoS
  

Cleveland Plain Dealer

• Clinton, Strickland stump for Obama
  
• McCain ends bus trip with muscle
  
• Springsteen campaigns for Obama this weekend in Cleveland
  
• McCain’s third stop leaves open field
  
• McCain gives shout out to ‘Joe the Plumber’ relatives
  

Dayton Daily News

• Election Board to probe Husted’s Residency
  
• Boehner calls Obama barnyard name
  
• Biden calls McCain Bush’s Sidekick in Kettering
  
• McCain, ‘Joe the Plumber’ draw crowds across Ohio
  
• Judge throws out suit to take Obama off Ohio ballots

Ohio Politics and Elections Coverage: Five Days to Election Day

Recent Coverage by the Columbus Dispatch

• Clinton boosts Obama with Ohio appearances
  
• Obama dips but still has comfortable lead
  
• Down in polls, McCain tells Ohio crowd he’s coming back

• Feds won’t make Brunner reveal voter mismatches
• Schwarzenegger says McCain in uphill battle
• Palin revs up Chillicothe
• Local pastors emphasize duty to vote
• Agency head defends ‘Joe’ searches
  

Recent Coverage by Cleveland Plain Dealer

• Day of the Plumber
  
• FAQ on Casino question
  
• ‘Joe the Plumber’ joins McCain roadshow in Sandusky
  
• Secy State cancels cross-checking of Ohio’s voters
  
• McCain in Defiance, Ohio reverts to name calling
  

Recent Coverage by Toledo Blade

• McCain tells Defiance crowd he’ll cut taxes
  
• Rush Limbaugh blasts Kaptur
  
• Palin joins ‘Joe’ in Bowling Green
  
• Ohio elections chief: Scrap voter database
  

Recent Coverage by Dayton Daily News

• Ben Stiller ‘Rocks the Vote’ at UD
• Judge to rule Friday on Ohio man’s attempt to kick Obama off Ohio ballot
• Payday Lending pays over $3 million for signatures
• Joe the Plumber hires Nashville publicity team

Ohio Sunday Papers – Plain Dealer Obama Endorsement | Politics & Elections News

Politics & Elections News

• Endorsement: Obama for President – The Plain Dealer
• Endorsement: McCain for President – Columbus Dispatch
• Presidential campaigns get in voters’ heads – Columbus Dispatch
• Husted: Just where does he live? – Dayton Daily News
• Husteds taking property tax breaks in two places – Dayton Daily News
• New suit over voter registrations goes to Ohio’s top court
  – Dayton Daily News
• Plenty of puzzles in Ohio voter registration data – Cincinnati Enquirer
• McCain returns to Ohio with Joe on his mind
  – Toledo Blade
• Op-Ed, Jonathan Riskind: Barring unforeseen, Ohio won’t be key to White House – Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Joe Hallett: With plenty of ugliness to go, let’s get this over with – Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Thomas Suddes: Ohio should beat casinos to the punch – The Plain Dealer

Toledo Blade Special Report: State of Distress

Homepage for Day 1 of 3: Job losses, poverty sting Ohio over last 8 years

Joe the Plumber: Jackass or Ordinary American

The final votes are in: Joe the Plumber is an ordinary American Jackass.

What follows is some of the news coverage of the man, the myth, and soon to be legend of Joe the Plumber. The only bigger jackass in all of this John McCain for holding The Plumber up as the very picture of hard-working, American virtue who just wants a fair shake. You see, Joe doesn’t have a plumbing license. Oh, and there’s this other little thing, Joe owes the state of Ohio around $1,200 in back taxes. When good ole, bootstrappin’ Joe engaged Barack Obama on the campaign trail, he’d already made his mind up. He doesn’t want to pay any taxes.

Joe the Plumber News Coverage

• ‘Joe the Plumber’ isn’t licensed – The Toledo Blade
• Is ‘Joe the Plumber’ a plumber? – Associated Press
• Forget Palin, McCain needs Joe the Plumber – Christian Science Monitor
• Joe and the American vernacular – Washington Post
• For McCain it’s all about Plumber Joe
  – New York Times