Joe the Plumber, a.k.a. Samuel Wurzelbacher, the "everyman" campaign tool from John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, says the notoriety he's received as a result of McCain has ruined his life.
"I don't owe him shit. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it," Joe the Plumber tells Pennsylvania public-radio correspondent Scott Detrow. "McCain was trying to use me. I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy."
That's funny, Joe didn't seem to mind all the attention when he was plugging his book, or when he signed with a Nashville public relations firm to "explore new career opportunities" like recording a country music album.
Joe even had some kind words for the Obama administration in his anti-McCain rant.
"I think his ideology is un-American, but he's one of the more honest politicians. At least, he told us what he wanted to do," the plumber says.
Joe also has turned against conservative darling Sarah Palin.
According to Joe, his animosity toward McCain is so strong that he no longer will support Palin because she is coming to Phoenix next month to campaign on "The Maverick's" behalf.
No word on how Joe feels about McCain's primary opponent, former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, but based on how he apparently feels about McCain, we can assume it's a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
That makes us wonder: will Joe the Plumber be resurrecting his career as a political tool for the Hayworth campaign? There's got to be a chance.
