Official Admits Plumbing for Dirt on Joe

The Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Helen Jones-Kelly, said yesterday that she authorized a check of state computer records on Joe Wurzelbacher, Joe the Plumber, after the Holland, OH citizen became the focus of national attention after the third presidential debate. Jones-Kelley, a Democrat and supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, she donated the maximum $2,300 to his presidential campaign, denied any political motivation in ordering the search of Wurzelbacher's child-support payment records. "Our practice is when someone is thrust quickly into the public spotlight we often take a look at them," she said.

Wurzelbacher has had the national press and Ohio local and state governments checking into his background ever since Sen. John McCain seized on comments Sen. Obama made in an impromptu meeting with Wurzelbacher two weeks ago. Wurzelbacher asked Obama about his tax plans and Obama responded that his tax policy was intended to "spread the wealth around." McCain has used the remark to great affect on the campaign trail and mentioned the remarks and Wurzelbacher more than a dozen times in the third debate. Obama's comments have served to inject energy into the McCain camp and have caused the Obama campaign to stumble a little in the homestretch, as questions about his tax policy and desire to redistribute wealth have become the focus of voter attention.

Jones-Kelly's admission marks at least the fourth occasion in which Wurzelbacher's records were accessed through state computer systems since McCain mentioned his conversation with Sen. Obama. The Ohio Inspector General, State Highway Patrol, and Attorney General's office are all investigating various potential breaches of Wurzelbacher's private records to determine if there was any political motivation to the inquiries. But it is clear that no one would have been looking into Wurzelbacher had he not questioned Sen. Obama and if his story was not potentially damaging to Obama's campaign. The Obama campaign has a history of attempting to silence it's criics, twice ordering supporters to call a Chicago radio station and protest segements discussing Obama's work with unrepentant terrorist William Ayers. The Obama campaign's belief in the power of the people apparently stops at a private citizen's right to ask probing questions about Sen. Obama's policies and history.