PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — An Ohio plumber thrust into national politics during the 2008 presidential campaign says the United States needs to build a fence at the Mexico border and "start shooting" at suspected illegal immigrants.
Samuel Wurzelbacher made the comment during a Friday night fundraising appearance in Arizona for state Sen. Lori Klein.
Wurzelbacher became known as "Joe the Plumber" four years ago after he confronted then-candidate Barack Obama about taxes during a campaign stop. In March, he won the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in northern Ohio.
He told an audience in Prescott he wasn't willing to hide his views on border security just because he's running for Congress.
Wurzelbacher didn't immediately return a call for comment Monday, but Klein insisted that Wurzelbacher was kidding when he make the remark about shooting.
nazdweller posted at 5:18 pm on Mon, Aug 13, 2012.
The Tea Party will be the downfall of the Republican party. This idiot is just one more example why I left the party in 2007.
azjean55 posted at 6:04 am on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
same here. this, and the bundling of fiscal conservatism with religious fanaticism, racism, homophobia, sexism, and just about any other form of narrow minded bigotry you can name.
wdgnas posted at 6:48 am on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
so 'joe the plumber' is advocating violence. wait till some 'klansmen' shoot each other by mistake. their defense will be 'joe the plumber' said i could.
k33j88 posted at 7:22 am on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
We are a nation of laws, or last time I looked across the border we were. Big Sis has told AZ border agents to not defend themselves against aggression by illegals. The feds(ICE), release those caught by AZ agents if no other crime was committed. Now they can vote, using federal forms, apply & receive all benefits of entitlement programs, fidget their tax forms to receive extra child credit payments, and demand legitimacy for their illegal children using the 14th amendment cover. Thanks to the DOJ, now these "hard working individuals" can shoot back with their newly acquired, high-powered, assault rifles.
American Socialist posted at 10:06 am on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
Start Shooting????
Looks like the right has already forgotten about Gabby Giffords and what this hate charged speech can do...
K33j88, please site all you're sources...
Illegals can vote...Bwhhahaha....HOW?
Turn off the fox news....
retired03 posted at 10:36 am on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
well American Socialist, fox news and beck and limbaugh. add in all the ignorant, untrue, made up, just plain lies being sent across America by exremist right wingers and that adds up to ignorance in the public sector. Of course you have to be open to intelligent dialog first, most of those I described are not.
shoot on site? sounds like those idiotic hillbilly hand fishing shows and that other toothless dude on the animal planet.
annab posted at 12:37 pm on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
Begin typing here...Who paid for this idiot airfare to get to Arizona? What a waste. He is not even a plumber. If the GOP wants to get back on track, they can Kick it up a few notches. These guys just double down on the dumb.
TruthSeeker posted at 12:57 pm on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
Meanwhile, our Border Patrol agents are given rubber bullets to defend themselves against the drug cartels. Ask deceased Border Patrol agent Brian Terry how that worked for him in Fast and Furious. We have to stop pretending we are defending our border and use real bullets. Can you name any other country that uses rubber bullets to defend themselves?
DonMey posted at 5:03 pm on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
Hopefully he doesn't really mean this, and is instead expressing frustration about the level of enforcement with an over-the-top statement. I don't know anyone who truly believes illegal immigration should be a capital offense.
First post here, and I'm sure they'll be many more, as AZCentral is going pay-to-play.
CSalafia posted at 6:49 pm on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
I'm still waiting for Lori Klein and Jeff Flake, who were at this event, to come out and disavow his comments......
*crickets chirp*
phxvato1202 posted at 8:59 pm on Tue, Aug 14, 2012.
@truthseeker--- I like you and most americans are disgusted that this agent lost his life to some criminals who didn't care for him or anyone else in this country. But it's time people like you and those like slime (klein) realize that the government has had every opportunity for the last 100 years to protect the border, they didn;t and they won't because the border is open $$$$ for them just like african americans were $$$ for the slave owners. I have said many times in the past, you want to blame illegals for everything that is wrong with this state and country. In our state look at the embicile politicians that we have elected?? brewer, Klein, Arpaio, Pearce, Kavanaugh, nothing but idiots who run this state. I have also said we the greatest country in the world can send a man to the moon but we can't build a fence on the border? or maybe it's that we don't want to build the border fence?? Ask your politicians which one it is?