Biden casts doubt on Joe the Plumber phenomenon

New York, Oct 17 : Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden today cast doubt on Joe the Plumber, who was a focal point of last night's presidential debates after he questioned Barack Obama's tax plan.

"I don't have any Joe the plumbers in my neighborhood who make 250,000 dollar a year and are worried," Biden told NBC.

"Joe the plumber in my neighborhood, Joe the cop in my neighborhood, Joe the grocery store owner in my neighborhood, they make, like 98 percent of all small businesses, less than 250,000 dollar a year. And they're going to do well under Obama's tax plan," he added.

Joe the plumber is actually Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, who rose to fame after he cornered Obama during a campaign stop in Ohio and asked him about his tax plan.

Wurzelbacher told Obama that he was thinking of buying a plumbing business, and would be earning 270,000 dollar. Obama said that he would have to pay higher taxes under his plan to help "spread the wealth."

John McCain then capitalized on the conversation during last night's debate, frequently referring to Joe and how much he would suffer under Obama's plan.

Wurzelbacher says he hasn't decided who he'd be voting for.

"It's a personal decision, and myself and the button I push will know the answer," the 34-year-old plumber and single father said on ABC's "Good Morning America" programme.

In a video interview with the Toledo Blade newspaper after the debate, Wurzelbacher described himself as a man of modest means.

He said he wasn't swayed by Obama's health-care pitch, either, describing it as "just one more step toward socialism."

Wurzelbacher said he was pleased with McCain's performance. "McCain came across with some solid points, and I was real happy about that," he said.

ANI