(CNN) - Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, has become an integral part of John McCain's presidential bid, but it appears the Arizona senator's campaign and the now-famous Toledo plumber need to work on their communication skills.
McCain aides told CNN's Dana Bash Wurzelbacher would appear with the Republican presidential candidate at his first campaign event in Defiance, Ohio. But in what was a slightly awkward moment for McCain, Wurzelbacher was nowhere to be seen when the Arizona senator called out for him.
Read Dana Bash's first person account of the mix up on AC360 blog
A campaign aide later said Wurzelbacher had "decided not to come" and may join McCain later in the day.
But reached at his home by CNN's Mary Snow, Wurzelbacher said it was "news to him" that he was supposed to be at the McCain rally. Wurzelbacher said nobody from the McCain campaign confirmed he was attending the event and called the incident a "miscommunication."
Wurzelbacher also said he is headed to Philadelphia for a charity event unrelated to the campaign and has no plans to meet up with McCain today.
UPDATE: Contacted by CNN a second time, Wurzelbacher said the campaign only called him to confirm after the event in question already took place. He will now try to meet up with McCain later in the day.
Watch: 'Joe': McCain 'a real American'
Wurzelbacher also said he had gotten an initial call about coming to the morning rally, "but no one called back to confirm," and was "not happy" that McCain had called out his name and he wasn't there.
From CNN Politics
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Well, I think I am going to start being a plumber...
You apparently sit at home all day and do nothing.
This guy is SUCH a joke....
Do people not remember him saying that he MISSED THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE???
He's NOT GOING TO VOTE NEXT WEEK!!!
Why should anyone care about what he has to say???
That is too funny! Can someone please tell me why we should give a rat's butt what this guy thinks? His name isn't really Joe, he doesn't pay his taxes, and he's not even a licensed plummer. Why should his opinion be anymore more important than anyone elses?
McCain's campaign is run by Moe, Larry and Curly.
A little touch of irony if you like that sort of thing, huh?
Looks like everyone McCain is pinning his campaign on is falling apart on him. First Palin, now Joe the Plumber... Just goes to show McCain should have relied on himself and not these surrogates.
Then again, that might not have helped much either, since he sacrificed his "maverick" image by kowtowing to the far right of his party.
Old Man Yells at Clouds can't manage his own campaign. He sure won't be able to manage the country, especially with all of his "senior moments."
Awe geeze. not this phoney again. Dumb and Plumber.
The RACE is not over!
McCain/Palin 2008!!!!!!!!
WATCHING THE REAL MCCAIN AND PALIN IS 1000X BETTER THAN ANY SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SKIT!
Joe the Plumber has gone "Rogue"!
I am so looking forward to the morning of Nov. 5th, 2008 when Obama steps up to the microphones... looks directly into the camera's and says...
"Hello America, I am...'Barack the President'!!!"
Maybe this will finally make the whole "Joe the Plumber" thing go away. Now if we could only do something about that overused "Maverick" line...
Question:
How to you introduce someone to the public if you have not set eyes on him or her?????
The campaign did not contact Joe the Plumber to appear at the rally in Ohio, yet they were on CNN that he will campaign with John McCain in Ohio. What a mess!!!
Come on Sen. John McCain. Step up your game or it will be too late.
Just another example of Dumb surrounding himself with Dumber and Dumbest.
All I can say is WOW, is that the best representation the GOP can come up with. Once again DIVERSITY......WHERE IS IT IN THE GOP PARTY!!!!
yeah,,,, is macain looking bad or what?
The BRADLEY EFFECT is in full swing. All those white conservative people who CLAIM to be voting for McCain will pull the switch for OBAMA once that curtain closes behind them...
Let's see how he blames this on Obama. Or maybe Joe's a terrorist too. G*d I despise the McCain spin machine.
Comeon Give the guy a break. maybe he was on call and had to fix someone's toilet...
he could be more productive
Of course he didn't show. He's a contractor. They never show up when they're supposed to.
why is he not called 'Joe the Un-Licensed Plumber' or 'Joe the Tax-Dodging Un-Licensed Plumber'??? He is America? Give me a break.
Just another example of how disorganized the McCain campaign is...Obama's campaign is a well-oiled machine, everything is like clockwork. The way a person's campaign is run is representative of how they will operate as President!
Say it ain't so, Joe!
Are these people on McCain's campaign staff for real? This campaign John McCain is running is a joke. And this is the same man that Republicans want us to elect for four years...unbelievable! I say, HELL NO!!! Now, I do believe that a rift exists between Palin and some of McCain's senior staffers, because no one seems to know what's going on, especially John McCain himself.