(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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I guess he did not agree to the "preconditions."
While Obama is gathering huge crowds... McCain can't even make sure that Joe The Plumber shows up.
Who the heck cares. I don,t want Robert the car wash guy managing my investment. Enough of this Joe the plumber. He is Joe the liar. We have had enough of them for the last 8 years.
Why can't this piece of white trash just fade into obscurity already?
Joe The Plumber didn't show up for work?
Is this an unexcused absence?
I actually feel sorry for John McCain.... I'm an avid Obama supporter, but this is just plain bad....
Interviewer: Senator Mccain and Governor Palin, what kind of plans do you have for this country?
Mccain: My friends, pow, iran, ayers, wright, khalidi, fight, right where we want them, obama this, obama that, Reagan, maverick, mavericker, maverickest, experience, pitbull, russia, joe the plumber, joe the plumber, joe the plumber, pelosi, reid, obama, vote for me…
Palin: Alsooooo, up there, and also because too that they were up there (wink) mavericky, (wink), joe the plumber, socialist, ayers, wright, khalidi, maverick, wardrobe, consignment shop, russia, up there, also, too also, Katie Couric, liberal, liberal media, tito, hannity, great state of Alaska, fight, energy, oil, alaska, wasilla, down syndrome baby (supersize that), also up there, pit bull, lipstick, also, too… Thank you, vote for me! Oooops. I mean us.
lol. I guess he doesnt need mcain afterall he got his country record deal.lol karma.
You know , this may seem like a small glitch but it really is a good window into the McCain Campaign and an example of what a train wreck it would be to have McCain in the White House.
No show Joe? Sounds like a well run campaign .Wonder how he would help McCain run (read, ruin) the country, should he ever return?
it's ironic that Mccain is campaigning in DEFIANCE, Ohio
I think Joe set him up. It's great. Made McCain look like more of a fool
If they can't run a competent campaign, how can anyone expect them to run the country competently?
Vote Obama/Biden.
What? McCain without his crutch? What is the world coming to? Without Joe The Plumber, McCain has nothing to talk about.
Sign,
Lisa The American Who's Voting For Barack
Joe is authentic, but Democrats wont let anyone oppose them unmolested if they can help it.
Then they act like it is Joes own fault that he had his taxzes audited and other government records searched for any transgressions.
USA get used to it, because if Obamites are this bad BEFORE getting into office, ponder how bad they will be when they are IN office.
lol
Let's see, when a voter asks Palin a question about Pakistan, it's "gottcha journalism," but when a voter asks a question that does not even affect him of Obama, then the McCain camp parades him around as legitimate. The facts are simple: McCain never vetted Palin and it is now obvious that he did not vet Joe. A total joke.
Joe is bailing out on McCain too!
wonder if he is opportunistic??? American Idol shut him down so it was off to the Obama cameras.... weeeee look at me and my tool box. I mean look at me I am a tool box.
LOL. The guy is being used just like Palin is. McCain is a pimp and Sara and Sam are the word that rhymes with toes.
OBAMA/BIDEN 08
just goes to show that mccain and palin CAN'T EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH "JOE THE PLUMBER", OHIO IS SMART, VOTE OBAMA-BIDEN
hold... on....
haaaaahahhahahahahhah....
wheeeeewwww... ohh...man...
WOW....McCain.... NICE campaign-you have Joe the "not a plumber" out there representing the real plumbers (LIKE MY HUSBAND...who is LICENSED...and DOESN'T EVADE TAXES...)... you;re giving my husband a bad name. Please get that jerk off your stage. OHHH THAT'S RIGHT...He NEVER SHOWED UP! haaaaaa Oh my.... could this get any better? seriously??
OBAMA/BIDEN '08... Eric the Plumber and Chelsea the Grad student voted early...so should you...
Just think: This is how McCain would run his administration and the country.
What a freak show. What a circus. What an unbelievable piece of work the Palin/McCain campaign is.
Know what? It's not even funny any more. It's s-c-a-r-y. They have lost what few marbles they had. Someone, please, shine a flashlight in their heads. Is anyone home?
The McCain campaign is a joke.
Plunge, baby, plunge!
JOE THE PLIMBER???
THINK IT IS MORE LIKE JOE THE NO-SHOW!
**crickets**
as the airline commercial goes "(ding) Wanna get away?"
rats scurrying from a sinking ship.
Johnny the deregulator/panderer should have called Sammy Jo the non-plumber's publicist - after all he's got one now.
Maybe he got called in on short notice to do an actual plumbing job.