Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, is in Israel. (Getty Images/Israeli GPO)
(CNN) – ‘Joe the Plumber’ Wurzelbacher told a group of journalists covering the conflict in Israel and Gaza that he didn’t think the media should be allowed to report on war.
“I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting,” Wurzelbacher said. “You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘well, look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”
Wurzelbacher arrived in Israel on Sunday to start a 10-day assignment for pjtv.com, a Web site run by the conservative media outlet Pajamas Media. The plumber-turned-foreign correspondent said he wanted to cover Israel’s side of the conflict, because he thought the media was slanting the story to make it look like “Israel’s being bad.”
In his first day as a reporter, Wurzelbacher described the hardships of daily life in the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
“I’m sure they’re taking quick showers, I know I would,” Wurzelbacher said. “So you can’t plan your day, you can’t take a picnic.“
Wurzelbacher said he thought Israel should have attacked Gaza sooner. He told a group of reporters that he was a “peace-loving man,” but that "when someone hits me, I'm going to unload on the boy.”
He got a first-hand taste of reality in Sderot, when his group heard sirens warning of a rocket attack. With cameras rolling, Wurzelbacher and his group ran into a shelter.
“I’m in the bunker, I’m sitting there angry, outright furious, that I’m letting this terrorist dictate what I’m going to do because they’re firing missiles,” Wurzelbacher said. “It was fear at first, then outright anger, and then me wanting some kind of retribution. I’m not a person that runs from things, but when it’s a missile, you run.”
From CNN Politics
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I think Joe is smarter than Limbaugh and should get his job, and a new home in Alabama.
Isn't it funny how somebody can say or do one little thing and become famous? He was unlicensed plummer for heaven sake, probably bouncing checks because he is not working, beating his wife and/or kids. Now cnn is paying him to fly all expense paid trip to Israel! With his own entourage!! And who to guess how much he is paid.
Who is this phoney character, really? Ban the free press?! And he calls himself an American? Why does the press give this fraud any coverage whatsoever?
What a moron.
More proof that the conservative movement has failed and is on its last legs. Maybe they could send Jeff Gannon over there too.
Banning media correspondents from war??? in this case, he should be banned too... dumbo!
He could be the dumbest man in America. Ban the media(yet he's working for the media out there!) What a piece of garbage.
Joe is an idiot.
Anyone who supports war as a legitimate way of settling disagreements needs to see the reality of his or her choice. The world needs to be reminded that war kills children, breaks hearts, and damages minds.
Great!
First "Joe the Plumber" is an economics expert, then a journalist for a day and now he wants to end the freedom of speech. Is it any wonder the Republicans lost the election?
I can't wait to see what's next?
It's not the war that the media should stop covering, it's Joe the Plumber.
Rob, please get some edumacation
ATTENTION NEWS MEDIA: PLEASE stop reporting, following, paying attention to this idiot. Thank-you.
Saints preserve us from the Republicans of this era
I agree with him. I've been saying that, too, for years! It hampers our military and needlessly prolongs war and death. Get it done, get out. If the media hadn't been on the ground for an extended time in the Middle East all these issues would have been resolved by now. Yes, many innocent people would had died, too, but their dying today anyway and there is no end in sight. It's war, it's tragic and politically incorrect things happen..........that's why liberals don't fight wars. They just turn the other cheek and become subservient.
Why do you think Hamas stages so many Israeli 'attrocities' on their own people, to manipulate the press. Those innocent people wouldn't have died if the press wasn't on the ground.
Think about it............................
Dear Joe,
Your fame had run its course months ago and it's almost shocking that CNN would continue to keep your name and activities relevant. I can see Fox News doing it, but come on... You have made a fool of yourself, your family and your party affiliation. Of course Palin, Hannity, O'Reilly and Limbaugh had a hand in making the republicans so gosh darn successful as well. Keep up the good work, Joe... You're in good company with those folks. Intelligence is obviously not a requirement to be a right wing spokesman.
I agree with Bill.
@ Shawn
"Why attack Joe? Isn't he allowed to have an opinion?"
-------------
What about our oppinions to disagree with Joe the Plumber? Freedom of speech goes both ways
Does Joe not know? The First Amendment gives the press the right to be there. So is he saying that the public should not be informed and ONLY trust the government to tell us what's going on?....and this guy wants to run for office...nice
So now Joe "nor really a plumber" Wurlzbacher is pretending to be a journalist too, eh? What a surprise. He has a point though, if we banned the media completely, I wouldn't be so depressed to hear how stupid the majority of we Americans really are. Ignorance truly is bliss...
I am rolling my eyes right now. I think that Joe the Plumber is grandstanding for some political agenda he has down the road. Somebody told him that he has a shoe in in the political world with his whole "Joe the Plumber" thing. He thinks he now has the key to change the world by attacking the media. He is mad at the media because a lot of the media made a mockery out of him. I am curious to see how far he goes. I will more than likely judge this as plastic and fake and not really meaty.
alan
Joe is correct. The media overlooks that written in Hamas' chrter is the "obliteration of Israel". Now how can anyone make peace with another when they don't believe you should even be allowed to live. Israel is correct in killing the terrorists be them, little ones, big ones, male or female.
Whats next.......Harry the Butcher will be testing the new NASA shielding systems, Suzzana the Hairstylist will be displaying her mathematical proof of string theory, and George the president will be made a multi-millionaire many times over for book deals on what I like to call the "8 Year Debacle". ONLY IN AMERICA!!
He's not a "Joe", he's not a licensed plumber, and giving someone a mike does not a journalist make. I'd say he should engage brain before using his right of freedom of speech, but that would seem to be a Mission Impossible for the Great Impostor.
What a nut. Arrogant, idiot, nut, I'm sure he'll get a schooling
What an idiot!
This is what happens when idiots overstay their 15 minutes of fame.
This is the future of the GOP. Joe the nut job. This is amazing how a plumber can become a journalist by just asking a question. When it takes real journilist four years college plus experience to be a journalist.