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.”
who is paying him to do this?
I would really like to know what John McCain would be thinking right about now for making this Idiot such a big part of his campaign. I remember him saying in a interview 2 weeks before the Election that 'Joe the Plumber' has turned the Election completely around and he is closing in the gap. Boy, talk about some desperate measures by McCain. These kind of gimmicks would definitely alienate the intellectuals in GOP.
Joe would love Russia, they also don't like reporters writing stores about their soldiers killing civilians either. Joe could also bring indoor plumbing to Russia. He would be called Joe the turd king, and could make millions. It would be a great sacrifice by the American people to lose such a man, but I think we would get over it. Good bye Joe, your 15 minutes of fame (cough, cough) if thats what you call it, is over. Bye, bye, and don't forget to pay your taxes.
Take Joe Dirt and cross him with Forrest Gump or perhaps MTV Made and there you have it! Simple minded bafoon gets fame and fortune overnight.
This guy is over there making us look worse than we already do. His commentary is worthless and insulting.
What is this IDIOT doing in a war zone?
It was not til the press pointed out the futility of viet nam that that war started to end!!!!
The conservitive's are really showing their desperation sending this two bit idiot into this mess. And why is CNN wasting time reporting it?
OMG, did he really just discover war is NO PICNIC? What a keen insight!!
Hey Cuppa Joe!
FREEDOM (of the press) ISN'T FREE!
Please remember to keep that big bald head as high up as possible while in the field, Joe.
Bob, good one.
Joe, you're going ot he middle east.
What, Cleveland?
No, the middle east.
Indianapolis?
No, moron, the middle east!!!!
Ohhh, Detroit.
Lissa – Obviously the answer to your question is "yes, this is definitely a joke, even if it isn't funny"
I hope this guy gets shot out in Gaza
You've got to be kidding me – maybe he'll complain that Israel is spreading cream cheese too liberally on it's bagels.
Chris @ 4:18
"In the eyes of Republicans, what's the big deal? He has the one credential that counts – he's Conservative!"
He's "white" is what you should have said.
what does he mean "taking quick showers"?!?!?!?!?
Children are dying by the hundreds on the other side.
Whatever your politics are, please, at least have some decency.
The media doesn't know the whole story, so let's ban them altogether? Isn't that the whole point of journalism, to find the story and tell it? I think Joe, the unlicensed plumber, should stick his head back in the toilet where it belongs.
Someone should give his location coordinates to Hamas for a full unloading of rockets
I don't understand why anyone should care about "Joe the Plumber" and his opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I guess I'll have to check overseas for real reporting.
Maybe Joe can see Isreal from his front porch.
when someone hits me, I'm going to unload on the boy.
Please Joe, let's leave your sexual fantasies out of this.
oh for the day we see the headline, joe the dirt napper.
Isn't that censorship?
"The plumber-turned-foreign correspondent"
LOL
When Bush tramples the Constitution, he's less subtle. When Joe the Dumber does it, he comes right out and "abolishes" freedom of the press.
So many things I could say about this, but there's really only one word that puts it all in a nutshell...hick
Nurse ratchet..."Your "My Country" comment perfectly exemplifies the hypocrisy and divisiveness of the liberals...get back to me after you use dictionary.com for my comments...and keep looking froward to Jan. 21 whenn you will still wake up just as poor and dim-witted as you are today.