Joe the Plumber, Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, Springs A Few Leaks, Owes IRS Back Taxes, Has No License

Well, John McCain thought he hit the ball out of the park when he kept repeating Joe the Plumber relentlessly. It turns out that his favorite supporter, whose real name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, has sprung a few leaks in his story. The biggest slap to John McCain and I suspect to Wurzelbacher, is that he isn't a licensed plumber. Court documents show that he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes to the IRS.

Wurzelbacher instantly became a media celebrity, fielding calls during the debate and facing reporters outside his home near Toledo for an impromptu nationally televised news conference. That's when he acknowledged that he didn't have a plumber's license, but said he didn't need one because he works for someone else at a company that does residential work. Wow, I have never heard of a plumbing subcontractor hauling more than $250,000. Have you? According to one person, David Golis, manager and residential building official, Joe would still need to be a licensed apprentice or a journeyman to work in Toledo. Guess what? He's not.

According to the Fox News, state and local records show Wurzelbacher has no license, although his employer does. Golis said there are no records of inspectors citing Wurzelbacher for unlicensed work in Toledo. Yeah,he may have just opened up a can of worms that he will live to regret. Yeah, he'll really need Barack Obama's tax plan and not John McCain's.

Wurzelbacher owes the state of Ohio $1,182.98 in personal income tax, according to Lucas County Court of Common Pleas records. In January 2007, Ohio's Department of Taxation filed a claim on his property until he pays the debt, according to the records. The lien remains active.

At the debate, McCain cited Wurzelbacher as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but would be hurt by Obama's tax plans. Joe has no money to buy a business. He can't even pay his taxes.