Henrietta Hughes May Be President Obama's "Joe the Plumber," As Outreach Ministry Says She was Offered Housing Last Month and Declined

John McCain had Joe the Plumber. President Obama has "Henrietta the Shoveler." Yes, it seems that Henrietta Hughes is being accused of shovelling a lot of crap our way about her homelessness. You will recall that she made headlines earlier this week when she tearfully pleaded her case to President Obama. Yesterday morning, Chene Thompson handed Henrietta Hughes the keys to her home in Hendry County. Thompson is the wife of State Representative Nick Thompson. Hughes and her son Corey will live at the home rent free.

The director of We Care Outreach Ministry, Tanya Johnson, begs to differ with Ms. Hughes. She said that Hughes isn't being honest about how much help she's had in the past. Ms. Johnson said in an interview with WINK News, that just last month she offered Henrietta Hughes permanent housing and a place stay free for three months, but Hughes refused.

"We would have allowed her to stay for the first 90 days, no income. You know free," said Tanya Johnson. We Care Outreach Ministry is a faith based organization in Fort Myers. Johnson says she also gave Henrietta and her son Corey, money, food and offered Corey job training courses, but it was refused. "We have extended a lot of her services to her," Johnson said.

But Henrietta Hughes says these services weren't free and the apartment in East Fort Myers came with a price tag. Hughes says Tanya Johnson wanted $400 a month immediately. The disability check Hughes gets is a little more than $800 a month. Hughes owes money on a loan, has her car insurance payment, a monthly storage bill and says she couldn't afford the rent. "Where was I going to get $400 a month to give her if I got these expenses," Hughes told WINK News.

Henrietta Hughes says she's never taken advantage of the system and doesn't choose to be homeless. Like other programs she's tried to get help from,she says We Care couldn't meet her needs. WINK found out the Hughes' sold property, back in 2005. Henrietta and her son sold the land for $47,000 dollars. But Chene Thompson says that was all the money they had for several years and it's gone.

"They have nothing today. They need help today. They didn't need help in 2005. They need help today. So whether they had $47,000 or $147,000 in 2005, it doesn't matter. They don't have any money today," she said. Source: WINK News

I basically blasted Michelle Malkin for going after Ms. Hughes and I stand by my position. If, however, this woman is perpetrating a lie, as Joe the Plumber did, the outrage should be the same. Why would anyone want to be homeless if someone has extended a hand to help them? I find that hard to believe. But that's just my opinion. Maybe Ms. Hughes is President Obama's Joe the Plumber. Only she is known as"Henrietta, the Shoveler." This woman may very well be as destitute as she says she is. Who really knows the truth?