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HOLLAND, Ohio – Joe the Plumber said Thursday he doesn’t have a license and doesn’t need one. Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, the nickname Republican John McCain bestowed on him during Wednesday’s presidential debate, said he works for a small plumbing company that does residential work. Because he works for someone else, he doesn’t need a license, he said.

But the county Wurzelbacher and his employer live in, Lucas County, requires plumbers to have licenses. Neither Wurzelbacher nor his employer are licensed there, said Cheryl Schimming of Lucas County Building Regulations, which handles plumber licenses in parts of the county outside Toledo.

Wurzelbacher, who voted in the Republican primary and indicated he backed McCain, was cited by the GOP presidential candidate as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but would be hurt by Democrat Barack Obama’s tax plans. Wurzelbacher said he was surprised that his name was mentioned so many other times.

“That bothered me. I wished that they had talked more about issues that are important to Americans,” he told reporters gathered outside his home.

Wurzelbacher, 34, said he doesn’t have a good plan put together on how he would buy Newell Plumbing and Heating in nearby Toledo.

He said the business consists of owner Al Newell and him. Wurzelbacher said he’s worked there for six years and that the two have talked about his taking it over at some point.

“There’s a lot I’ve got to learn,” he said.

Wurzelbacher said he started his day with an early morning workout and came back to his suburban Toledo home to do live interviews with TV networks.

Reporters camped out by his house overnight and by midmorning there were 21 people on his driveway surrounding him, holding cameras and notebooks.

Wurzelbacher said he’s feeling overwhelmed.

“I’m kind of like Britney Spears having a headache. Everybody wants to know about it,” he joked.

In Toledo on Sunday, Wurzelbacher told Obama that he was preparing to buy the plumbing company, which earns more than $250,000 a year, and said: “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?”

Obama said that under his proposal taxes on any revenue from $250,000 on down would stay the same, but that amounts above that level would be subject to a 39 percent tax, instead of the current 36 percent rate.

Wurzelbacher said Obama’s tax plan wouldn’t affect him right now, because he doesn’t make $250,000. “But I hope someday I’ll make that,” he said.

“If you believed (Obama), I’d be receiving his tax cuts,” Wurzelbacher said. “But I don’t look at it that way. He’d still be hurting others.”

As he leaned against the Dodge Durango SUV parked in his driveway Thursday morning, Wurzelbacher indicated to reporters who crowded around that he was a conservative, a fan of the military and McCain. He said meeting McCain would be an honor but said he hadn’t been contacted by the Republican campaign.

Still, the plumber wouldn’t say who he was voting for and brushed off a question about whether he could influence the election or other voters.

“I don’t have a lot of pull. It’s not like I’m Matt Damon,” Wurzelbacher said.

“I just hope I’m not making too much of a fool of myself,” he added.

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Joe Wurzelbacher – immortalized during tonight’s presidential debate as “Joe The Plumber” – spoke with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric shortly after the conclusion of the final debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

To get a sense of just how central Wurzelbacher was to the debate, consider this: McCain and Obama mentioned Wurzelbacher 26 times during the 90 minute debate. By contrast, Iraq came up six times, and the word “economy” was used 16 times.

While still on the air, Couric asked Wurzelbacher what he thought of the debate. He said he wasn’t swayed either way, though he seems to be leaning towards one of the candidates.

“I mean I have a pretty good idea who I’m going to vote for but you know that’s my – you know, the nice thing about going into the booth is only me and the lever knows,” he said. “I think McCain did a fine job this evening, I think he brought up some good points. I do like his health care and I do like his, where he stands on taxes.”

The conversation continued on Couric’s webcast. Here’s the full transcript of that exchange, along with video:

COURIC: We want to go to Joe the plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher from Toledo, Ohio, because Joe is telling me that he’s got three live trucks parked outside his house – actually from Holland, Ohio, let me correct that, Joe. Was this a bit of a surreal experience, hearing your name mentioned not once, but twice, but almost half a dozen times during the course of this debate, Joe?

Mr. JOSEPH WURZELBACHER: Yeah, actually, surreal’s a good word to use for it. It was – you know, I was glad I was able to act as some type of point, you know, to where they could sit there and hammer out what they both think, what they want to say. But ultimately, you know, the important part was the debate.

COURIC: And again, why don’t you just reiterate quickly for us, Joe, because I want you to get back, get to your local news station where you are, how you felt about the statements made by the candidates vs. the statements you heard when they were out on the campaign trail talking to you.

WURZELBACHER: One thing I noticed that seemed like Obama changed his mind on offs***** drilling, which I thought was a good move. I don’t know how much he wants to do of it, I’d like to talk to – hear more about that. McCain I – made a solid – you know, McCain was solid in his performance.

Obama speaks well, but the one thing that’s really important, that everyone in America really need to know is, you know, talk is talk. You know, he can speak pretty, but, you know, there’s got to be action behind it. We’ve seen McCain, we know his actions. Even if you disagree with him, at least you know where he stands. McCain – or Obama, we’re not sure where he stands yet, even after his debates. Like I said, he speaks eloquently, better than I do, but I honestly, I still don’t know where he stands. He’s said a lot, but none of his experience has backed it up. You know, the only experience I’ve seen or his actions are raising our taxes, so, you know, I’m middle cl*****. I can’t have my taxes raised anymore.

COURIC: Well, he supposedly will raise taxes only on people who make over $250,000 a year. Would you be in that category?

WURZELBACHER: Not right now at presently, but, you know, question, so he’s going to do that now for people who make $250,000 a year. When’s he going to decide that $100,000 is too much, you know? I mean, you’re on a slippery slope here. You vote on somebody who decides that $250,000 and you’re rich? And $100,000 and you’re rich? I mean, where does it end? You know, that’s – people got to ask that question.

COURIC: Could you just, Joe, explain quickly, and then we’ll let you go, how you met both of the candidates?

WURZELBACHER: I’ve yet to meet John McCain. Obama came to my neighborhood and my son and I were outside tossing the football, and all of a sudden he showed up, and there went our football tossing for a while. And, you know, neighbors were outside asking him questions, and I didn’t think they were asking him tough enough questions, so I thought, you know, I’ll go over there. You know, I’ve always wanted to ask one of these guys a question and really corner them and get them to answer a question of–for once instead of tap dancing around it. And unfortunately I asked the question but I still got a tap dance. Do you – almost as good as Sammy Davis Jr.

COURIC: Joe Wurzelbacher, I mis*****ounced your last name earlier, Joe. Maybe you should fill in on “Meet the Press,” Joe. Or “Face the Nation,” I should add. I know they’re looking for someone on “Meet the Press,” that’s why I said that. Joe, hey…

WURZELBACHER: Great. I’ve got opinions and I, you know, and that’s it. But I – you know, everyone has opinions.

COURIC: Yeah, that’s for darn sure. Well, Joe, thanks so much for talking with us. I’ll let you get outside to your local news reporters. And really, I really appreciate your spending some time with us tonight. And now everybody knows your name, at least, right?

WURZELBACHER: I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but we’ll see how, you know, the future brings.

COURIC: All right, Joe, thanks very much.

******************************************************************************************************Biden: Joe’s not a ‘real’ plumber

By ANDY BARR | 10/16/08 10:59 AM EDT

Biden questioned whether Joe Wurzelbacher is a “real” plumber after the Ohio citizen vaulted to the front of campaign dialogue.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden questioned whether Joe “the plumber” Wurzelbacher is a “real” plumber Thursday after the Ohio citizen vaulted to the front of campaign dialogue during the final presidential debate.

“John [McCain] continues to cling to the notion of this guy Joe the plumber,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show. “I don’t have any Joe the plumbers in my neighborhood that make $250,000 a year.”

“The Joe the plumbers in my neighborhood, the Joe the cops in my neighborhood, the Joe the grocery store owners in my neighborhood, they make, like 98 percent of the small businesses, less than $250,000 a year.”

A video that shows Wurzelbacher telling Barack Obama earlier this week that the Democrat’s tax plan would prevent him from buying the business he currently works for became an instant YouTube sensation and popular fodder for conservatives.

Obama told the plumber that it was time to “spread the wealth around,” a phrase McCain and his campaign have been reciting frequently.

Biden said he isn’t worried that Wurzelbacher would not get a tax cut under Obama’s plan.

“We think we should give that to the real Joe the plumbers, who make $65,000, $70,000, $80,000 bucks a year,” Biden said on CBS’s “Early Show.”

During a news conference in front of his home, Wurzelbacher said he is “bothered” that he received more attention than the Iraq war in last night’s debate.

“I’m completely flabbergasted with this whole thing and just hope I’m not making too much of a fool of myself and hope I can get my message out there,” Wurzelbacher said.

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Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher May or May Not Be Registered to Vote

Last night’s debate was highlighted by the story of Joe Wurzelbacher, or as John McCain called him “Joe the Plumber.” McCain told the story of how Ohio resident Joe Wurzelbacher wanted to buy the business he had been working at for over a decade, but would be taxed higher due to Barack Obama’s tax plan.

McCain tried to combine negative campaigning with a personal sob story in order to gain points and tell a sentimental story about an every day American, which is a common tactic. But the McCain apparently didn’t take into account that Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher may or may not be registered to vote for McCain, or anyone else.

According to Politico.com, people with access to Ohio’s voting files have said that Joe Wurzelbacher is not registered to vote. Bloggers who immediately tried to do research on Wurzelbacher, along with the rest of the national media, quickly jumped on this rumor, especially those in Obama’s camp.

However, an article in the Toledo Blade contends that Wurzelbacher is registered to vote and has been for 16 years. Wurzelbacher allegedly voted in the Ohio primary for McCain and is a registered Republican.

Lucas County Board of Elections executive director Linda Home told the Blade that Wurzelbacher’s name may have been misspelled in the voting database, which would explain the confusion.

The debate over “Joe the Plumber” and whether he is registered to vote is just one of the many details that bloggers and media pundits are trying to find out about him. Katie Couric was the first media personality to get to Wurzelbacher in an interview.

The pro-Obama supporters and bloggers got another quick talking point from the interview. Wurzelbacher met Obama on the campaign trail and told Couric that Obama performed “a tap dance…almost as good as Sammy Davis. Jr.” The tap dance was most likely metaphorical, a la a tap dance around the issues.