SANCHEZ 1, WURZELBACHER 0…. Earlier this week, Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher, “reporting” from Israel, insisted that journalists shouldn’t be allowed to cover a war, in part because reporters “make a big deal” over events on the ground. Wurzelbacher added, “I think media should be abolished from, uh, you know, reporting.”
On Wednesday, CNN’s Rick Sanchez decided to respond directly to Wurzelbacher on the air.
Now, I should note that Sanchez is not exactly my cup of tea. I kind of grew up watching him — he was dominant figure in Miami media when I was in high school — and he’s just not my style.
But his takedown of Wurzelbacher was pretty compelling. If you can’t watch clips online, CNN has the transcript. In addition to Sanchez comparing Wurzelbacher to Fidel Castro, I found these comments especially helpful: “You know that guy who lives down the street — the guy who shows up at the backyard barbecue when there’s free food? You know that guy? He knows everything about everything, but really knows nothing, hates everything and everybody. He can’t understand why anybody would find any fault with him. You know, the obnoxious guy — there’s always one at every party or every gathering on every block. You know that guy. We all know that guy. Well, that guy wasn’t made famous by John McCain and Sarah Palin. You were, Sam. So we’re stuck with you. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t call you out.”
