Joe the plumber

by M. Stewart
Not a good week for local professionals. The newspapers reported that a Calcutta physician and an East Liverpool attorney have found themselves in trouble with the law.

According to the Morning Journal, Dr. Joseph Sitarik, a surgeon, was charged with “possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to control” after police found his wife’s vehicle abandoned on River Road last week. As for what police found inside the car, I suggest looking at the MoJo story yourself.

According to the Review, East Liverpool attorney Richard Hoppel “was arrested by city police Chief Mike McVay on five counts of passing bad checks.” Again, check the paper for details.

Obviously, the timing of these incidents is a coincidence, but it does underscore the fact that successful professionals share some of the same problems as Joe Six Pack and Joe the plumber, those people we keep hearing about in national politics.

Speaking of the Joes, both John McCain and Barack Obama last night one-upped Sarah Palin by referring to an Ohio fellow named Joe the plumber. I guess Joe is supposed to represent the average working stiff. I don’t know about you, but the plumbers I’ve dealt with over the years make pretty good money—at least as much as some physicians and attorneys. So don’t be fooled by the blue jeans and tee shirts.

Also, that whole split-screen stuff in the debates tells a lot, doesn’t it? I found myself watching the guy who was not speaking and couldn’t help but notice McCain’s bizarre listening demeanor. What’s with the freaky face? He looked like an ax-murderer right before the kill.

Have you also noticed that Obama often refers to McCain as “John,” while McCain does not return the familiarity? It’s “Senator Obama” or “That One,” never “Barack.” I’m not sure what to make of it, but I did notice it.

Behind in every poll, McCain pushed the personal attacks hard in last night’s debate. Actually, that’s pretty standard for someone who’s already lost the issues debate, so it was no surprise. McCain also clearly had all he was going to take of the George W. Bush comparison, and I liked his response. I think we all understand why he wouldn’t want to be associated with one of the most reviled and ineffective administrations in American history.

In the final analysis, I like John McCain. He seems like a decent man with solid values. It is his choice for vice president that will cost him the election. Let’s put it this way: If Barack Obama had been given the opportunity to select McCain’s running mate for him, he would have chosen Sarah Palin.

Check out this interview with Anchorage Daily News columnist Michael Carey, who knows Gov. Palin better than any of us. It’s easy to make fun of Sarah Palin, but Carey avoids that in favor of a frank discussion about the candidate from an Alaskan point of view.

Lastly, let me thank representatives from the Ohio Arts Council for spending all day Wednesday in East Liverpool listening and talking to people about promoting the arts in our community. I found the meetings I attended extremely useful and informative.