Joe the War Correspondent

By Jennifer J. Foster

Published: January 8, 2009

You know, sometimes, this blog writes itself.

Sometimes, things happen that are so unbelievably absurd that it doesn’t take much effort to lampoon them.

And since politics is our theme here, that happens ... well, pretty often.

My only concern with such posts is that people will read them and get the mistaken impression that this blog is complete satire. It is some satire ... and a good bit of sarcasm. But it’s about serious things going on.

Today is one of those days I worry.

Last week we took a serious look at the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

This week, I have to tell you about Joe the War Correspondent.

This is a true story.

Joe Wurzelbacher, that chrome-dome, scowling, sometimes-goateed plumber from Ohio whose chance, five-minute exchange with Barack Obama on the campaign trail became John McCain’s very favorite subject on the stump and led millions of voters to groan in near-physical pain everytime they heard the phrase uniting Wurzelbacher’s name and occupation, is on his way to Israel to cover the violence there.

Again, I will say: This is not a joke.

Wurzelbacher will reportedly be telling stories about the violence from Israelis’ perspectives. He wants to tell the stories of their “Average Joes.“

OK. It is true that most of the media coverage has originated from the outskirts of Gaza, where the media is encamped, or reports within Gaza, where witnesses are feeding information to outsiders. It is laudable to want to tell stories from the Israeli side.

But as Tom Bevan said on RCP today, “sometimes an idea can be a ‘near miss,‘ which is to say that it was close to being a good idea but crossed the line into a farce.“

Joe Wurzelbacher?

This is a war zone. Joe Wurzelbacher is a plumber.

Not only has he no experience in reporting in dangerous circumstances; he has no experience in reporting at all. Sending him into a war zone isn’t just stupid. It’s dangerous.

And while Wurzelbacher doesn’t mind taking the risk, it won’t just be him dodging mortars. There will be others with him, too—cameramen and producers and technical assistants and the like. They (presumably) are professionals.

I wonder how they feel about having to babysit the plumber?

Joe Wurzelbacher, live from Sderot, or wherever.

Just the thought is inconceivable. That it’s reality is ... well, unreal.