‘Joe The Plumber’ Blames Gun Control For The Holocaust

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Remember when John McCain touted “Joe the Plumber” (real name: Samuel J. Wurzelbacher) as the voice of reason during the 2008 presidential campaign?

Well, it looks like Joe has lost a bit of that reasonableness, and maybe some history teacher votes, too.

The Republican nominee for Ohio’s fairly new 9th congressional district, Wurzelbacher has released a campaign ad that argues gun control caused the Holocaust.

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His logic: “In 1939, Germany established gun control.  From 1939 to 1945, 6 million Jews and 7 million others, unable to defend themselves, were exterminated.”

Then a grinning Joe turns to the camera and says, “I love America.”

Throughout his spiel, he fires weapons at fruits and vegetables that are sitting atop wooden posts.

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Oddly enough, this is the second time that World War II controversies have entered a congressional race in the Ohio 9th.  Rich Lott, a Republican candidate in 2010, came under fire for participating in Nazi re-enactments and dressing in full German Waffen SS uniform, according to The Atlantic.

This ad may fire up Wurzelbacher’s conservative base, but it may not have broad appeal in the predominantly Democratic district.  Democrat Marcy Kaptur, Wurzelbacher’s opponent and the district’s current representative, won 59 percent of the vote in 2010.

Last night, the National Jewish Democratic Council called on Wurzelbacher to apologize for the video, arguing that his linking gun control laws and the Holocaust is “simply beyond the pale.”

Nevertheless, Wurzelbacher’s stance has been a hit among conservatives outside of Ohio.  In the first fundraising quarter, Wurzelbacher received campaign donations from 26 states, according to Federal Election Commission data cited by The Daily Caller — yet only seven percent of his dough has come from Ohio residents.

There’s nothing new about Republican candidates shooting things in campaign ads to show their support for the Second Amendment.  But NewsFeed wonders, what exactly does the Holocaust have to do with this race in the first place? And why is he hating on fruits and veggies? Maybe a war on healthy eating is next.

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