John McCain has repeatedly steered the last debate to “Joe the plumber.”

That’s about Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio plumber who, according to the McCain campaign, hopes to purchase the business where he’s been working, but, the campaign says, is worried about Barack Obama’s plan to end the Bush tax cuts on upper-income people. The McCain campaign says Joe confronted Obama on a rope line at a campaign event, and that Obama acknowledged he wants to “spread the wealth.”

Obama’s response tonight has been, essentially, that upper-income people and big corporations can afford to pay more taxes to solve he nation’s fiscal and economic problems and try to bring the budget deficit into line.

Obama contends the tax increase would only affect people making $250,000 a year or more—so if Joe is making that much, he can afford it.

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