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Tito, My Tito
Obviously, the big draw in Leesburg this morning was Tito the Builder, aka Tito Munoz, aka defended of Joe the Plumber. If you had ever wanted to hear a crowd of Northern Virginian White People chant "Tito! Tito! Tito!" who weren't looking for a Jackson brother encore, well, you missed your chance. But I managed to grab a few minutes with the guy after the crowds departed -- after he finished posing for pictures and signing bumperstickers -- and he was perhaps the most articulate and on-message McCain spokesman I've ever talked to that is still talking to the press. Transcript after the jump. I've sent the audio to HQ to see if they can post it as well.
He as actually quite thoughtful and, despite his "Solinksy" bumpersticker, apparently pretty well-informed. At least about Joe the Plumber. His views on Constitutional issues were, while not standard, passionately presented. His views on plumbing were all of the above:
I have a construction license. I do heavy construction. I do a lot of piping work. Sewer pipe. But I don't need a plumbing license to do the work. So you guys are going to extremes to silence a person and I think that's dangerous to do because you are stealing my first amendment.
UPDATE: Audio here.
We join Tito in mid-interview...
Tito: The principles of Adams, the principles of Madison, the principles of Jefferson. Those principles are the foundation of this nation
Local TV Reporter: What are those principles?
The principles of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All to the individual... not to the community, and not to the individual being a part of the community
[Spanish]
Me: How did you get here today? When did the campaign contact you?
Tito: Well, uhm, I saw the -- are you a reporter too?
Me: Ana, hi, with Time Magazine.
Tito: Ah! What has happen is, I think, most of the media has been a little, kind of biased, and in that regard I thought that going after Joe the Plumbers' personality or his life was something shameful from the media. I think that was something you guys shouldn't have done. Because Joe the Plumber is not going to be our president. Joe the Plumber is just going to be Joe the Plumber. Just like me, I'm going to be "Tito the construction guy." I'm not going to be running the country. McCain and Obama are going to be running the country.
But the media was a little hard on finding details to destroy his life. And that reminds me of Chavez. That reminds me of what Chavez does in Venezuela. And that reminds me of how Chavez uses the media in Venezuela to attack his opposition and it also reminds me of the way Chavez controls his propaganda to control the power and it also reminds me of the Obama campaign. And it also reminds me of Congressmen like Murtha who is telling people that they are racist. That's not right. That is sometimes the same message Chavez uses in Venezuela with the ethnicity and the indigenous population and the colored people there. And I think that's very dangerous when a politician uses those clashes in order to accomplish a goal which is the power. And we the people cannot let when he uses and manipulates the system in order to maintain the ultimate power which is everything.
Me: So, did you contact the campaign or did they contact you?
Tito: Well I told them that I would support Sen. McCain in whatever they need me and they have asked me a couple of things to help and I am going to help as much as I can.
Me: I saw your interaction with the reporter from Mother Jones
Tito: With David Corn
Me: I've had a couple of fights with David Corn myself. How do you think that went?
Tito: I don't know, because I did not see the video. I did not know what he would write. But I will tell you something. People... I am not an intellectual. I am not an intellectual. I am not a bureaucrat. I am not also an elitist. I am just a hardworking person who believes in America and who believes in the American dream. And for that I want nothing less for me than for any other person in the way that some people who has quote-unquote a degree in a particular science thinks about a construction worker or thinks about Joe the Plumber and they diminish the person to a point which is not good. That is something people should not do..
Me: You talked about how rights are something the government cannot take away.
Tito: Correct. Because what happens is if the media attack an individual like Joe the Plumber, and the individual cannot ask a question, because be of the feeling he has of being exposed to all this scrutiny then what you guys are doing is inflicting in our First Amendment, meaning that we will lose our First Amendment -- you guys are oppressing our ability to ask a question when we are not relevant in the game or in the politics. When we are just citizens. And that is something you guys have to look at in a different perspective. Because the way you have to act is, you know, impartial, and being going to the point which is: it's Obama, it's John McCain, it's not me, it's not Joe the Plumber, it's not anybody else
British reporter guy: You said you met John McCain at a rally
Tito: I didn't meet him. I went to the rally, I dressed like this, I had a construction worker sign and they put me in the background
Mike Madden, Salon: Just when you got there, they said, come stand in the background?
Tito: Yes, come stand in the background And then I when I finished and talked to the media because I was very angry with the media... one of the questions is: what is relevant that Joe the Plumber has a license. Do you know about licenses? Do you know? You first have to find out about us. You have find out if he really needs a license to do the work or he doesn't.
I have a construction license. I do heavy construction. I do a lot of piping work. Sewer pipe. But I don't need a plumbing license to do the work. So you guys are going to extremes to silence a person and I think that's dangerous to do because you are stealing my First Amendment.
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Tito is a little late to the scene isn't he? But maybe Sec of Labor if his peeps get in.
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Tito claims he's "not an intellectual." Bienvenido al Partido Republicano!
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Uhmmm AMC,
Did you not point out that Joe the Plumber was on all kinds of NY talk shows as well as several call ins and in study appearances on FIXEDNEWS? I mean if thats silencing someone then please please please silence ME!
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THAT was the most articulate and on message? Well, it is the McBush campaign we are talking about, so, I see your point.
He WAS more articulate than Palin usually is.
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Gunny, it may be early, but I vote a thread win for you.
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Tito the builder, Wow! really articulate for a Republican.
Ana, do we now expect a new everyman to show up at each McCain rally? This is a ticket to money, fame and perhaps attractive members of the opposite human version (Fear of moderator). I can see every McCain rally will now be overrun with hundreds of Joe's, Tito's etc. looking for their moment in the sun. Sort of like American Idol tryouts. Could get really silly.
Guess I need to show up.. I'm an estate liquidator I see dead people's stuff! But maybe the McCain people wouldn't want me to show up for fear I'd be there for John McCain's stuff.
I so wanted to show up this morning at Allessi Bakery in Tampa, FL where Joe Lieberman was making a campaign appearance .. really wanted to ask him since he supports John McCain because he is the Presidential candidate most ready to be President, "If John McCain dies on day one, is Sarah palin ready on day one to be President?" Unfortunately I had to see some dead person's stuff instead.
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then what you guys are doing is inflicting in our First Amendment, meaning that we will lose our First Amendment -- you guys are oppressing our ability to ask a question when we are not relevant in the game or in the politics. When we are just citizens. And that is something you guys have to look at in a different perspective. Because the way you have to act is, you know, impartial, and being going to the point which is: it's Obama, it's John McCain, it's not me, it's not Joe the Plumber, it's not anybody else
Let the record reflect that AMC referred to this as 'articulate'
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I rest my case. -
White people cheer for Tito Puente. Hoorah for Tito! No one cheers for Tito Jackson, white or otherwise. Someone once said not all conservatives are stupid, but all stupid people are conservative. This reads like more porrof.
No f#cking preview anymore? The reply box is too big for the page too.
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Obama was called the N word at a Palin rally and no one covering the campaign for Time magazine thought to report on it?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/27/151859/83/991/643805 -
"Let the record reflect that AMC referred to this as 'articulate'
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I rest my case."
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To be fair AMC has been hitting the bottle pretty hard since she lost her job...It probably sounded good to her after she accidentally stumbled into the interview. All the mud on her was why Tito said "you are are reporter to?" -
Anyone know what the Vegas line is on the market crashing before November 4th. Another very strange day today with the market panic tanking in the last few minutes.
But hey it's only money... there's a lot of bridges out there that will make great homes but you better claim your home soon as the demand will soar shortly.
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Click here for some more great campaign foil ideas! Collect 'em all!
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The problem with Tito's argument is that Sam actually sought publicity. He was on the horn with Fox News not 10 minutes after that little filmed conversation with Obama.
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Then McCain made him the central pillar of his campaign--how could he not be in the spotlight at that point? When one of the two people who could be the next president is mentioning you 4x a minute, you're going to get at least a few people digging around your history to find out who you are. Perhaps that's a bit sad, but it's life. If you can't deal with it, you ask the campaign to stop mentioning you, in front of cameras if need be.
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Besides, Sam's made out OK from this. His back taxes are now all paid up, and he probably can get a book deal or some other remuneration--plus tons of free publicity. He'll be fine. -
Is AMC the only one w/ comment moderation?
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"To be fair AMC has been hitting the bottle pretty hard since she lost her job."
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Also Radar is going all TMZ, so AMC will be able to put all those hours watching 'The Hills' to good use now. -
AMC: this is a desperate attempt at pushing McCain's meme and Teeetow is playing his role. Very sad and bee-essy. It's time for an end to bogus surrogates with prepared talking points wasting the time of journalists and sundry scribblers.
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gygst213:
Be nice to Ana it's not fun to be relevant and then not so much. However she still looked great on Maddow's show the other night. It's all about looking good I guess.
Seriously you would think some news outfit would want Ana covering the campaign... she does have a twisted sense of news and life. -
And for that I want nothing less for me than for any other person in the way that some people who has quote-unquote a degree in a particular science thinks about a construction worker or thinks about Joe the Plumber and they diminish the person to a point which is not good. That is something people should not do.
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There is no part of that which is comprehensible.
I mean, the guy is a construction worker and not a politician or other public speaker. I'd probably do about the same or worse.
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But to call him an articulate spokesman for the McCain campaign? It makes me think AMC has been huffing the LOLcats a little too hard. -
Cliff- well, say a Bachmann has better grammar, but do the things she says make more sense than Tito's efforts?
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A new entry at a wiki? http://dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Ted_Stevens
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I tried to post a new entry--at least, I think it's new--at a wiki service whose name cannot be uttered here.
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So let me try it this way. If you check23/6, they link to a new "encyclopedia," let's call it, entry for one senator from Alaska. -
wingnutese: attack = question, scrutinize, beg to differ
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anon76 - when their actual representatives speak legibly, it's still like hearing someone from the Bizarroverse (where hamburgers eat people and smoking cures cancer) talk.
I think me and Tito could agree that it would be nice for our political process to not immediately swan dive into a cess pool every four years.
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Apart from that, when he talks, I just feel sad that he's been misled so badly, to feel that the libruls have stripped him of his Constitutional rights. -
Paul Dirks - You may not be reading Ana accurately.
"and he was perhaps the most articulate and on-message McCain spokesman I've ever talked to that is still talking to the press."
Could be not many still talking to the press.
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newfloridian,
I have nothing but love for Ana and she knows it. But she will be back on feet in no time. Count on it.
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With the mounting bad news for their campaign, McCain/Palin will have no choice but to go increasingly negative in their attacks. Anybody else see this leaked 527 spot?
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Leaked_Pro_McCain_527_Negative_Ad_Small_Town_Fear_Itself/
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