Martin Eisenstadt’s Blog

So we all know who’s been traveling to all the McCain events this past week, Joe “the Plumber” Wurzelbacher. Sure enough, when I got to 30 Rockefeller Center to meet up with the McCain advance team, along with many of the campaign staff, there was Joe. I guess it was too late in the planning of the show to incorporate him on the broadcast (well, that’s what Obama supporter Lorne Michaels told us), but Joe was in the back row with me laughing up a storm as the Senator and Cindy did their QVC routine and then again when John appeared on “Weekend Update.” Just as the Palin team had promised, the real excitement was at the after-party.

As popular as John and Cindy were at the party, the real star was Joe. Over 6 feet, tan, with rippling muscles and a beaming smile of disbelief, he was like Mr. Clean at a soap convention. As you can imagine with the embodiment of Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plummer can hold his liquor, that’s for sure. While we were downing shots of Makers Mark, Joe got buttonholed by Ben Affleck’s agent (Patrick-something from Endeavor, I think?) There was some serious talk about Joe appearing as the star on the next season of The Bachelor. Whether McCain wins or loses, believe me, Joe Wurzelbacher has already come out a winner.

But as night wore on to early morning, Joe finally got some “quality” alone time with a certain female cast member. I’m not that familiar with the show, but I know it wasn’t Tina Fey or Amy Poehler. The skinny brunette, I think it was. Kirsten, maybe? Joe’s got good taste: she’s definitely hotter in person. And judging by her taste in plumbers, maybe a closet Republican. I didn’t see what time they left, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone got her drain snaked last night. Politics sure makes strange bedfellows! (I ran into Joe this morning at the hotel - see picture - and ever the gentleman, he refused to reveal more than his mile-wide grin.)

Update: To be fair, and now seeing some of the comments below, I should say that even I wasn’t always a fan of the Senator’s use of Joe in that third debate. Some of you may remember what I wrote about him at the time. But especially now that I’ve met Joe, I think he’s actually been a huge asset to the campaign. And I asked him if he was upset by all the scrutiny into his private life and his family tree, and thankfully he gets it: All that failed effort by the left blogosphere to prove he was some kind of “plant” or “mole” only shone the spotlight on him that much more, and made him more of a hero to the right. And a bona fide celebrity, to boot.

Now, as to claims originally reported on the Huffington Post that the cast member I was referring to denied any tryst because “she has a boyfriend”.   Well, I can’t say anything for 100% certain as I was drinking the Maker’s Mark, but that doesn’t sound like much of a defense.   What leftie artist type employed by NBC wouldn’t deny cheating on her boyfriend, with the poster boy of the Republican Party no less.   But a few double espressos and a Xanax later, I don’t doubt that she had genuinely forgotten the whole thing. So be it. I’m not in the business of casting personal attacks on random celebrities.