Meet Joe:
Joe is a plumber. He works hard and has dreams of someday owning his own business someday. He asked Obama why he shouldn't be allowed to keep more of his earnings, illiciting Obama's now famous response about how spreading the wealth around is a good thing. Within a couple of days, a video of Joe's meeting with Obama was distributed all over the internet. This embarrassed Obama and made Leftists angry.
Soon, late-night comedians were all over Joe the Plumber. Democrat government officials were releasing confidential personal records to the media. The media, in turn, was focusing on the questioner rather than the question he asked. "Who is Joe the Plumber?," they asked. "What is the truth about him?" Accusations abounded: he's a tax-cheat; he's not a "real" plumber; he's divorced; he's Charles Keating's son-in-law; he's not even registered to vote (apparently ACORN doesn't organize his community). Despite these things having nothing to do with Joe's question, or the answer which exposed Obama as a naked Socialist, Joe the Plumber became the election season's Public Enemy #1.
Why? Because Joe symbolizes greed and selfishness in the eyes of the American Left. He and others like him expect to reap the wealth that they create for themselves; they don't believe an individual's wealth should be "spread around" to those who did not create it.
Meet Henrietta:
Henrietta is a welfare recipient. She's been on the government dole since 1983, but she wants more. Henrietta dreams of government supplying a new house for her. So she asked Obama for one. Within a couple of days, a video of Henrietta's meeting with Obama was distributed all over the internet. This made Obama smile.
Soon, Henrietta had offers of a house to live in, her son had a job offer, and Henrietta the Welfare Recipient, who hasn't worked in over twenty years, was portrayed as a hero. She even has her own web site now! The media didn't as why she should be given free housing while millions of Americans who do work are struggling to make their rent and mortgage payments because government takes nearly half their earnings.
Why? Henrietta symbolizes victimization in the eyes of the American Left. She and others like her expect to reap the wealth of others; they don't understand why "the rich" should have all the houses while they have none. Free houses at taxpayers expense is one of the good things that happens when other peoples' wealth is "spread around."
No word on who will be paying Henrietta's utility bills, insurance, and other housing-related expenses. No details have been released regarding the job offer allegedly offered to her son. None of this matters -- all that matters is, people care. No one cares that Joe the Plumber gets punished for achievement; what's important is that Henrietta the Welfare Recipient be rewarded for failure.
After the initial media love fest, certain information did arise about the plight of Henrietta the Welfare Recipient -- not in the mainstream media, mind you, but in the blogosphere. Little factoids like this:
At President Obama's town hall meeting in Fort Myers on Tuesday, Henrietta Hughes stood up and told the President she has been homeless since 2003 and can't find a job. She also says she's reach a dead end with government assistance and none of the local charity agencies will help. However, a local organization is coming forward saying Hughes isn't being honest about how much help she's had in the past. The director of We Care Outreach Ministry, Tanya Johnson, says just last month she offered Henrietta Hughes permanent housing and a place to stay free for three months, but Hughes refused. "We would have allowed her to stay for the first 90 days, no income. You know free," said Tanya Johnson. We Care Outreach Ministry is a faith based organization in Fort Myers. Johnson says she also gave Henrietta and her son Corey, money, food and offered Corey job training courses, but it was refused. "We have extended a lot of her services to her," Johnson said. But Henrietta Hughes says these services weren't free and the apartment in East Fort Myers came with a price tag.Yes, Henrietta -- housing typically comes with a price tag. It's sometimes called rent, at other times a mortgage. That's why people work, so they can afford to house themselves and their unemployed thirty-something year old "children."
It remains to be seen whether the media will dig through Henrietta the Welfare Reciepient's trash like they did Joe the Plumber's. Maybe they can help answer some of the obvious questions, like: Why did she turn down previous offers of affordable housing? How long does she expect to be allowed to live in someone else's house free of charge? Will she be required to pay income tax on all of the donations she is receiving?
And then there's the web site. It is registered to a "marketing strategist" in Florida:
Oddly enough, Ms. Hughes is also dubbed “the face of the economic crisis” on a new web site, just created, called henriettahughes.com. The site is registered to a Judah Fontz, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as an online marketing strategist at a company called VeraData. I wonder what his angle is . . .[Via Patterico]
Who is exactly funding the HenriettaHughes.com web site, producing the content, and using this poor, unfortunate soul in such a way for political purposes? Is it Judah Fontz? Why? Who is he? Is Henrietta the Welfare Recipient just another "marketing strategy" for him? Or is someone else behind this? I'm sure MSNBC and CNN are all over this story with the same vigor they exhibited in the investigations of Joe the Plumber; we should have the answers in a day or two.
Sarcasm aside, I feel bad for Henrietta*; she may very well be deserving of help, and if nothing else this incident proves that there are plenty of private individuals and organizations who are willing to step up and give it to her. Whether government should be a source of help is debatable, but that's not the point. The story here is the marked difference in coverage between Joe Wurlzelbacher and Henrietta Hughes: One just wants to work and enjoy the fruits of his labor without government interference and punishment; for this, he is attacked, ridiculed, and mocked. The other wants free this and free that, and wants others to pay for it; and for this, she is lionized and turned into a political icon for the Fascist Progressive movement.
Maybe the "Fairness" Doctrine isn't such a bad idea after all...
* But not her son -- I have zero sympathy for oxygen thiefs. The idea that my tax dollars should in any way continue to enable him to live off the backs of the working in this country is beyond defense. He's young enough and healthy enough to get off his lazy fucking ass and roll burritos at Taco Bell if he can't find a better job. Period.
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