Joe trades wrench for reporter’s notepad in Israel

 Joe the Plumber has set aside his wrenches to become a rookie war correspondent, covering Israel’s side of its two-week-old military offensive in Gaza.

The Ohio man, who rocketed to fame during the U.S. presidential campaign for asking Barack Obama about his tax plan, was in the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Sunday to tell readers of the conservative pjtv.com Web site about the rockets that rain down from the neighboring Gaza Strip.

The people of Sderot “can’t do normal things day to day,” like get soap in their eyes in the shower, for fear of rockets, said America’s most famous plumber, whose real name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher.

“I’m sure they’re taking quick showers,” he said. “I know I would.”

Wurzelbacher’s status as a rookie was evident when he stood in front of a pile of spent rockets and said, “I have thousands of questions, but I can’t think of the right one.”

Wurzelbacher said he’s been “embraced” by the people of Israel because “they know I have no agenda but the truth.” But his arrival in a busy cafe elicited no overt signs of recognition. He appeared to cause more of a stir among the press there.

This is his first trip to Israel, and he pronounced himself “happy to be here.”