Who's investigating Joe the Plumber?

COLUMBUS (ONO) — As John McCain prepared to return today to campaign in Ohio, he denounced what he considers an attack on his favorite everyman — “Joe the Plumber.”

The Republican presidential candidate reacted yesterday to a story in The (Columbus) Dispatch about the use of state computers to access personal information about “Joe” — suburban Toledo resident Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.

State and local officials are investigating why his driver's license and vehicle registration information was accessed shortly after Wurzelbacher became a household name.

Republicans, including McCain, painted the news as a politically motivated invasion of privacy and an attempt to dig up dirt.

The McCain campaign yesterday offered up former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery to comment on the story. Both Republicans called on Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles to investigate the situation and report findings before the Nov. 4 election.

The Obama campaign also has called for an investigation.

For the full story, see Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.