MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell just announced that “Joe the Plumber” is the hot newcatch phrase sweeping the nation:

“Move over Joe Sixpack. The nation has a new catchphrase today: Joe The Plumber has become the emblem of the working class voter, and the angry voter at that.”

This is nonsense. John McCain's friends in the media may be playing along with his efforts to convince people that Joe Wurzelbacher's opinions are the most important thing in this campaign, but that doesn't mean actual voters are falling for it. After all, John McCain's friends in the media thought he did very well in last night's debate -- but actual voters disagreed.

While tripping all over themselves trying to help McCain turn “Joe The Plumber” into a “catchphrase” and an “emblem,” reporters like Andrea Mitchell are overlooking some key facts. Like this one: Wurzelbacher would get a tax cut under Barack Obama's tax plan. (And probably a bigger tax cut under Obama's plan than under McCain's, given the distributions of the two plans.)