We do not often cheer on Fox News’s coverage of politics. But we did the other day when the anchor Shepard Smith reported on an especially absurd turn in the “Joe the Plumber” saga.

John McCain’s reference at the last presidential debate to Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who worriedly asked Barack Obama about taxes, was a predictable campaign stunt. It ought to have lasted for half a news cycle, especially after it became clear that Mr. Wurzelbacher’s taxes would go down under Mr. Obama’s plan. But the Republican nominee simply will not let the plumber go.

On Thursday, he shouted: “I’m going to Washington, and I’m going to bring Joe the Plumber with me!” Earlier, in Virginia, Mr. McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, announced that one of her favorite rally signs  sometimes made by voters, but more often supplied by the campaigns  was “I am Jo Momma.”

Mr. Wurzelbacher has held press conferences. He was interviewed on the “CBS Evening News,” where he compared Mr. Obama to Sammy Davis Jr. According to Politico.com, he has an agent and is exploring “a possible record deal with a major label, personal appearances and corporate sponsorships.”