Joe The Plumber' on Border Security: Put Up a Fence and 'Start Shooting

(TheBlaze/AP) — An Ohio plumber thrust into national politics during the 2008 presidential campaign says the United States needs to build a fence at Mexico border and “start shooting” at suspected illegal immigrants.

Samuel Wurzelbacher made the comment during a Friday night fundraising appearance in Arizona for state Sen. Lori Klein.

"You know for years I've said put a damn fence on the border going into Mexico and start shooting. I'm running for Congress and that should be a bad thing to say," he said. "I want our borders protected, I am very adamant about that."

Wurzelbacher became known as “Joe the Plumber” four years ago after he confronted then-candidate Barack Obama about taxes during a campaign stop. In March, he won the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in northern Ohio.

He told an audience in Prescott he wasn’t willing to hide his views on border security just because he’s running for Congress.

Wurzelbacher didn’t immediately return a call for comment Monday, but Klein insisted that Wurzelbacher was kidding when he make the remark about shooting.

After watching the video, if he was joking, we must have missed the punchline -- no laughs followed.

Watch Wurzelbacher's entire speech at the fundraiser below and decide for yourself. (His speech begins at around 16:30 and he makes the "start shooting" remarks at around 28:20)