The Republican presidential candidate reacted yesterday to a story in The 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.

"By the way, did you see the way Joe the Plumber was attacked? Isn't that remarkable? We saw this morning where they've accessed into his -- into his background. Remarkable," McCain said at a rally in Albuquerque, N.M.

"Does that mean Americans can't ask tough questions? Americans have the right to ask whatever they want to ask of our politicians who seek their support."

McCain frequently mentioned Wurzelbacher in his Oct. 15 debate with Democrat Barack Obama. After that, Wurzelbacher's name was run three times on Bureau of Motor Vehicles computers, The Dispatch reported yesterday morning.

The information was accessed through accounts assigned to the office of Ohio's attorney general, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency in Cleveland and the Toledo Police Department.

Who accessed the information, and why, has not been determined. Access to BMV data is restricted to legitimate government purposes. Illegal access can be a crime.

Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers' office said the information sought through its "test account" was accessed outside its office, perhaps by another agency with whom the account had been shared. Details were not provided.

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.

"This may be just a 'third-rate burglary,' but you never know," said Montgomery, who recalled one or two instances of state computers being illegally accessed in connection with local political races.

Giuliani, while conceding that there is no evidence to tie the case to Obama's campaign or his supporters, called the access to information about Wurzelbacher a "great concern."

"All Joe the Plumber did was ask a question, and that should not open American citizens to having this happen -- their private records probed because of some kind of political retribution," he said.

Isaac Baker, Obama's Ohio spokesman, replied: "These desperate charges from the McCain campaign are just another sign that John McCain is out of ideas, out of touch and running out of time."

Wurzelbacher, who is considering a run for Congress, told Fox News yesterday that he was upset to learn about the rummaging through his records. "For a private citizen to ask a question of his elected leaders and then turn around and get a proctology exam, that's just kind of wrong," he said.

Wurzelbacher's tax questions to Obama, who was campaigning near the man's home, prompted McCain to portray "Joe the Plumber" as a potential victim of the Democrat's tax policies. Obama has said his proposals actually would reduce the man's taxes.

McCain is scheduled to speak at rallies today in Zanesville and Lancaster and then campaign in Dayton on Monday.

Obama is scheduled to visit Canton on Monday.

rludlow@dispatch.com