Quote :

"Sarah Palin’s wardrobe joined the ranks of symbolic political excess on Wednesday, alongside John McCain’s multiple houses and John Edwards’s $400 haircut, as Republicans expressed fear that weeks of tailoring Ms. Palin as an average “hockey mom” would fray amid revelations that the Republican Party outfitted her with expensive clothing from high-end stores. Cable television, talk radio and even shows like “Access Hollywood” seemed gripped with sartorial fever after campaign finance reports confirmed that the Republican National Committee spent $75,062 at Neiman Marcus and $49,425 at Saks Fifth Avenue in September for Ms. Palin and her family. Advisers to Ms. Palin said on Wednesday that the purchases — which totaled about $150,000 and were classified as “campaign accessories” — were made on the fly after Ms. Palin, the governor of Alaska, was chosen as the Republican vice-presidential candidate on Aug. 29 and needed new clothes to match climates across the 50 states --http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23palin.html?em "

now there's something that will make even Joe the Plumber proud to vote for the Palin/McCain ticket.

even considering he's never worked as a plumber, isnt registered to vote, and already donates to the McCain campaign.

I'm glad the GOP is out there working hard for all of us average Joes.

10/24/2008 2:02:01 AM

^ eh, I think those stories about the expenditures of those running for president distract from real issues. I don't care how much Kerry paid for a haircut or how much Palin spent on clothes.

All these candidates have advisers and handlers that handle clothing and haircut decisions designed to create the best public image in the public eye. And if they think $150,000 on clothes have the possibility of putting them just over the edge, because a focus group thinks so, they'll spend it. This is good for a chuckle and head shake, but it's still non-news.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 2:27 AM. Reason : ]

10/24/2008 2:26:31 AM

honestly, are there really any undecideds at this point? i mean if you are undecided by now, you just got to be a freaking idiot...more of an idiot than the idiots that supported mccain a while ago...i mean they both kinda suck, but come on, we all know who will do the better job...

10/24/2008 2:34:58 AM

^^ okay. so it's like the lavish resort/spa vacation for AIG's mid- and exec-level employees, all while soliciting taxpayer money to prop themselves up against inevitable implosion... that's the "price of doing business" since it helped them to ... um, not lose even more money due to stress and distraction.

sure. that fine. go ahead: drop 150K for her new wardrobe in the bat of an eye. she's a regular straight-shootin', moose-huntin', tongue-speakin', america-lovin' hockey mom ... she'll do alright.






[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 2:50 AM. Reason : ]

10/24/2008 2:46:39 AM

how much has the obama campaign spent on michelle's wardrobe?

nevermind....that was racist of me to mention it

10/24/2008 4:27:51 AM

^ someone should find that out. i bet it's a lot less than $150,000 dollar bucks.

10/24/2008 9:42:06 AM

Quote :

"Kerry Edwards paid for a haircut"

there, fixed it for you

Quote :

"someone should find that out. i bet it's a lot less than $150,000 dollar bucks."

the obama camp probably isn't paying for her wardrobe, seeing as how it's against FEC regulations....

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 10:03 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2008 10:02:21 AM

^ A lot of the clothes they've received since the start of the campaign have been purchased personally or provided free. It's unusual that a candidate has to pay for clothes during a campaign since designers often offer to dress them as a way of getting exposure. Hilary's pant-suits are an example.

10/24/2008 10:25:23 AM

joe_schmoe clearly likes to focus on the important, meaningful issues of this election.

do not let him fool you when he rails against 'pubs for doing the same thing.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 10:26 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2008 10:25:50 AM

Quote :

"A lot of the clothes they've received since the start of the campaign have been purchased personally or provided free. It's unusual that a candidate has to pay for clothes during a campaign since designers often offer to dress them as a way of getting exposure. Hilary's pant-suits are an example."

And I'm pretty sure that those are reported as in-kind contributions.....


But what you said goes exactly to the point that they shouldn't be purchasing her clothes

10/24/2008 10:30:11 AM

^I think they're reported as gifts.

10/24/2008 10:33:27 AM

The McPalin ticket has turned into a joke. Sad part is conservatives are so desparate not to have a "muslim anti-american tax N spend socialist liberal" in the white house they will justify any wrong action or spin any negative trait about their choice candidate in order to make them look better.

10/24/2008 10:36:01 AM

Quote :

"joe_schmoe clearly likes to focus on the important, meaningful issues of this election. do not let him fool you when he rails against 'pubs for doing the same thing. "

Isn't there enough bandwidth on this site to cover any and everything related to this election? I'm pretty sure we can talk about the important and the unimportant just the same. Besides that, you can claim it is unimportant, but your average unsophisticated voter will think it is very important.

10/24/2008 10:50:05 AM

Foxnews just came out with a rebuttal,

Quote :

"Of the $150,000 spent by the Republican National Committee on clothing for the vice presidential candidate, $50,000 worth of clothes was returned immediately after the national convention, $50,000 worth hasn't been worn yet and $50,000 is being used by the Palin clan. Sarah Palin told FOX News on Thursday that some of the clothes that were ill-fitting or just bought to be tried and possibly worn were returned right away. Everything that "could be returned was," she said. Another third of the clothing remains unwrapped and packed in the belly of the vice presidential candidate's campaign plane and the rest is being worn. Republican aides say the purchases were necessary because the family was whisked out of Alaska without notice, then scattered across the country for campaign activities not least of which was a week of convention appearances. "Those clothes are not my property," Palin told FOX News' Sean Hannity. "We had three days (at the convention) of using clothes that the RNC purchased." Palin added that she knows how to make a dollar work for her appearance. "If people knew how Todd and I and our kids shop so frugally. My favorite shop is a consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska, called 'Out of the Closet,' and my shoe store is called 'Shoe Fly' in Juneau, Alaska. It is ... not 5th Avenue type of shopping," Palin said, adding that the RNC purchases will either be returned or go to charity. RNC officials would not explain why this explanation is surfacing days after the purchase appeared in news stories, advisers declined to answer. They did describe much of what Palin wears now as bought "off the sale rack from Macy's." News of the purchases of designer clothes, largely from upscale Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, contrasts with the image Palin has crafted as a typical "hockey mom." McCain was asked several questions on Thursday about the shopping spree -- and he answered each one more or less the same way: Palin needed clothes and they'll be donated to charity. He said his wardrobe was not purchased by the RNC. Asked Wednesday who had paid for the suit he was wearing, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden told WSLS-TV in Roanoke, Va.: "I pay for my suits. I pay for all of my own clothing." Also on Thursday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a private watchdog group in Washington, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Palin, the Republican National Committee and several political operatives alleging that the purchase of clothing for Palin and her family violates Federal Election Campaign Act. The law prohibits a candidate for federal office from converting campaign funds to personal use. CREW notes that FEC regulations make clear the prohibition applies to clothing but also provide that donations by candidates to charity are not for personal use. CREW argued this exception might apply to Palin's clothes but doesn't appear to apply to clothes for her family. Palin, who is John McCain's vice presidential running mate, told The Chicago Tribune in an interview posted on the newspaper's Web site Thursday night that she finds a double standard in the questioning. "I think Hillary Clinton was held to a different standard in her primary race," Palin said. "Do you remember the conversations that took place about her, say superficial things that they don't talk about with men, her wardrobe and her hairstyles, all of that? That's a bit of that double standard." "It's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there and are not reported," Palin said. "

10/24/2008 10:54:27 AM

Holy backpedal batman. Are the McPalin campaign disasters coming on a daily or hourly basis now? Hard to keep up.

10/24/2008 10:57:09 AM

Quote :

"I think they're reported as gifts."

i can't find it online, but there's a max on how much someone can give as a gift to the campaign. i'm pretty sure it's between $25 to $50 dollars.

if a designer clothes a candidate, without asking for the clothes back, then it's an in-kind contribution.

if they clothe the candidate, but the candidate gives the clothes back, then it's no concern, but you have to have a record of giving the clothes back to be compliant with the FEC

10/24/2008 10:57:20 AM

^^^Um, people did talk about Hilary Clinton's wardrobe. That's how people found out those pant suits were designed and made for her for free by a designer who wanted people to see her wear them.

And here's an article that's about her clothes and what they mean from the washington post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801502.html?nav=rss_print/asection

From Dec 2007, 11 months after Hilary announced her candidacy. A whole article mostly going on about her crazy orange pant suit.

^According to Rush they're supposed to give them back when they're done with them- just like the stars do with jewelry at the oscars. Sometimes they do try to keep them though apparently. Of course, he then turns it into a big thing about how at least Republicans buy their clothes while the democrats just borrow them like charity items- ignoring that Palin's clothes were being purchased with charity. But yeah, it seems Clinton has to give them back after a time since they exceed contribution limits. It's funny though, she's basically being used as a billboard.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM. Reason : ]

10/24/2008 10:59:38 AM

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/whats-the-verdict-on-michelle-obamas-wardrobe/4261281295

There, now you know about Michelle Obama's wardrobe

10/24/2008 11:06:35 AM

Quote :

"Isn't there enough bandwidth on this site to cover any and everything related to this election? I'm pretty sure we can talk about the important and the unimportant just the same. Besides that, you can claim it is unimportant, but your average unsophisticated voter will think it is very important."

I agree with you in principle...just seems to me like the same usual suspects on both sides bring up the same stupid stuff.

I would further argue that stuff like this in the news is what makes the average unsophisticated voter just that.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 11:13 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 11:13 AM. Reason : ..]

10/24/2008 11:12:27 AM

I honestly don't see the significance of this story at all.

Obama's raised over $600 million, I wonder how much his suits cost.

10/24/2008 11:53:05 AM

That money doesn't go towards his clothing. They're probably moderately expensive, but his wife does wear off-the-rack clothes in a lot of her appearances. So if I had to guess, I'd say not 150k. But you're right in that there are much more important things to worry about than how much her clothes cost.

10/24/2008 11:56:24 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJpLBXGBkM

10/24/2008 11:57:59 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0jLd441YbM

10/24/2008 12:08:47 PM

^Ok now that is really fucking annoying seeing the same pundits who railed against John Edwards $400 haircut trying to defend Palin's wardrobe. They want to say it's not an issue? Ok, but you're going to admit that you're all getting incredibly expensive haircuts and that's just fine a year after bitching about Edwards? What the hell.

10/24/2008 12:14:13 PM

Oh god, they're spending a lot of money on clothes. Obama has a $605 MILLION campaign fund, and is asking for MORE donations. There's a TON of this money that no one knows where it went to.

I'd link the article I found this in, but I'm on a campus computer and can't remember where it was from.

10/24/2008 12:28:30 PM

of course you know where it goes.... it's called FEC reports. (i mean it's not spent on FEC reports, but everything that they spend money on is reported on their FEC reports)


and a large chuck is going to the 30 minutes that he bought on TV on all the major networks... he's got so many staff members and so much on TV, that's where he's blowing most of his money

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 12:30 PM. Reason : .]

10/24/2008 12:29:46 PM

Quote :

"Ok now that is really fucking annoying seeing the same pundits who railed against John Edwards $400 haircut trying to defend Palin's wardrobe"

be quiet; we were hoping the liberals and democrats did not remember.

10/24/2008 12:33:34 PM

The average presidential campaign now costs over 300 million dollars. It makes sense that a large chunk of that would go to personal appearance, I'm not a Palin supporter, but just like the $400 haircut, even though 150k seems a bit high for wardrobe its less that 0.05% of the campaign budget.

10/24/2008 12:38:30 PM

They are actually helping us out by putting 150k into our economy, a sales tax is taken out of that which goes to the local government to supply services for the residents

10/24/2008 12:42:08 PM

Quote :

"I'm not a Palin supporter, but just like the $400 haircut, even though 150k seems a bit high for wardrobe its less that 0.05% of the campaign budget. "

Well the issue is the GOP used a $400 haircut as a distraction attack on Edwards; yet their conservative oracle Gov. Palin uses 150K for outfits and makeup.

How exactly do you spend 150K in two months in clothes anyway?!?!? Does she find the most expensive designer outfit on the market for everyday of the week. I am sure I could go to Neiman Marcus to buy something to wear everyday and would never approach that kind of figure.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 1:40 PM. Reason : a]

10/24/2008 1:38:53 PM

OH NOES! SHE SPENT MONEY ON CLOTHES!!!

i like it though. if she just showed up in jeans and sweatshirts to every thing, then the libbies would be bitching that she doesn't look professional enough. or, if she went out to walmart and bought a bunch of stuff, the libbies would attack that too. She can't win.

but, I'm glad to see that the media has so much time on their hands to investigate important things, like Obama's background.

10/24/2008 1:44:36 PM

yeah since the media can't bash her for not being accessible anymore, they had to find something else

10/24/2008 2:44:14 PM

^^ haha, what

10/24/2008 3:15:28 PM

I think there is a margin between wal mart and $150k.

10/24/2008 3:29:01 PM

yep. but the point still stands. she couldn't win no matter what she did. so fuck it, go all out.

10/24/2008 3:34:12 PM

I actually thought 150K sounded pretty reasonable for a national level woman. Looking good ain't cheap and its an absolute necessity for a woman her age.

But, what do I know, I am just an out of touch east coast elitist.

10/24/2008 5:32:18 PM

^^ you know very well if a similary story erupted about the democratic candidate the GOP would be all over it.

By the way is not the cornerstone of the GOP platform is less spending???
Using 150k to purchase clothes with other people's money (granted only that donated to the campaign) is something a Tax N Spend Liberal would do.


^ dude I do not think even Princess Diana could spend 150k every other month for clothes.



[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 5:42 PM. Reason : l]

10/24/2008 5:35:01 PM

Quote :

"Palin's Makeup Artist Highest Paid Staffer Gov. Sarah Palin's traveling makeup artist was the highest paid person on Sen. John McCain's campaign staff during the first half of October, the New York Times reports. Amy Strozzi, "who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show So You Think You Can Dance?, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone.""

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/10/24/palins_makeup_artist_highest_paid_staffer.html

And these people are running on the promise of fiscal responsibility.

10/24/2008 5:44:04 PM

why doesn't the NYT get together and tell us how much Obama staffers are paid? Or why don't they get together and find out where he was born? Or why don't they get together and find out how much he has spent on clothes?

10/24/2008 5:46:04 PM

Breakdown of how Obama's money is spent:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/expend.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638[/quote]


All staff salaries for Obama:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/expend_detail.php?cid=N00009638&cycle=2008&excode=A20

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 6:15 PM. Reason : .]

10/24/2008 6:07:12 PM

ok. so, now, let's get the NYT to start giving us an expose of that, plz.

10/24/2008 6:08:14 PM

Quote :

"why doesn't the NYT get together and tell us how much Obama staffers are paid? Or why don't they get together and find out where he was born?"

come on Aaronburrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrro. A leader of the conservative party should be illustrating fiscal responsibility. Spending ~$15K per week on makeup and clothes does not seem very responsible. Unless that is they are Tax N SPenders luberals.

10/24/2008 7:20:23 PM

ummm... spending a lot of money isn't necessarily irresponsible. Spending it when you don't have it most certainly is. you know the difference

10/24/2008 7:21:13 PM

Kinda of like what George Bush has been doing the last 8 years???

I am not trying to be overly scrutinize the GOP. Yet as a cornerstone of the foundation of your party without execution of this philosophy I have no other reason to stick with voting Republican. Unless that is I work for an oil company or are a Christian Evangelist.

[Edited on October 24, 2008 at 7:26 PM. Reason : l]

10/24/2008 7:25:26 PM

^^ BUT when you have so much money, shouldn't you share the wealth?

10/24/2008 7:26:23 PM

McCain spending it on advertising doesn't seem to help him.

his campaign might as well spend $150K per month for women's clothes at Neiman Marcus and Saks, and another $45K/mo on makeup.

i guess McCain really did get a Barbie Doll so he could play dress-up.

10/24/2008 7:30:55 PM

he's such a Maverick!

10/24/2008 7:38:49 PM

^^ haha just what i was thinking. But really if i was for McCain now this wouldn't sway me. To me its a much bigger issue that Palin is a Creationist and doesn't think global warming is real. Also that she doesn't seem very smart, to put it lightly.

10/25/2008 2:01:20 PM

You'd still fuck her

10/25/2008 3:19:30 PM

Come throw your golf pencils down our mine shafts!

10/25/2008 3:36:32 PM