Sarah Palin, Fashionista on the RNC Dime?
Bill Clinton and John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore -- you can thank Sarah Palin for showing us what pikers you are.
Multi-hundred dollar haircuts? Earthtone clothing consultations? Four-figure hair styling sessions? So '90s. So downmarket.
Now here's real makeover money: ''Politico'' reports that the Republican National Committee has evidently spent more than $150,000 in less than three months to dress and style Sarah Palin and her family. Whoever came up with the nickname ''Caribou Barbie'' got it more right than he knew.
Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York got a combined $49,425.74 from the RNC, and they don't sell Arctic hunting gear there. There were a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis --one of them for $75,062.63 in early September! I feel so stupid -- I was at the St. Paul convention, and I didn't even KNOW there was a Neiman Marcus in the vicinity! Not that there might have been anything left for me after La Palin's Grande Shoppage.
And there are costs for what looks like just one month of hair and makeup. There were no hair and makeup expenses reported in August, so the $4,716.49 reported through September had to be just September, and the only difference between August and September for the RNC was the appearance of the Wasilla Family Palin.
The First Dude has been wearing a really nice suit, and Levi Johnson, Bristol Palin's newly affianced beau, appeared for his command performance at the RNC in spiffy new duds.
By contrast, the people of Alaska got the Palin family for a bargain. The AP is reporting that Palin charged the state for her children's travel expenses, including those to events the kids hadn't been invited to, and that expense reports were later changed to declare that it was official business. The tally for 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights for her three daughters: a comparatively cheap $21,012.
That kind of change would buy about 40 pairs of John McCain's favorite Ferragamo loafers, $520 a pair at Neiman Marcus. The difference -- you just know that McCain wouldn't be charging the RNC for his footwear.
"This isn't Palin's fault per se. She's just doing what she's been told. The RNC should have seen this coming."
If so, can we rely on this party for another 4 years? Can THE Republican Party just think before they do ANYTHING?
Posted by: cannottakethis | October 30, 2008 at 12:06 PM
You know how I know that conservatives outnumber the liberals? Liberals have every major network and all but one of the news cable outlets blindly following their lead, aswell as Hollyweird, SNL, newspapers, and late night comics. With all that, the liberal left is scared of talk radio? Even with all these avenues on their side, it is still going to be a CLOSE race. If Palin had not dressed up for the campaign trail, she would have been labeled a hick/redneck - she is in a situation where she cannot win and she is handling it with total class. Why are we spending more time on her wardrobe than Jeremiah Wright, Ayers, & Rezko? I don't think an expensive pair of red pumps is what is going to bring this country down.
Posted by: Jane the Teacher | October 25, 2008 at 06:49 PM
Joe Biden said on he stump, "I buy my suits".
The press release a picture of Obama on the phone with his feet up on the desk, showing the wear on the sole of his shoes. He's worn out the pair he is wearing. I trust guys like this.
Posted by: DAWSON | October 25, 2008 at 10:02 AM
I'd like to know how "Joe" and the other republicans who contributed to John McC. feel about their money being spent for an makeup and extremely expensive, elitist and extravagant clothing for an ,admittedly, beautiful {smart but so backwards/backwoods lady(?)}, whose foreign experience amounts to " we can see Russia from an island"?
Do they really want her as president?? Scary!!!!!
Had lots of respect for McCain...how did he ever get talked into picking her? Am sad to see him go downhill!
HERO
Posted by: HRO | October 24, 2008 at 04:55 PM
can understand why people are upset. I didn't donate my money for this lady and her children to get a makeover. I donated my money to McCain to help him beat Obama. I absolutely changing my vote. This was the last straw. And to top it off she didn't even now the role of the VP. The role is not to take over the senate. I don't care if she was explaining it to a second grader. Don't give out false information to a student or the public. I believe she really don;t have a clue about anything she suppose to do. They only wanted her because she was a women nothing more. They used her and now they she can't perform to their standards and she's losing this for McCain they have no explanation for all of this BS. I very upset. Because there were more qualified women out there that could have helped McCain not hurt his reputation forever.
Posted by: Erica Trowell | October 23, 2008 at 10:18 AM
I cannot believe any women who comment that they will vote for Palin because everyone is "trashing her." If she weren't so stupid, two-faced and a hippocrit it wouldn't be so easy to trash her. Just remember, "that one" is just a heartbeat away from being our President. Scary, Scary thought.
Posted by: Patricia Stover | October 23, 2008 at 09:20 AM
And this is were my tax paying money is going to ....Cloths.... WHAT THE HELL..... I BEEN WEARING THE SAME CLOTHS FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW...PERKS MY ASS>i cant even buy my son new cloths for back to school..WHY becausse they take out tooooooo much dam taxes out my pay check and FOR WHAT SO PALIN CAN LOOK LIKE A REAL VP NOMINEE...
Posted by: joe the plumber | October 23, 2008 at 08:16 AM
It's also been revealed that Alaskans had to foot the bill for the governor's daughters to accompany her to various places. If I did that at my work, I'd be fired.
Does Obama maintain a residence in Washington D.C.? Do Michelle and the daughters (Malia Ann and Nastasha) take flights from Chitown to DC? Does Obama expense any of that? I don't know. Maybe he doesn't , but I haven't heard anything in the mainstream press one way or the other and doubt I will. I did a Google on 'Obama expense account Washington' and got nothing, except some articles discussing Palin!
I am not saying that Obama has no right to expenses stuff. I am saying that Palin's perfectly legitimate expenses as governor (not the RNC clothes) are being published as if they are "news," while nothing about Senator Obama's expenses.
Posted by: Mitchell Young | October 22, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Until women leaders are no longer judged by their make up, the clothes they wear and their physical appearance, women with any hopes of getting even noticed in the public arena must make sure they look professional. This non-story once again reminds me of SEXISM that puts women in a no win situation. Hillary was mocked endlessly about her wardrobe and made fun of . . . so McCain being made sure he spent the money needed to make this hugely successful state governor and working mom with a middle class income, have the clothes to look professional. But, of course she must be punished for spending the money on it also. And, if she didn't look that good, she would be mocked and be the butt of jokes just as Hillary and her modest pant suits were. Newsweek tried hard to make Palin look bad so they published an untouched photo of her-a treatment only reserved for Palin and Reuters takes and publishes obscene photos of Sarah's legs. Let's just think of ways to cut her down and make her, discount her successful governorship and make her an object of ridicule. How dare she thinks she can be VP. Bad clothes would just be lovely in this hateful atmosphere. The more this woman is pushed, the more want to vote for her just to protest this awful double standard
Posted by: Lola Cornwell | October 22, 2008 at 04:37 PM
McCain married into wealth, Hillary & Bill have done very (very) well in the speech and publishing biz, ditto for Barack. Sarah has just - and I mean JUST - started her political career and has never earned enough to secure the quantity or quality of duds most tenured politicians manage to accrue.
While $150k is (absurdly) excessive perhaps we should give the small-town gal a pass for she was obviously drawn to the forbidden fruit by the whirlwind and chaos of a national campaign.
So please, forgive Sarah this indulgence as it may be all she has left to remember when the nightmare finally ends in two weeks. Forgive her - but whatever you do, don't vote for her. THAT would truly corrupt her!
Posted by: Whakko | October 22, 2008 at 04:20 PM
what a waste of money....if that is not buying into elitism then what the hell is. and it was supposed to be such a big deal when the fake story came out that michelle obama enjoyed some fine food at the waldorf. looks like john mcain bought a fixer upper vice pres nominee.....the only bummer for him...she's already worn and he cant take her back... i'm a mechanic and i'm supposed to listen to a talking sachs 5th ave outfit? lets ask what SNL spent on tina feys' palin costumes, i'm sure it wasnt more than my house cost and who can even tell the diff... the fact that the rnc deems this atire fit for a public servant is just sickening especially when there are people out there in real financial dire straits......oh thanks for the donated clothes, but next time just give the cash...said the charity.
Posted by: dave | October 22, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Now you will have the nicest dressed poor people
What usually happens in cases like this is that dresses , outfits etc are auctioned off and the proceeds given to charity. They do it with the dresses you see on some of the stars on Oscar night. So it is entirely possible that the outfits could net more than the RNC paid for them--and boy would it chaff Ms. Morissons hide. Yeah, that sounds like 'Iraq invasion will pay for itself" or 'we'll make money buying up the bad mortgages', but I think this has better odds of sucess. I can almost see the blue-hair matrons of the RNC hatching the plan over tea.
Posted by: Mitchell Young | October 22, 2008 at 01:14 PM
McCain said the the dresses will be given away for charitable purpose .Now you will have the nicest dressed poor people that don't have a place to live loast there pensons lost there jobs but Palin again can say that she did nothing wrong Where did we hear that before
Posted by: Bruce | October 22, 2008 at 12:51 PM
I just wonder how many ACORN voters you get for $150K? Or probably about a minute of Philadelphia air time.
Posted by: Merfzero | October 22, 2008 at 12:43 PM
What I cannot figure out is the RNC did not find her on the street....she's a sitting Governor. Do you mean to tell me that as Governor of Alaska she did not have an appropriate wardrobe to campaign in?
And additionally, I do not want to hear her refer to herself as a working mom again.....Ithe "working moms" that I know don't go on shopping sprees, some still use layaway plans for school shopping, they often need to spend their work sick/vacation time nursing a sick child, at dental and doctor appts for their children, or attending school functions; they live paycheck to paycheck and have not seen the inside of a restaurant above the likes of McDonalds for a long time.......no, do not say you are like me.........you're not.
Posted by: MVK | October 22, 2008 at 12:28 PM
You are all sheep reciting bullet points. Try to think for yourselves.
1. Politico found nothing, so it's "end of story"? Would you like ice with your Kool-Aid? Dems are so quick to buy the easy argument. Ask Colin Powell...he sold you "the war", now you love him with open arms for endorsing Obama. I bet the National Enquirer could find quite a few items of note.
2. RNC types: Sarah isn't gonna pull it off for McCain. The LA Times has won this election for Obama. It's over, don't fight it. If there is an upside, she will be Pelosi in 2020, once the American people fully realize what the Dems can (or more accurately, won't) be able to do.
Independent parties are the way to go from this point forward, if we need to have political parties at all. Swearing yourself to either party serves only the party, not the American public. Leaders and ideas should be voted on based on their merits up or down, not who the party presents. That is usually the worst choice.
Posted by: Your Paper is A Rag | October 22, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Let's see here...
$150,00 on clothes and accessories in ONE month not three paid for either by the taxpayer (that's you and me...) since the McCain campaign is using public funds for its expenses.
$21K plus for junkets for her kids all over Alaska and elsewhere. (one trip the taxpayers of Alaska paid for took Palin and two of her kids to be at the start of a snowmobile race the "First Dud" was competing in.) Then there are the hotel bills that are not even listed in this report. (For example, Palin took her oldest daughter to New York where she attended an official event that lasted five hours. They stayed FIVE DAYS (four nights) in the luxury Essex Hotel overlooking Central Park.)
Doctoring expense account records after the fact to make trips appear to be official business when they were not. (How does a six-year old child get reimbursed for doing "official business"???)
This is what is usually called CORRUPTION.
And this is the woman who thinks she is going to end greed and corruption on Wall Street and in DC???
And some of you call this a non-issue? Unbelievable!!!
And just BTW shouldn't her kids be in school instead of roaming all over America at our expense???
Posted by: truthtopower40 | October 22, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Ach! I forgot that McCain is taking public funds, taxpayers' money, for his campaign. SO-O-O it is NOT Republican donors who are dressing Barbie. It's all of us! Arrrgh! I was going to suggest that Powell ask for his donation back.
Posted by: Akamai | October 22, 2008 at 10:05 AM
it was reported in nyt that michelle obama, not even a candidate, is spending democrat money to the tune of $100,000 to keep her fashion up. SHE'S NOT EVEN A NOMINEE!!!
Posted by: julie | October 22, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Thanks, this bias of Palin and against women is making me vote for McCain even though I've voted Democrat every other time. Nice work media. Report on Obama's ADMITTED cocaine use. Now there's a real story!!!
Posted by: julie | October 22, 2008 at 09:59 AM
REMEMBER BILL CLINTON'S REPORTED $600 HAIRCUTS HE'D FLY IN TO LA FOR AT CRISTOFF SALON? c'mon, this is a side tactic to take away the fact that the news media should be investigating OBAMA'S admitted cocaine use!!! The Obama messiah news media would rather camp 100 trucks outside private citizen Jo the plumber and try to slander him, than investigate the messiah's drug use and scary associations with America hating reverand Wright for 20 years and the terrorist Ayers, and how it's affected his ultra liberal philosophy and socialist policies.
Posted by: julie | October 22, 2008 at 09:57 AM
Now the Republicans know where some of their donations are going. After this election, I'm sure she'll be the "best-dressed governor."
It's also been revealed that Alaskans had to foot the bill for the governor's daughters to accompany her to various places. If I did that at my work, I'd be fired.
On the positive side, her expenditures keep the economy going!
Posted by: Ann | October 22, 2008 at 09:52 AM
we should thank palin for securing economic bridges with our international neighbors as probably not too much of what she bought was made in this country.
after this should she get into office she can claim she has a foot in the dooor with the chinese trade delegation and they can lend us some more money.
Posted by: wofat | October 22, 2008 at 09:36 AM
These Palin stories are so stupid and transparent. But by all means keep running them. Alienate more women with double standards. McCain needs the votes.
Posted by: peterg | October 22, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Yes, I am sure it is all the main stream media's fault Palin spent $75k of RNC dough at Neiman Marcus. What a bunch of liberal elitists those media folks are.
Posted by: NAMiller | October 22, 2008 at 09:17 AM