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.
Why no story on Obama's or Biden's wardrobe cost?
Posted by: daniel Necci | October 22, 2008 at 06:28 AM
White sheet and a pointed veil would have been sufficient clothing. They kind of go with her constituents 'kill Obama' theme.
That said, $150K could have bought a ton of robo calls!
Posted by: pimp your candidate | October 22, 2008 at 06:31 AM
Whoah! This type of spending, on clothing the Alaskan queen, when we are entering a deep recession.
Did Sarah mutter ... 'let them eat cake'?
Posted by: Frank | October 22, 2008 at 06:40 AM
Obama and Biden bought their own clothing. There is no precident here.
Posted by: daniel | October 22, 2008 at 06:41 AM
Posted By Daniel Necci:
Why no story on Obama's or Biden's Wardrobe cost?
Simple: BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SPEND $150000 ON THEIR WARDROBES.
Posted by: Billy McGorn | October 22, 2008 at 06:43 AM
No story on Obama's wardrobe because his campaign doesn't pay for it. McCain's publically financed campaign should not be spending taxpayer money on fancy clothes.
She spent more on clothes for one month than Joe the Plumber makes in 3 years. Now who is it again that is working for the 'little guy'?
Posted by: Johnny | October 22, 2008 at 06:44 AM
"Why no story on Obama's or Biden's wardrobe cost?"
Because both pay for their own clothes, as does McCain. Only Caribou Barbie is funded by her party
Posted by: Jim | October 22, 2008 at 06:44 AM
Obama, Biden, and presumably McCain didn't charge their wardrobes to their campaigns. (Politico.com, who broke this story, checked their expense reports too.)
Bet the Republican donors are glad to see their contributions put to good use!
Posted by: JayZ | October 22, 2008 at 06:45 AM
I suspect Obama pays for his own clothes. Even if he didn't he never positioned himself like Palin.
You can't be touted as the small town hockey Mom and have a story like this.
This isn't Palin's fault per se. She's just doing what she's been told. The RNC should have seen this coming.
Posted by: truamerican | October 22, 2008 at 06:47 AM
Daniel,
Politico investigated both Republican and Democratic expenditures. They found no evidence of similar spending by Obama or Biden. Just FYI. I just wished I had a job that paid me to dig up such weird factoids! LOL
Posted by: Bob Gong-Guy | October 22, 2008 at 06:51 AM
Could the Republican party provide her the "job description" of the VP, along with the other paraphernalia they give her to spruce her up? I haven't come across anyone applying/chosen for a job without knowing the job description. This is an unusual instance.
Posted by: Sam | October 22, 2008 at 06:54 AM
Who cares? Nobody talks about what Obama or Biden wears. This woman has shopped at Walmart for most of her life. Get a life. This isn't news.
Biden says that there is an imminent attack on the US after the election and nobody cares. It doesn't make a single mainstream front-page. Okay... he's talking about an attack on American soil or a major challenge overseas and he's on the Foreign Relations Committee. This isn't newsworth???
But they don't have time to write about that because they are too busy writing about Palin's wardrobe.
Americans are a bunch of sheep. Being lead wherever the media wants to take us...
I'm not defending Palin. I'm simply suggesting that the house is on fire and folks are discussion what brand of underwear the firemen are wearing...
PEACE
Posted by: SMC | October 22, 2008 at 06:55 AM
In response to Ms. Necci, I imagine it is because Obama PAYS FOR HIS OWN CLOTHES.
What a ridiculous woman Ms. Palin is for continually stumping about how the Republican Party is for the people, while at the same time her wardrobe for ONE MONTH has cost more than the average American makes in THREE YEARS. Wake up people.
Posted by: Matt Santaspirt | October 22, 2008 at 06:57 AM
Why do people care about how muh the RNC spend on Palin's wardrobe? It is the money from the republicans' donors and they seem to like her. She looks good on those expensive clothes. Even though she is quite stupid for my taste of politicians. I don't see anything wrong with that. No republican complains about the spending. I am a woman and when I go for a job interview I would wear the best clothe. Good looking women with a good wardrobe can make a better job negotiation when trying to be hired. I don't understand Americans. If people who spent the money on her didn't complain, why do you?
Posted by: ILoveAmerica | October 22, 2008 at 06:59 AM
These criticisms of Palin reminds me of jealous teenagers picking on the new girl about what she wears etc. Seriously folks, this is getting stupid.
From greek columns and stage lighting to now Palin's haircuts... what in the world!?
Posted by: Charles | October 22, 2008 at 07:03 AM
The real culprit here is the liberal MSM, KCouric & co. They cut her so deeply that she had to shop her way out of the dumps. Now, with this coming out, she and maybe the whole clan will have to give the prime threads to charity. A blow like that could require another round of shop-therapy.
Posted by: RG Robins | October 22, 2008 at 07:03 AM
When will the Palin implosion start bigtime? Comin' soon to a neighborhood near you.
Posted by: politicaldelinquent | October 22, 2008 at 07:04 AM
so much for small town values and small town lifestyle and being "one of the people." - and for spending so much of RNC donors money, this is the boring, schoolmarmy schlock she comes up with? Not only is she a big fraud, she also has zero taste! sheesh!
Posted by: ann | October 22, 2008 at 07:04 AM
RNC spokesperson said "the clothing will go to a charitable purpose after the campaign".
Is she planning to lose in the election or just waste more money when she gets elected?
Makes $125k/yr and spends $150k on cloths in three months....wow.. Move over AIG
For someone who slams big-spending Washington insiders she's looking a lot like one.
Posted by: Rich | October 22, 2008 at 07:06 AM
Daniel, No story about Obama because there is no story.
He isn't using campaign donors' money for clothes. And the article doesn't mention that it is against campaign laws to use tax payers contributions for clothes. As you may recall, McCain is using $84 million of tax payers donations for his campaign.
Just glad I'm not a Republican.
Posted by: Kathy | October 22, 2008 at 07:07 AM
daniel Necci, keep up with the entire news article, good man. Read it here on Fox news:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/21/report-rnc-spent-g-spruce-palin/
It says this: A review by Politico of expenditures by Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee revealed "no similar spending."
and if its public record you can do the research yourself!
Posted by: ann | October 22, 2008 at 07:08 AM
This is freakin' hysterical. Palin and Hubby have $1.2 million in personal assets. Her salary as Alaskan Gov. is $102,000+ -- a real Hockey Mom, eh? Now, she gets free clothes from Jane Plumber shopping outlets like Saks of New York and Niemann Marcus, in the amount $150,000!
This wouldn't be so bad, except Palin constantly tries to fob herself off as being just a regular ole' Jane 6-Pack. Yeah, right. Jane 6-Pack whose net worth puts her in the upper 2% of all Americans. What a phoney baloney.
Posted by: BillyBob | October 22, 2008 at 07:09 AM
Why no story on the opposite camp? Probably because there isn't one - from the same Politico article,
"A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending."
Posted by: Jayne14127 | October 22, 2008 at 07:11 AM
Another witch hunt by the left wing liberal domocratic party news media. If this is all you have....your in big trouble with the
Independent voters. The more the news media goes after Palin, the more votes she picks up.. Keep up the good work!!!
CBSNEWS w/ Couric shed a half a million viewers, falling from 6.4 million to 5.9 million; ABCNEWS dropped from 8.1
million to 7.6 million; NBCNEWS slumped from 8.2 million to 7.8 million.
I’ll see you in the un-employment line with the rest of the left wing media
Posted by: bluefox9 | October 22, 2008 at 07:11 AM
Well there you go. Does this spending ring a bell? Of course Bush has spent around 4 TRILLION Tax Dollars. It would take you a lifetimes to count that high, and then some. McCain is just a Bush wanta be. He was so afraid he would piss Bush off he has reversed his vote. Watch C-SPAN when the Senate is in session. McCain preaches against pork pork and more pork then votes for that very pork. You conservatives better know your man or we will all be on the streets. I fought in Vietnam took two bullets and recovered over $10,000,000.00 Tax Dollars from a Corporation running a Navy owned Factory. So I have earned my right to speak out.
Tom, Disabled Vietnam Veteran. With Honor I Served!
Posted by: Tom | October 22, 2008 at 07:12 AM