I Feel Pretty
Politico's Jeanne Cummings reported last night that the Republican National Committee has spent beaucoup bucks -- $150K to be precise -- on Sarah Palin's clothing and make-up consultations since she was tapped as the GOP veep nom fewer than two months ago:
According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.
The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.
The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.
John McCain/Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt dismissed the Politico story:
"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."
There's no doubt that a person catapulted from the State House to the national scene needs some new duds, regardless of gender. And Palin is hardly the first candidate to be dressed to impress the masses. We're all familiar with the controversies over Bill Clinton's and John Edwards' pricey haircuts. Spouses look the part as well (I'll never forget Teresa Heinz Kerry, wearing the swankiest of suits -- Chanel? Armani? -- and those sweeping, colorful shawls as she spooned chili into styrofoam bowls during her husband's NH primary bid).
But Palin is supposed to be the everywoman, the hockey mom. How many hockey moms frequent Saks and Neiman Marcus? Makes us wonder how she feels about arugula.
(JS)
Any Republican who whines that this is a story should remember the $400 haircut that they loved to put on John Edwards' neck.
This is a story because they present Sarah Palin as a lower middle class, hunting, mommy from a small town. The reality is in direct conflict with the impression they've been trying to create, and that means it's a story.
But John Edwards kept telling everyone how he understood the working poor's plight.
I would love to see an itemization of the Obama campaign expenditures on the precious Michelle O. $440 room service bils, etc. I'm certain it is much much higher.
Because Sara Palin is one of us the very reason she needed new clothing. Check out the videos before she got the nod in her Target/Gap/Casual Corner wardrobe. She is on the national stage, for pete's sake, she has to look good. Besides, if she looked terrible we'd certainly hear about that from the elitists now wouldn't we? Sara, feel free to use the money I donated the RNC for new shoes.
If Michelle is spending campaign money I am sure that she is in the report. When it comes to her clothes I would bet money that she, like the rest of the candidates and their families, pay for them with their own money. Sarah Palin looks great in her designer clothes, but Michelle looks just a good in her H&M dress...
Palin spent on clothes in one month what the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years.
Good God.
Sarah.. the fraudster! She looted the Alaskan taxpayers.
Palin spends tens of thousands taxpayer money on her children
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' plane flights.
The charges included costs for hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race, and a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel.
In all, Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006. She also has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls and herself, at $707/night.
Republicans ALWAYS travel in style. Palin's excuse for bringing along her repcious daughters? "I want to spend as much time with them as possible." Isn't that admirable -- such a dedicated Mom -- as long as someone else pays for it, that is.....
Are all you Obamabots, Obamunists and acolytes of the His Holiness, the Dalai 'Bama in such fear of Gov. Palin that you have to resort to garbage like this? It's laughable.
Are all you Obamabots, Obamunists and acolytes of the His Holiness, the Dalai 'Bama in such fear of Gov. Palin that you have to resort to garbage like this? It's laughable.
McCain spent more on makeup than Palin.
Ok, this is not fair.
The campaign spent $4500 on Palin's makeup in September but spent $15,672.55 on McCain's makeup!
voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2008/10/mccains_american_idol_make-up.html
What man spends more on makeup than a woman??
Palin forced all the rape victims to pay the city for the rape victim kit but she uses citizen donations of $150,000 to shop at European designer clothes? What a disgrace to the republican party and to the nation.
Per Ambinder:
If Palin's wardrobe were a family of four, they'd get a kick-butt tax cut from the Obama campaign....
LOL.
OMG, she is not only inethical, corrupt but she also broke the election law. According to the law the Palin designer clothes purchase is not even legal.
See 2 USC 439b(2)(B)
(a) Permitted uses
A contribution accepted by a candidate, and any other donation received by an individual as support for activities of the individual as a holder of Federal office, may be used by the candidate or individual--
(1) for otherwise authorized expenditures in connection with the campaign for Federal office of the candidate or individual;
(2) for ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with duties of the individual as a holder of Federal office;
(3) for contributions to an organization described in section 170 (c) of title26;
(4) for transfers, without limitation, to a national, State, or local committee of a political party;
(5) for donations to State and local candidates subject to the provisions of State law; or
(6) for any other lawful purpose unless prohibited by subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Prohibited use
(1) In general
A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) of this section shall not be converted by any person to personal use.
(2) Conversion
For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including--
(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.
This runs in McCain-Palin families.
Cindy had spent half a million dollars on one single costume that she wore during the repub convention.
And these people are reformers and mavericks? My a**.
Wow, this place needs a wingnut crossing sign.
1. The Michelle O. story is fake. The NY Post issued a retraction, but not fast enough to keep Limbaugh from using it.
http://www.observer.com/2008/media/consider-posts-lobster
2. Michelle doesn't shop at H&M. If you're talking about the dress she wore on The View, it came from White House | Black Market, but I doubt she pays for all her clothing. I'm sure some of her outfits are "gifts."
3. "Palin forced all the rape victims to pay the city for the rape victim kit..." blah, blah, blah. Setting aside the sheer laziness of this argument, a new provision in the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act requires that states, in order to keep receiving VAWA-related funding for other services, must (as of January 2009) find the money for those rape kits--anywhere but the victims' pockets. For that provision to have come up in the first place, obviously, means that the problem was hardly confined to Sarah Palin.
4. Cindy McCain is wealthy enough in her own right to drop large sums on clothing. It doesn't "run" anywhere.
First of all the ocntributions were made to the RNC, not the McCain campaign so Christine's diatribe is not relevant. The rape kit meme has been debunked more times than I care to count, so please drop it already.
The "half million dollar dress" comment shows just how the "telephone game" is played. It started out with someone at Vanity Fair saying her outfit was worth about $250K and now is being claimed that it was worth $500K - what is next the first million dollar outfit ever worn to a convention? When the comment was broken down, it became clear that someone decided her earrings and pin cost over $200K. A noted jeweler assessed that claim and said that it over stated the value of the jewelery by a factor of 3-4x.
But so what? They were bought with her own money, earned the old fashioned way through personal enterprise. Wht does it gall so many liberals that someone who earns money and creates wealth can spend it how they please? Back in the 90's Clinton annoyed the he11 out of me by announcing that the government knew better how to spend my money than I did!
This is a major theme of the Obama campaign and its supporters: we want to take your earnings and spread them around to make other people feel better. God help us if they get that chance.
THE Replican Party paid for her DUDs Its very Legal.
If the RNC paid for it with campaign contributions, it's illegal.