Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dressed To Kill
The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.
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.
Four thousand bucks on hair and make-up!!! Who the hell does the campaign think this woman is -- John Edwards?!?!?
Most amusing was the reaction of the campaign to this story's development:
Spokeswoman Maria Comella declined to answer specific questions about the expenditures, including whether it was necessary to spend that much and whether it amounted to one early investment in Palin or if shopping for the vice presidential nominee was ongoing.
“The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent," she said.
But hours after the story was posted on Politico's website and legal issues were raised, the campaign issued a new statement:
"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," said McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt
So, trips to Saks and "NeedlessMark-up" (as we used to call it back in the day) are "strategic decisions" now! Excellent.
And the shock that "we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses..." Who the hell does the campaign think this woman is -- Hillary Clinton?!!?!?
And this is a campaign that, in the closing days, is desperately trying to figure out where to run ads given its limited resources.
Given that the thesis of Ross Douthat and Riehan Salam's Grand New Party is rebuilding the Republican brand with social conservatives and "Sam's Club" members as its foundation, I'm curious what such potential voters might think of Sarah Palin as an, ahem, "Sak's Club" member. Over to you, Ross!
Yeah, this is very funny. But in another, it is profoundly sad: John McCain, who focused so much on the use and abuses of money in politics is now overseeing an operation that is spending $150K on his VP candidate's wardrobe. No wonder Palin has emerged as McCain's biggest obstacle to voters.
Labels: sarah palin
