News and Politics | October 21, 2008 | 49 comments

RNC appears to shell out $150K for Palin fashion

source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html

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The Republican National Committee appears to have 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.

Politico asked the McCain campaign for comment, explicitly noting the $150,000 in expenses for department store shopping and makeup consultation that were incurred immediately after Palin’s announcement. Pre-September reports do not include similar costs.

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.
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49 comments // RNC appears to shell out $150K for Palin fashion

  • NewsOneWriter
  • pokesmot
  • krush_productions
  • Dexcess
  • Ksee1971
    • 0
      Ksee1971  

    • Channeling the recently departed Mr. Blackwell....

      Come on people...Sarah and the rest of the Palin brood are from ALASKA!

      That is like the dark ages when it comes to fashion- Mullets are still in, tie dyed just gave way to acid washed and ladies just found out they CAN wear pants!

      Plus, she's from a family of hunters...all you need is Safety Orange and flannel to be dressed to impress.

      "I got my fancy Sunday-go-ta-meetin clothes on!"

      PS- Relax...I am just joking....sorta...;)

    • 3 years ago
  • NewsOneWriter
    • 0
      NewsOneWriter  

    • @ J Jammer - the difference is that Obama's money goes into whipping John McCain on the ground in almost every respect. Those donors should be looking for a refund. I mean, did she have to get her outfits from Saks Fifth? If she's such a hockey mom, why not Wal-Mart?

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • NewsOneWriter:

      The same could be said about her looks are going towards BEATING Obama.

      The only reason this is troubling is only, and I stress ONLY, because she's a Republican. It has nothing to do with the money.

      Nice try. Though not really.

    • 3 years ago
  • Marilynn_Murray
    • 0
      Marilynn_Murray  

    • In fairness she had to have clothes for the campaign. She has never in her life shopped those stores so I can't even blame her for that. I don't think the amount spent is over the top. Pretty soon her ride will turn back into a pumpkin and where is she going to wear those clothes in Wasilla?

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • Marilynn_Murray
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • Marilynn_Murray:

      The plane did go, just not on ebay.

      Showboating isn't bad. People 'tall tale' their stories. My mother does when she tells things about her children, as do I when I mock someone who as done something silly and I find it funny.

      Had she not sold it at all, that would be something to be upset over, but she sold it and therefore didn't lie.

      Unless you're suggesting that you never, ever, ever make your story of someone more than it actually was then I can totally understand your need to bring up the plane as proof of moral code that doesn't exist.

    • 3 years ago
  • Marilynn_Murray
  • J_Jammer
  • Marilynn_Murray
    • 0
      Marilynn_Murray  
    • Marilynn_Murray:

      In a lipsticked pigs eye she is a good mother. She would never have subjected her daughter to the worldwide scrutiny if she was a good mother. Her children lacked a mothers attention and ran wild. Good mother is not even in her vocabulary.

      Now do you want to talk about good wife and her affair?

    • 3 years ago
  • NewsOneWriter
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • NewsOneWriter:

      You know how much you could buy with a bit of the 150 million Obama got in donations?

      Let's not start about clothes.

      Everyone knows that women's clothes are just expensive than those of men and so is their upkeep.

      Oh well. It's not like it's in the millions. So far Obama's tax plan couldn't touch it.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • I like the word appears. It apparently means fact.

      It's not like she's claiming that we are in a financial crunch and getting 150 million dollars in donations while going "Oh no you don't have to do that" takes the money and uses it.

      The fact that someone even spent time writing about this is funny.

    • 3 years ago
  • hrhpod
    • 0
      hrhpod  

    • We have a similar scheme here in the UK - if you're interviewing for a job and you're on income support, you can get a grant to buy a decent set of clothes for the job interview.

      So this would make Palin in receipt of a sort of welfare - we've all seen those cosy anoraks she wears in Alaska - hardly suitable for the campaign trail, poor thing.

      snigger.

    • 3 years ago
  • clover67
    • 0
      clover67  

    • i wounder if this is a sign of what would be to come if they were in office. we all are having monie problems and it looks to me if put in the white house the rest of the monie would be used for shopping instead of heath, education, evro...etc

    • 3 years ago
  • lifestudentno83
    • 0
      lifestudentno83  

    • All that money could have been spent on more attack ads against Barack Obama. Then again, the average American household has 150K to spend on powdering noses, right?

      Good to see all this money wasted on useless pandering and pampering.

    • 3 years ago
  • Paddlenround
    • 0
      Paddlenround  

    • The large amount is not really an issue. She is in a high profile position and if she came out looking like crap, it would impact her electability. Woman are certainly given more scrutiny in this aspect and she is obligated to play the part.

      Regardless, you can slap her into the best suit money can buy and she is still a right-wing, extremist, ultra-conservative Christian, abuser of power. People need to focus on the money she charged Alaska to take vacations with her family and the fact that she took per-diem while at home..

      I, for one, think the charity mention by the RNC is hilarious. Obviously it is a response to the criticism. The Republicans are constant state of retreat and think they have to placate these criticisms. If they had any guts, they would simply state that this is a necessary expenditure of running for office.

    • 3 years ago
  • clover67
  • lotus_65
  • clover67
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  
    • Image

    • According to this article it's what the people want! They rush out like lemmings to buy the styles that Sarah Palin, Cindy McCain, AND Michele Obama are wearing. So how much are the two parties together shelling out for all of them? How much do the men's suits costs? A couple thousand dollars a pop? Let's not be sexist here, just as much is spent on male candiates and I am sure they are being told how to look on the campaign trail since they are part of the status quo.

      We should definitely search into how much it costs for Michele Obama's make up and clothes as well and who is paying for it as well as Cindy McCain's then. How much have taxpayers spent on Laura Bush for the last eight years? Anyone concerned about that? . I'm sure they aren't all paying for it all themselves, and I am sure it has been done that way for a long time. Of course, political hypocrites only care when it is the "other" side.

      But yes, giving 150,000 to feed hungry children does make more sense. Perhaps both parties that are awash in money could think on that. Raising 150 MILLION dollars in one month is going where exactly?

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • dissimulator
    • 0
      dissimulator  

    • Update: mccain campaign released a statement regarding this story........seems they will now be giving the clothing to charity after they lose........here is their 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," said spokesperson Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

    • 3 years ago
  • des10
    • 0
      des10  
    • Image
    • dissimulator:

      sure. here's what the statement should have read..

      "With all of the important issues facing the country right now (and the fact that we're going to lose if our plan to rig all the voting machines fails), it's remarkable that we're spending time... and spending money... on pantsuits and blouses,"

      "It was always the intent that the clothing be used to make Sarah Palin look hip and classy... (you know John has sorta stifled our cool factor) and oh yea, since you've pointed this out and it would look bad... we're going to sell the clothes on eBay for charitable purpose after the campaign... just like Sarah did (or said she did) with her alaskan airplane. iIf that fails we'll donate all the clothes from Neiman Marcus to the local Goodwill here in Washington."

    • 3 years ago
  • Robroy1
    • 0
      Robroy1  

    • Wait until you see what she charged the state of Alaska for trips for her children and husband. This witch fits right in with the likes of Bush and McCane and Capone etc. The Witch sure knows how to spend taxpayers money on herself and her family, a true republican thief. She joined the right party and the right bunch sure recognized talent for thievery when thay saw it. They said "this is our kind of Thief", ask her to join our club. A great example of John McCane's good judgement!

    • 1 year ago
  • kiltedandfree
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • kiltedandfree:

      Ah, that one - it is an 18th century portrait of my great-great-grandmother when she was about 15 years old, painted by Vigée Le Brun.

      Had you said icon or avatar, I'd have understood exactly what you meant.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • kiltedandfree
  • krenee
    • 0
      krenee  

    • Get Real! This is not THAT much $$ to shell out for those kinds of stores. I would have thought that she would be custom tailored by, perhaps, a designer, but the time limitations are in play. It is a given that a VP candidate should look decent and good and I just wonder what Barak Hussein and his wife have spent on clothing--any idea? It is certain that their clothing was not Wal-Mart or even Penney's, or Macy's. It is amazing how the liberal media will pick a decent and intelligent, hard working WOMAN apart!

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • easternstar25
    • 0
      easternstar25  
    • krenee:

      Actually the dress that Michelle Obama wore on "The View" was only $100 off the rack. Please lets get real if you need that much make-up what the hell you trying to hide... Suck up!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • Even $150,000 in clothes and makeup and hairdressers has not been able to cover up Palin's vulgarity! It goes to show that no amount of money can buy class and taste, and no amount of lipstick can make a pig look good.

    • 3 years ago
  • kThoop
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  

    • this is the same group, including JohnA i'm sure, that harrassed john edwards for his 400 dollar haircuts. Oh the scandal of 400 dollar haircuts.

      suck it repug failures.

    • 3 years ago
  • kiltedandfree
    • 0
      kiltedandfree  
    • jh64487:

      You are missing something here, Mr. suck it repug failures.
      The group harrassing Palin would be on the democrat side, unlike those who harrassed John Edwards would have been on the republican side. Your "suck it repug failures" looks good on you.

    • 3 years ago
  • Brendan_M
    • Brendan_M  
    • This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
  • kiltedandfree
    • 0
      kiltedandfree  
    • Brendan_M:

      Most American's have a deep seated hatred for socialist programs and those who want to take away from the successful to give to the ?needy. And anyone who will not put his hand over his heart when the national anthem is played nor is willing to wear an American flag pin stating he doesn't want to insult those who feel the American flag is a sign of oppression and aggression. A man like this will NEVER be my president. If this is deep seated hatred then so be it. I don't like the spineless either.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • Brendan_M:

      The RNC spending so much money on her wardrobe is highly socialistic.

      Oh, and Obama does place his hand over his heart when the Star Spangled Banner is played, he doesn't do so when America The Beautiful is played, although many Americans do so, thinking mistakenly that the latter is the national anthem.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • kiltedandfree
    • 0
      kiltedandfree  

    • So what! I would think the prospective VP should get a considerable clothing budget, don't you? You can bet Obama with that polished smile costs far more than that.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • kiltedandfree:

      Even one tenth of that sum would be far too much. Biden doesn't have a clothing budget paid for by the DNC, he buys his own clothes, as does Obama. Neither of them expect socialist handouts the way Palin and Republicans do.

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
  • dissimulator
  • JohnA
  • goldenways
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