Daylife/AP Photo photo by David Zalubowski

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.

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.

The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent,” she said.

Later on they backed down and said the goodies will go to charity after the election. Poor Sarah. She doesn’t get to keep the Party favors.

OTOH, if they put her outfits up on eBay, I’ll bet they turn a profit.




  1. I finally says:

    Foxnews: John McCain said Wednesday that Sarah Palin’s posh wardrobe will be donated to charity, AFTER it was disclosed that the Republican National Committee spent about $150,000 on her clothing, hair styling, makeup and other “campaign accessories” in September.

    ditto: A review by Politico of expenditures by Barack Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee revealed “no similar spending.”

    FOX News Poll: Obama Leads McCain, 49% to 40%

    Commence dissembling…

  2. MikeN says:

    #32, I doubt it. He probably already had most of those suits.

  3. Buzz says:

    “The McCain campaign responded to the Palin wardrobe spending with the following statement, “With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we are spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign,” said spokesperson Tracey Schmitt.”

    Here’s your public funding at work.

    Wait till you find out about Cindy McCain’s wardrobe bills. You know—to get votes! Yeah, that’s the ticket.

    Donate much to the RNC? Get screwed.

    What a bunch of √erks.

  4. JMcM says:

    I’m saddened to announce that Michelle Obama’s entire wardrobe would fit inside Sarah Palin’s Louis Vuitton purse.

    Not physically. Just as an expense.

    Who is this Michelle Obama? What do we know about her, really? And why is she so responsible for the downfall of Israel?

  5. Peter iNova says:

    It must be quite a thrill to realize you have been pilloried by today’s Mark Twain.

    Garrison Keillor:

    “Low dishonesty and craven cynicism sometimes win the day but not inevitably. The attempt to link Barack Obama to an old radical in his neighborhood has desperation and deceit written all over it.

    “It was dishonest, cynical men who put forward a clueless young woman for national office, hoping to juice up the ticket, hoping she could skate through two months of chaperoned campaigning, but the truth emerges: The lady is talking freely about matters she has never thought about.

    “The American people have an ear for B.S. They can tell when someone’s mouth is moving and the clutch is not engaged. When she said, “One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let’s commit ourselves just every day, American people, Joe Six-Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars,” people smelled gas.”

    Full article here:
    http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2008/10/08/palin/

  6. Nimby says:

    “The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.”

    Isn’t that about what Bill Clinton spent on a haircut while his plane blocked an airport causing hundreds of thousands in costs to other people? Not to mention the cost of his cigars.

  7. doug says:

    #40. Do yourself a favor and don’t compare Sara Palin to Bill Clinton at a McCain rally.

  8. Cindy McCain says:

    #27

    Even my wife doesn’t spend $2500 a day on cloths.

    Yes, but the Vice Presidential candidate is expected to wear clean underwear at least twice a week. Plus her clothes are hand sewn in Shanghai Province.

  9. badtimes says:

    And the obvious- what’s the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom?
    About $150K of clothes and cosmetics I guess. At least for one particular hockey mom.

  10. Pheobus says:

    I do not think the issue is they spent some money on her clothes. I think the issue is the party of fiscal responsibility spent $150,000.00 on her clothes.

  11. QB says:

    #44 Pheobus. Actually the issue is that it violates McCain-Feingold.

  12. smartalix says:

    I’m surprised nobody confronts Palin about her non-flag flag pin. She and her ilk pillory others for not wearing a flag, and yet she wears a gaudy piece of shit that isn’t even an accurate flag representation.

    “Palin Patriot” – all style, no substance.

  13. Mr. Fusion says:

    #46, Alix,

    She and her ilk pillory others for not wearing a flag,

    Only those who are not real Americans. Real Americans don’t need one, phony Americans need a flag pin.

  14. grog says:

    she needs those clothes so she can fit in at the country club.

    the gop is the party of the redneck and the country club set, so she needs the threads.

    whatever. i think the mccain/palin ticket is dead wrong on mostly every policy issue so i won’t be voting for them.

  15. James Hill says:

    Angry liberals continue to fail at being entertaining. How much does Obama spend on his suits?

    Epic fail in this thread.

  16. QB says:

    #49 And Angry Conservatives missed the point yet again. Damn James, at least bring some game!

  17. Glenn E. says:

    So as soon as she was picked for the VP seat, the party did a Fashion Makeover for the whole Palin clan! And a month later, a lot of Americans losing their homes, pentions, and jobs, wish they could afford a $150K fashion makeover. Probably Joe the plumber too. Sarah suddenly doesn’t sound so much like Joe, as she pretends. And if she’s soooo experienced at managing a multi-billion dollar concern (Alaska?), as she claims. How come she could budget a few grand as governor, to clothe her family before now. It sounds like she sold out to the party, like a cheap slut, for a glam wardrobe. They should have held out for Pam Anderson. She’s more popular.

  18. Glenn E. says:

    “How come she COULDN’T budget a few grand as governor, to clothe her family before now?”

    Sorry, I dropped my “n’t” again.

    But anyway, when you think about this crap. This fashion makeover, along with the debate coaching going on back at McCain’s house. It’s just all an indication of how much of a figure head Palin is for the party. They aren’t the slightest bit concerned that she was just some clueless hick from the north, with an NRA card. If they could dress her up right, and rehearse her to delivery the right talking points. They figured she might pass as some grassroots, soccer mom, conservative. And that the public might vote for an over-the-hill beauty queen turned politico. Who can smile her way thru every tough question. And is only slightly less annoying than Hilary Clinton. But nowhere near as smart. How was it decided that someone who was governor of the least populated state of the union, was qualified to be vice president of the other 49 states?

  19. Glenn E. says:

    Actually, at this point I don’t believe McCain wants to win anymore. He might have at the start of the year. But would any sane person who’s been living high on the hog for years, as a public servant, suddenly want to be held personally responsible for a major economic recovery? I think if McCain sees himself in danger of winning, he’ll self-inflict a wound to his candidacy, to avoid it. Kind of like how Gerald Ford use to fall down a lot, to not be elected again.

  20. J says:

    Now she is denying it.

    “that is not who we are.”

    OMG She is Evita!

  21. smartalix says:

    Exactly. Palin is an empty suit in both style and substance.


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