Palin Fashions

[Luckyforward]

So all of you are for THIS?

GO FOR IT THEN!

RNC shells out $150K for Palin fashion

By JEANNE CUMMINGS | 10/22/08 5:47 PM EDT Updated: 10/22/08 5:47 PM EDT

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Sarah Palin, in a red leather jacket, waves as she steps on stage before a crowd at a baseball field in Grand Junction, Colo., on Monday.

Photo: AP

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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.

The cash expenditures immediately raised questions among campaign finance experts about their legality under the Federal Election Commission's long-standing advisory opinions on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use.

Politico asked the McCain campaign for comment on Monday, 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.

Slideshow

Palin Fashion

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," said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

The business of primping and dressing on the campaign trail has become fraught with political risk in recent years as voters increasingly see an elite Washington out of touch with their values and lifestyles.

In 2000, Democrat Al Gore took heat for changing his clothing hues. And in 2006, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was ribbed for two hair styling sessions that cost about $3,000.

Then, there was Democrat John Edwards’ $400 hair cuts in 2007 and Republican McCain’s $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes this year.

A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending.

But all the spending by other candidates pales in comparison to the GOP outlay for the Alaska governor whose expensive, designer outfits have been the topic of fashion pages and magazines.

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What hasn’t been apparent is where the clothes came from – her closet back in Wasilla or from the campaign coffers in Washington.

The answer can be found inside the RNC’s September monthly financial disclosure report under “itemized coordinated expenditures.â€

It’s a report that typically records expenses for direct mail, telephone calls and advertising. Those expenses do show up, but the report also has a new category of spending: “campaign accessories.â€

September payments were also made to Barney’s New York ($789.72) and Bloomingdale’s New York ($5,102.71).

Macy’s in Minneapolis, another store fortunate enough to be situated in the Twin Cities that hosted last summer’s Republican National Convention, received three separate payments totaling $9,447.71.

The entries also show two purchases at Pacifier, a top-notch baby store, suggesting $196 was spent to accommodate the littlest Palin to join the campaign trail.

An additional $4,902.45 was spent in early September at Atelier, a high-class shopping destination for men.

[TGO David]

So where's the expose on what Obama has spent on clothing? I've seen pictures of Palin prior to her pick as the Veep candidate. Her wardrobe looked like the pages of a Lands End or LL Bean catalog. Obama has always looked like he stepped off the page of GQ or Ebony.

[Luckyforward]

GOP donors critical of Palin's pricey threads

By JEANNE CUMMINGS | 10/22/08 6:34 PM EDT

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Sarah Palin waits to speak to the crowd in Green, Ohio, on Wednesday.

Photo: AP

The Republican National Committee’s $150,000 investment in Sarah Palin’s wardrobe has prompted some teeth gnashing among the party’s big donors about its political sensibility and a feisty debate among campaign finance specialists about its legality.

“As a Republican Eagle and a maxed-out contributor to McCain’s general campaign, I’d like my money back – he can still have my vote,” complained one irate donor on Tuesday.

“I’m not one who says a candidate shouldn’t wear fine clothes,” he added. “I’d just like to think they were successful enough in the private sector to have afforded their wardrobe with their own money, not the party’s or the campaign’s, which is really our money as contributors.”

Another big donor was sympathetic to the effort, but critical of the execution.

The Alaska governor was tapped by Arizona Sen. John McCain to become his vice presidential running mate just days before the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, the donor noted.

Given the short notice and the Palins’ relatively modest means, “she could probably not go into her closet at home in Alaska to come up with a wardrobe appropriate for her status as a vice presidential candidate," he said.

“Having said that, $150K is big money,” he added. “It kind of makes it worth running. Even if you lose, you’ve got a whole new closet.”

Other donors, in other e-mails and interviews, said the costs were worth the investment.

Palin has proven to be a major draw at campaign rallies, and her strong performances and appearance provides a polished and professional image on television, one donor noted.

In addition, he suggested, the bad press only means the GOP base will unite even further behind the McCain-Palin ticket.

As Republican donors absorbed the news, the consensus among several prominent Washington-based attorneys was that the purchases were legal, albeit in a fuzzy area of the law.

Campaign finance laws prohibit candidates from spending donor cash to their authorized personal campaign committee on costs “that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s election campaign,” including clothing, vacations and gym memberships.

But the law does not prohibit such expenditures by party committees, and Congress has killed legislation to expand the personal use ban to those and other types of political committees.

The fuzzy part in the Palin case is that the RNC used money from an account designated for “coordinated,” or shared, expenditures with the McCain-Palin candidate account.

The Federal Election Commission, which interprets federal campaign finance laws, has never been asked to address this issue. And legal experts say the key question is: From which side of the joint account was the money drawn?

Noting that the expenses were reported by the RNC and not the McCain-Obama campaign, Ken Gross, a law partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom who advises corporations on campaign finance laws, concluded: “The bottom line is that this is party committee money. These are not campaign funds.”

Wiley Rein lawyer Jan Baran, an adviser to several Republican candidates and committees, agreed with Gross, but added that the Palins may still be forced to comply with tax laws.

“The receipt of goods and services by the taxpayer usually constitutes reportable ‘income’,” Baran said. Consequently, Palin may have to declare the value of the fashion gifts as income and pay taxes on it.

“She might be able to offset some of the taxes by donating the items to charity after the campaign, Baran said, “although she will only be able to deduct the fair market value at that time.”

The campaign said Monday that Palin intends to donate the clothes to charity after the election.

[Luckyforward]

So where's the expose on what Obama has spent on clothing? I've seen pictures of Palin prior to her pick as the Veep candidate. Her wardrobe looked like the pages of a Lands End or LL Bean catalog. Obama has always looked like he stepped off the page of GQ or Ebony.

A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending.

[NuTcAsE]

A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending.

Well, of course not.

And I might add she looks pretty dang good! If Hillary would learn to dress she might have been nominated.

Edited October 23, 2008 by NuTcAsE

[Guest SUNTZU]

This must be the only gunowner's forum talking about women's fashion.

Spiders spin the suit around the Messiah each and every morning, that's why you don't hear about it. It only costs you your soul.

[bukowski548]

I can honestly say I wouldn't care if they spent ten times that much as long as she gets the job!!!

buk

[Guest Verbal Kint]

This is nothing new.

Go back and look at what past Presidents and First Ladies have spent on clothing, haircuts, jewelry, etc. It's always been lavish and extravagant and it always will be. Furthermore, it's not just the U.S. Take a look at the Royal Family if you want to see really outrageous spending.

Bottom line... this is just more mud slinging. Obama, I'm sure, is just as guilty in his material possessions and appearance whether his party will admit it or not. Or maybe they should look at Michelle Obama's wardrobe. I'm sure she's bought a few new outfits.

And as Tungsten already stated, prior to her VP campaigning she was dressing as an Alaskan Governor. So of course they were going to outfit her and change her appearance for the national spotlight. Hell, if they didn't, and she went up there wearing her old clothing... we'd be discussing how the media can't believe she didn't dress more appropriate or sophisticated in light of her potential future office.

Bunch of damn hypocrites.

Edited October 23, 2008 by Verbal Kint

[Guest Verbal Kint]

CNN Link : HERE

Commentary: For women in public eye, looks matter

By Campbell Brown

CNN

Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Wednesday night's broadcast.

(CNN) -- There's been a lot of sniping and a lot of stories Wednesday about Gov. Sarah Palin's clothes.

Politico.com reports that the Republican National Committee spent more than $150,000 on clothes, hair and make-up for Palin on the campaign trail. Now, these are not your tax dollars.

This is money given by Republican donors to the RNC. But the report questions whether it is legal to use campaign cash for quote "personal use."

My issue? There is an incredible double-standard here, and we are ignoring a very simple reality.

Women are judged based on their appearance far, far more than men. That is a statement of fact.

There has been plenty of talk and plenty written about Sarah Palin's jackets, her hair and her looks. Sound familiar?

There was plenty of talk and plenty written about Sen. Hillary Clinton's looks, hair and pantsuits.

Compare that with the attention given to Sen. Barack Obama's $1,500 suits or Sen. John McCain's $520 Ferragamo shoes. There is no comparison. Women get scrutinized based on appearance far more than men. And look, I speak from experience here. When I wear a bad outfit on the air, I get viewer e-mail complaining about it. A lot of e-mail. Seriously.

When Wolf Blitzer wears a not-so-great tie, how much e-mail do you think he gets? My point is for women, unfortunately, appearance is part of the job.

If Wolf or Anderson Cooper shows up on the air without makeup, you think you would even notice? I show up without makeup? Trust me, you'll notice.

This doesn't just apply to TV. All women in the public eye deal with this issue. And it is for this reason that I think the RNC should help Palin pay for clothes, hair and makeup. It is part of the job.

Now, you may think, that's an awful lot of money to spend on clothes, hair and makeup.

Or you may complain, as some have, that it's hypocritical to sell yourself as a "small-town hockey mom" when you are wearing designer clothes. That's fine, just don't ignore the fact that there is a double-standard here. iReport.com: Palin 'doesn't dress like any hockey moms I know'

And personally I think in this campaign, with so much at stake, this is a peripheral issue.

I, myself, have raised plenty of questions about Sarah Palin, much to the annoyance of the McCain campaign. But those questions have been about her qualifications and experience, never her appearance.

Let's keep the focus on what really matters here.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.

[strickj]

All I want to know is where she got those pumps!

[MikeW]

Those damn Hillary Clinton's pantsuits cost $6350 a piece retail.

http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2008/09/10/responsible-use-of-money-a-faxless-payday-loan-for-an-orange-pantsuit-like-hillarys/

Michelle Obama spent $350 on a snak.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGRmMWE2NzQwYTZiNTEyNWNmODRhNzkyOTcyZTFiMzk=

The Obama Diet — Not Just Arugula [Lisa Schiffren]

The "people's ticket" ordered a little snack from room service at the Waldorf, as the N.Y. Post's page Six reports:

While he was at a meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria at 4 p.m. Wednesday,

Michelle Obama

called room service and ordered lobster hors d'oeuvres, two whole steamed lobsters, Iranian caviar and champagne, a tipster told Page Six.

I'd guess the bill for that snack came in at around $350. Iranian caviar ain't cheap — even if you negotiate for it yourself. What the hell . . . Your campaign contributions (soon to be your tax dollars) at work.

150k didnt make Palin look any better in my eyes... she is how even in her LL bean Gear LOL.

[creeky]

Spiders spin the suit around the Messiah each and every morning, that's why you don't hear about it. It only costs you your soul.

This really needs to be quoted and read again. It's just that FUNNY!!!! LOL!

[Im Neero]

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Guest canynracer]

Y'all are right about her...she should take the clothes off

[Tim Nunan]

Don't let the expenditure bother you... they're just redistributing the wealth.

[Mike.357]

I couild care less what she or the campaign spends on her clothes.

I am just thankful she does not need to buy them ugle ass pantsuits from Lane Bryant like Hillary does.

[BrasilNuts]

This must be the only gunowner's forum talking about women's fashion.

Spiders spin the suit around the Messiah each and every morning, that's why you don't hear about it. It only costs you your soul.

LMAO you hit the 10 ring with that one!

My wife could drop 150k on clothes, makeup, and haircuts so fast it would make your head spin.

Gov. Palin is in the international spot light as a canidate for VP of the United States of America.

Did you expect that she would just go to the womens section of her local Walmart and then pop into the little Wally-World hair salon and let Betty-Jean do her hair for a total of $200?

[Guest db99wj]

LMAO you hit the 10 ring with that one!

My wife could drop 150k on clothes, makeup, and haircuts so fast it would make your head spin.

Gov. Palin is in the international spot light as a canidate for VP of the United States of America.

Did you expect that she would just go to the womens section of her local Walmart and then pop into the little Wally-World hair salon and let Betty-Jean do her hair for a total of $200?

Actually there was a story about Palin running into Walmart to pick up some diapers!

[BrasilNuts]

Actually there was a story about Palin running into Walmart to pick up some diapers!

For her son or McCain?

[Guest db99wj]

For her son or McCain?

Well played, excellent! ROFLMAO

[Luckyforward]

Hee Hee Hee Hee

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[ninja128]

That was funny right there.....I don't care who you are............

why on earth would any of us vote for someone who is anti gun?? I can't get over the fact that people base their issues in the wrong direction.

[Luckyforward]

Hee hee hee

[herr.baer]

Why should it even be an issue? They have never talked about how much tailored suits cost for any other candidate. Just more media bias

[NuTcAsE]

Why should it even be an issue? They have never talked about how much tailored suits cost for any other candidate. Just more media bias

Given the collective intelligence of the media, that's probably the best they could come up with.....