Monday, November 9, 2009

Opinion

Sarah Palin's $150,000 Wardrobe—GOP Donors Should Ask for Their Money Back

October 22, 2008 11:57 AM ET | Bonnie Erbe | Permanent Link | Print

Are these people for real? Sen. John McCain is being outspent by Sen. Barack Obama by more than 2 to 1 on TV ads in swing states, and yet his campaign still is flush enough to spend $150,000 on Gov. Sarah Palin's clothes and accessories?

Clearly some hyperkinetic member of the McCain campaign team needs to be reined in, perhaps medicated. There is a DSM for this type of over-the-top behavior. It's called mania.

If I were a GOP donor, I'd be furious and would rescind my contribution.

This money is being spent at a time when the campaign is reported to be pulling out of swing states (such as Colorado), where the McCain campaign might be able to do a bit better if he had the money to equal that of Senator Obama and his massive TV advertising budget. The McCain campaign denies it is pulling out, but clearly its problems are legendary and serious.

This is not the first time a presidential campaign has taken hits for spending money on fashion, but none so far has been of the magnitude reported spent on Sarah Palin's duds. From Politico:

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's $400 haircuts 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.

Tags: presidential election 2008 | fashion | campaign finance | Sarah Palin

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Reader Comments

When are the clothes being donated to charity?

I heard and read about the GOP's plans to donate Sarah Palin's $150,000 worth of fancy clothes to a consignment shop and then donate to charity the money from those clothes. Does anyone know when (or IF) it's going to happen? I'm worried Palin will try to hold on to her expensive outfits, hoping the controversy will disappear now that the election is over - but I hope that thousands across this nation who care about the poor will make their voices heard over this issue. This is your chance to bring some good out of the mistake you made, Sarah Palin. Check your selfishness and do the right thing. WWJD?

$150K in clothes?

Absolutely ridiculous! To think that Sarah Palin's wardrobe could buy 2-3 of the middle class' homes out of foreclosure!

McCain and Palin are a joke. I am a registered Republcan and for now will never vote Republican again! God help the United States of America - the world must be having the laugh of it's lifetime!

COUNTRY FIRST ...

Obama supporters who trashed Palin from day one are ranting about her wardrobe and other petty matters, while an anti-American Socialist / Marxist racist is about to highjack our government, with the help of voter fraud, and a corrupt biased media. You'd better wake up America ... or, this country is about to experience an ugly 4 year long nightmare under Obama/Biden !!!

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About Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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