RNC Has Spent Over $150,000 On Palin's Clothes (SLIDESHOW)

**Scroll down for slideshow**

UPDATE: The man behind Palin's style transformation is Jeff Larson, Karl Rover's former protégé and the principal robocaller who smeared John McCain in 2000.

Politico reports that the RNC has been shelling out the big bucks--over $150,000--on Sarah Palin and her family's wardrobe since she joined the McCain ticket 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.

So what does $150,000 buy you? Here's an idea.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Click through to see Palin's $180,000 campaign wardrobe...

This news follows an AP report that Governor Palin charged the state of Alaska for her kids' travel.

Palin also came under fire in September for splurging on a $2,500 Valentino jacket for her speech at the RNC and buying $400 glasses. Both fashion statements seem at odds with her "Joe Six-Pack" image.

And all this follows on the heels of a report that Cindy McCain donned an ensemble at the RNC that may have cost $313,000. Additionally, her husband, John McCain, spent the summer sporting a pair of $520 Ferragamo loafers and reportedly paid 'American Idol' makeup artist, Tifanie White, $5,500 for her services.

Comments

[concernvoter]

The Great State of Alaska did not find this too funny.

[DarkandStormyNight]

What part?

[Skott1]

As a small business owner of a fashion boutique (call me Scott the Retailer), I find it interesting that with all their professed dedication to the success of small owned businesses (the heartbeat of America), they chose to spend their fortune on clothing at the big national retailers. They talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. My business (making less than $250K a year) is FAR better off under Obama. The Republicans are only interested in advancing their own.

[concernvoter]

Plain clothes look cheap on her, because she does not know how to dress. Apparently, she did not have any clothes worth anything, too start out with.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

I saw her in a debate during her race for governor and she looked fine. I can see a new hair style, but designer originals in this economy while running an every-man campaign is just stupid, and probably not her fault, someone in the campaign made this decision to make Palin into Barbie, the same way they hid her from press, which made her into joke.

[kycatfan]

She looked just fine in the many pictures on the Alaska Governor's website too. very professional, and her suits certainly did not look like they were cheap! There are a lot of options inbetween Goodwill and $150,000. Too bad for the Republican that they didn't think this one out a little more carefully and consider the impact these numbers would have on the voters. It looks about as poorly timed as AIG execs using bailout money to have a spa weekend!!

And poor Joe Six-Pack, he's lower class, you betcha. Wonder where he gets his stuff, Costco? Wal-Mart?

[gascelebrations]

I thought men from Alaska were all Filson / Orvis / rugged man's men. The Palin men look like metrosexual, $100-haircut, Jhane Barnes-y Upper-West-Siders. Meanwhile, according to this morning's NYT, there's a revival in rugged manlywear like Carhartt workclothes and Woolrich mackinaw cruisers. Guess the makeover department in the RNC needs a makeover themselves. I want my government to be able to roll up their sleeves and not worry about where to put their $4000 cufflinks. I want my president to be able to change his own oil, build a fence, and hammer a nail without worrying about breaking a nail. Jeez.

[wayoutleft]

overemphasizing domestic-handyman skills (at the expense of windsurfing) is how we got bush.

[CrackerLV]

Does anyone remember the day when Richard Nixon bragged that his wife, Pat, wore a good Republican Cloth Coat?

Now, it seems, the Republicans wear good Designer Clothes?

[WillCooney]

I make $20,000 a year as a full time Travel Agent. On $30,000 a year, I could live like a king. $150,000 would be five years and then, I could retire.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

My wife and I used to make a 125,000 a year, back in the Clinton years, we had savings. We always look for a sale, and stayed out of high end stores. We would talk about fixing up the lake house my parents lelf me for retirement, and I would use our tax return to do a project on the house a year. I do my own carpentry, drywall, plumbing, auto maintenance you name it and my wife helped me were she could every step of the way. Now thanks to the stupidity of the Bush-Cheney delusional neo-con foreign policy and faith based neo-liberal economics, the future we saved for and worked for is in serious dought and it will be cold day in hell before I will trust any Republican with my vote again.

[Nan2008]

SHOPPING FOR PRODUCE? 'E' Coli...Conservatives
http://openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=9314

[Floridagirl1972]

Sarah, Bring SEXY to the campaign trail.

[klandish]

We did with Obama.

[redsongia]

...and Michelle.

[Give Peace A Chance]

Sarah, can you lend me 1% of your campaign clothing allowance to buy body armor for my son serving in Afghanistan?

[troika]

Well thought out question. These folks talk about the ordinary Americans trying to make ends meet when they do not know about a single day in the life of these ordinary folks. Everything is handed to them. Have their children at any time missed a meal out of poverty? I guess not.

[AlabamianForObama]

Many newswomen are defending the RNC purchasing clothes for Palin. Yes, we all agree that she needs to look professional and that new clothes are appropriate for a person running for VP. It's not that she got new clothes, it's that the clothes, hair and make up cost $150,000 for 8 weeks! She purports to be a regular mom and a conservative politician. If that is the image she is trying to win over voters then she should not be shopping at the most expensive department stores in our country. What about shopping at Talbot's, Chico's, Ann Taylor Loft or White House, Black Market? I'm sure there are a lot of GOP politicians who would have loved for the RNC to help them with their tight races instead of spending the money to clothe Ms. Palin.

This story hits a nerve among Democrats and Republicans alike, because $150,000 is ridiculous! The McCain campaign lost their experience argument when they picked Palin and now they've lost their celebrity argument with this reckless shopping spree.

[Floridagirl1972]

This campaign is trying to say that Failin is "just" a Hockey Mom. I do not know of any Hockey mom's in my neighborhood that shop at Saks, Neiman etc. I agree as a VP candidate she can not dress as she was going to the local grocery in Alska but to spend this kind of money is ridiculous for a Jane/Joe Six Pack. Let's just keep it real. She is FAKE and so is this campaign. I love the RED heels. She sure does like her skirts short. She was showing a lil to must flesh to be a conservative christian woman. I felt uncomfortable for her during the interview with Brian Williams, she needs to pull those skirts down for interviews. There is a reason Hillary wore pant suits. We do not need a SEXY VP. This is a Joke of a campaign.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

You know the those cloths are going to charity, the homeless who lost there homes to foreclosure will love those original designer jackets.

[troika]

That is what they say. Do you think the children and Todd are going to return the clothes to charity? That was another BS and it was because, they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. So much for being for the ordinary folks. Also why do the children need designer clothes and aren't they supposed to be in school instead of on the campaign trail/stage. I really would like an answer for this question.

[At home abroad]

Come on, stop picking on the girl. She's just trying to follow Bush's call for "sacrifice" after 9/11. "Go shopping," he said, and that much about Bush policy she could understand.

[golebo]

Initially, I thought this was "no big deal," but then I remembered that these folks are running under the idea that they will reform government...remember MCcain in the debates talking about how he was against military contractors charging outrageous amounts for "toilet seats etc."????

This is the equivalent to a $150K toilet seat.....she could have looked just as good spending $10K....the hypocrisy is what matters here....

[markie1111]

Imelda!!... Imelda!!!...Imelda!!!