Big GOP Bundlers: We Don't Mind Palin's $150K Shopping Spree

As news broke late Tuesday night that the Republican National Committee has spent $150,000 on Gov. Sarah Palin's wardrobe, some big time Republicans were quick to shake their heads in wonder. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reported that "Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures."

Meanwhile, another high dollar donor to the RNC and the McCain campaign told the Politico "I'd like my money back."

But not all GOP fundraising bigwigs are taking such a dim view of the RNC's spending spree on behalf of Palin. Two bundlers for the McCain campaign who spoke to the Huffington Post gave their full support for the historic outlay.

Jamsheed "Jim" Ameri, a Portland businessman who has bundled at least $50,000 in contributions for the McCain-Palin ticket, said: "It's not really a problem. When you take $150,000 and divide it out, per dollar raised, it's really an insignificant amount of money." Ameri also said he "couldn't imagine" not spending a serious sum of money in order make Palin presentable in public. "I don't think spending a few pennies per every dollar raised on wardrobe -- really, a fraction of a penny -- bothers me, personally. Obviously, there will be some people who will not like that. ... But it's really negligble."

Florida financial magnate Alfred S. Austin agreed, and said the media should be focusing on Barack Obama's ties to Reverend Jeremiah Wright instead.

"You know, I can't get over the way the media scrutinizes Sarah Palin. Don't you suppose that the Obama campaign bought a wardrobe for Sen. Obama? Nobody seems to be concerned about that," Austin, who has bundled over $500,000 for McCain, said. Asked whether he thought it was at least a bad political move on the part of the RNC to spend a historic amount of money on clothes during an apparent recession, he said: "I have less concern about that than I do how the media has gone after that woman in the most unbelievable way from day one. ... Yet they don't seem to worry about any of those things about Obama. About how he's had no administrative experience. Or the connections he had."

Austin added that he was disappointed that the McCain campaign was not using Reverend Wright and other controversial issues (some might say "conspiracy theories") in the final days of the race. "I think it's important to the extent that if the connections are true. ... I'm inundated with this stuff. And for many many years, I've been involved in the finances, with the party. I've got all the information, stuff here that's pretty condemning. ... You judge a person by the company you keep. There are questions about his [Obama's] birth certificate, if it's true or not. It appears to be pretty factual. You people in the media don't dispute it, and the people I get it from are pretty good sources."

In fact, both FactCheck.org and Politifact say there are no "questions" about Obama's birth certificate: "Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said."

Comments

[mysterygirl18]

These people are unbelievable- and people I'll tell you what, if Obama wins, remember we don't want to see her again in 2012.


http://www.myspace.com/wakeupnowpeople

[happypup]

I gotta be honest - I only know one person who donated to the RNC and this person is very far from being a major donor. However, she does feel badly betrayed that her hard earned money was used to dress and groom Sarah Palin instead of supporting RNC candidates in local races.

[Sparty1]

Did any of you guys catch Rep. Heather 'I'm really a man' Wilson (R-AZ) talking to Nora O'Donnell this morning about this? Heather was like "well I don't see anything wrong with this. What about Obama, blah, blah, blah." When they were finishing up, Nora called her CongressMAN Heather Wilson. Nora laughed at herself as they went to commercial.

[Sparty1]

Mr. Asness' name is very appropriate b/c he's assed out on his stupid assertions. My goodness the man was born in Hawaii. How can they spin that and say that he was born in Kenya?

[oandjoe08]

they should have spent more money on books for her to brush up on American history

[TJane]

Maybe they should see how some of the Republicans running for house and senate re-election feel about it. I read the RNC was pulling funding from their campaigns because they needed to put it into formerly red states that McCain was now losing. $150K buys a lot of posters and yard signs.

[123dee]

If they didn't mind spending 150,000, to make her look more presidential the least
they could have done was check the LENGTH OF HER SKIRT WHEN SHE SAT DOWN

HALF HER THIGH WAS EXPOSED IN HER INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS I WOULDN'T

CALL THAT REAL PRESIDENTIAL

[TJane]

No dear, that was intentional along with all the winking. If McCain's numbers go any lower so will her blouses, because sex sells and men will vote for them.

[philosopherkingtomas]

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.'"
-Matthew 25:41-45

[UncleSamb]

The woman makes $125,000 per year as governor. Can't she pay for her own clothes? Can't she find a nice jacket for $500 instead of $5,000? That's what a hockey mom would do. I bet Joe six-pack and Joe the Plumber would probably just pick up a $50 jacket at Walmart - if they bothered to wear a jacket at all. She is so in-"authentic" it shameful. She has no integrity at all.

[kdublya]

Jamsheed "Jim" Ameri, a Portland businessman who has bundled at least $50,000 in contributions for the McCain-Palin ticket, said: "It's not really a problem. When you take $150,000 and divide it out, per dollar raised, it's really an insignificant amount of money."

=-=-=

Fiscal conservatism run amok.

[mia8485]

Earlier this morning I listened to a McCain surrogate say that the GOP spending $150,000 on Palin's clothes is no where near as bad as Barack Obama 'taking 767 to visit Grandma.' This guy felt Obama should be flying commercial for such a frivolous trip. David Schuster laughed him down.

The difference, and it's a big one, is that the McCain campaign has been touting Joe the Plumber, Joe Six Pack, the little guy struggling in the bad economy and then they spend that kind of money on clothing for one woman to use for around 8 weeks. This is a disconnect with what they say and what they do. Some GOP donors rightly want their money back.

On the other hand, Obama's campaign is about supporting families, caring for everyone, particularly those in need, and having your priorities straight. He's leaving today to fly to Hawaii to be at the bedside of his beloved, ailing grandmother and then flying back to a campaign stop on Saturday. These are Obama's personal priorities and they are the priorities of his donors. There is, as usual, no disconnect between Obama's message and how he lives his life. This is why NOT ONE of his donors will have a problem with this.

[warsaw]

There's also an issue of security. I wouldn't want my president-to-be on a commercial flight. No matter what. I have no problem with this.

[LeBeau59741]

" "couldn't imagine" not spending a serious sum of money in order make Palin presentable in public."

WHAT? Was she grovelling about in a mumu and mismatched house slippers when they found her?
I cannot believe that her existing wardrobe was inadequate for the campaign trail to the degree that such a spending spree suggests- She's a Governor, fer cryin' out loud, I imagine she owns a decent selection of suits and dresses that would have filled most needs. Certainly in the photos of her at events as the Alaskan Governor do not show her in rags.
I could've understood a few new (and very expensive things) for key events, but it is at odds with her "Joe Six-pack/Soccer Mom" theme to appear before an electorate that is hurting financially wearing an outfit that cost more than the average monthly income of the people to whom she is speaking.

My HOUSE (nice place- 2 bd/2ba,oversized livingroom,mudroom and a pantry, all appliances included, huge yard, no covenants) cost far less than 150k when we bought it 4 years ago.

And if the goal was to "make Palin presentable in public", the money would have been better spent on SchoolHouse Rock DVDs to help her become familiar with the workings of the Federal Government... a well dressed nitwit is still a nitwit.

[kingroy]

$150,000 is no big deal to buy wardrobe for a woman to make her pretty. It's not even any waste if considering $750,000,000,000 that bUSh/Cheney spent to buy 0 WMD in Iraq.

[KahneO]

Hell, if it takes a $150,000 for the two months she's been in the limelight (that $75,000 each). I say if she is elected, HYPOTHICALLY, that would be $900K a year x 4 = $3.6MM for a wardrobe. Well, I guess if you look at like this, Mr. Ameri, you definitely have money to burn (as it has already so keep investing in your party).

[vegasjon]

If JM brings up Wright it is inevitable that his own racist past will become an issue. Voting against a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr., calling asian people by a very derogatory term... etc.

As he gets more desperate, he probably will bring it up, and it will blow up in his face!

[KATLRS]

Let's do a quick calculation, shall we?

$150,000 (Palin wardrobe expenditures), divided by $6.55 per hour (current federal minimum wage)
= 22,900 hours, divided by 8 hours per day
= 2,862 days, divided by 365 days per year
= 7.8 years

Well, maybe minimum wage is too conservative a figure to use - let's double it to $13.10 per hour.
$150,000 / $13.10
= 11,450 hours / 8 hours per day
= 1,431 days, divided by 365 days per year
= 3.9 years

Enough said.

[GerryS]

1 second = $1 dollar

$1,ooo,ooo. = 11 1/2 days

$1,ooo,ooo,ooo.= 37 years

the war costs how much? out nationa debt is how much?

that should scare ya-