GOP Strategist On Palin's Clothing Allowance: Real Outrage Is "Obama Taking A 767 Campaign Plane To Visit Grandma" (VIDEO)

Republican strategist Brad Blakeman, responding to a question about how John McCain could square his opposition to wasteful spending with the RNC shelling out over $150,000 on clothes and accessories for Sarah Palin, said that the real outrage is Barack Obama "taking a 767 campaign plane to go visit Grandma." This is the same grandmother who raised Obama and who is very seriously ill. Blakeman continued, "Forget about the energy that is wasted, what about the hundreds of thousands of dollars to take a private trip when this guy should be humping his bags on a commercial plane or taking a smaller plane. Taking a 767 of campaign money from people who could least afford it is more of an outrage in my opinion." Anchor David Schuster, laughing, replied, "That is one of the most valiant tries I have ever seen in this entire debate about Sarah Palin's clothing allowance."

[WATCH]

Comments

[annieR]

Ummm, Brad, if Obama had taken a commercial flight, all of the security measures taken for his private plane would have been done on the commercial flight. At what cost would all of the passengers been screened? What kinds of delays would have occurred while backgrounds were checked? What about opening and checking all the luggage? And so on.... Use your head, man!

[MYSTERIOUS]

His head is used only as a hat rack.

[ChescoMom]

Poor hat!

[KeithMayass]

let s see repub strategist­.?

no wonder the mcflipflop campaign is doing so well

[carman68]

Our family has donated to the Obama Campaign. When Blakeman says that it is irresponsible to "waste" donor's money is an insult. My grandpa passed away earlier this year and I would have felt horrible if I didnt see him before he went. Honestly I'd be mad if he didnt go and visit his grandmother. The lengths that Republicans will go to in this election. I also thought that i couldn't get outraged by what Repulicans say but again I was wrong.

[cloudmaker]

Just watched Brad Blakeman on CNN just now, still spouting his lies, still clinging
pathetically to all the Republican talking points. How do sycophants like him get to
be talking heads? He doesn't add anything new. He doesn't have original thoughts.
And he certainly isn't so wonderfully articulate and handsome that it's worth having
him on as eye candy. He's just another one of those bitter, smug, parrott-like clones
who are exactly that: talking heads.

[georgiaR]

It was not a politically correct thing to say - But what is the difference? He should not have used the campaign plane to go to Hawaii. Let's be fair here. You liberlas keep saying how the republicans have been so mean. What about the things that have been said about George Bush the last 8 years and some of it overseas. That was awful!!

[BeeClone]

Awful but true, he may go down in history as the biggest mistake the American voter ever made. My bad he didn’t really get elected by the people.

[klo]

Not everyone here is a liberal.

[SillyGit]

You said:
"He should not have used the campaign plane to go to Hawaii."

Perhaps you should ask the Secret Service if they would have allowed him to take a commercial flight.

The GOP knows that the campaign plane is being used because of security. They also know that they would love to have his security impaired.

The GOP also knows that they can fool large portions of the American public. Particularly those that think Fox News is actually a news channel. Blakeman is playing them like a fiddle.

Use your head. Stop letting the fascists tell you what to think.

[InformedAmerican]

I'm one of his campaign donors and I approve this trip!

[Mag44]

Me too.

[ladydriver]

ME TOO!

[dlinguist]

Tell you what, georgiaR, We'll make you a deal.

Anyone here that's outraged, or otherwise thinks using the campaign plane to go to Hawaii, is welcome not to vote for him.

There, happy?

[Cybesq]

Here is a good question for Brad Blakerman: How come Palin's personal attorney Thomas Van Flein was allowed a free trip on the McCain plane in order to help defend Palin's troopergate problem in St. Louis? Why isn't Van Flein humping his bags on a commercial flight?

Obama can still campaign from Hawaii Is it part of a legitimate campaign expense to be defending Palin from criminal wrongdoing?

[brabra]

Brad Blakeman..­SHAME ON YOU..of all things, to use this to justify Pain-lin spending $150,000 on clothes for her and her family. That is why Pain-lin is being hit hard by her own campaign. You get what you deserve...­......... McCain camp hits back at 'diva' Palin
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/

[PaHairO]

ahh, the pathetic desperation of losers.

Smells delicious.

[revruc1]

Some people are still S.O.S. (Stuck on Stupid), God has given us a man that is two races in one, Black and White. And people still do not get it. McCain denies his black McCain family in Mississippi, where his brother goes every year to a family reunion.

Dust in the mind creates a hate mentality that is blind. The mind has dust particles that confuse humanity. I remember studying a particular Bible study that utilized a movie as an example of how man can pass on information that could destroy humanity and create “Two Americas called, the United States of America.” It is dust backed by hatred. The movie was “South Pacific.”
Rogers and Hammerstein played this song in the movie called, “You’ve got to be “Carefully Taught.” This is “Prejudice” at its best:

“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
“You’ve got to be taught from year to year.
“It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
“You’ve got to be carefully taught,
“You’ve got to be carefully taught.

“You’ve got to be taught to be afraid,
“Of people, whose eyes are oddly made?
“And people whose skin is a different shade.
“You’ve got to be carefully taught.

“You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late
“Before you are six or seven or eight,
“To hate all the people your relatives hate.
“You’ve got to be carefully taught,
“You’ve got to be carefully taught.

[roooth]

I saw Carlos Santana in concert a few months ago. He stopped in the middle of the concert to talk to the audience for awhile. One thing he said really stuck with me. He said, "You cannot proceed correctly if you do not perceive correctly.­" He repeated it three times. Then he expanded on it, this is one of the examples he gave: if you perceive yourself as a victim, then you perceive the world around you from a position of powerlessness. If you perceive yourself as having a place and a role in this world, and you start from a place of love instead of fear, you proceed differently.

[2008FedUP]

Wow that is sooooo true.

[fred edison]

Kids matter, and what we teach them matters, too. Awesome and truthful lyrics.

[Catfish1968]

Who are these people? How do you become a republican strategist? Taking some classes at the local community college (I presently attend one) and take poly-sci classes? Do you have to be both stupid and evil to become a republican strategist?

[ChescoMom]

Apparently so.

[LoyalJane]

The RNC is a reflection right now of the Bush administration. A lot of pretty faces and dumb answers. Law breaker, race baiters, hate talkers, fear peddling idiots. I am soooo glad the American people have awakened out of their slumber. Not only is America awake but she is also alert. The dumb talk Joe the fake plumber speeches are not working. They are an insult and this idiot is proof of the other idiots in the RNC.

[revruc1]

The girl isn't all crazy, she said, she was mental. Whatever that means. However, I say, If she cries mentally ill, put the body in jail for collaborating with the mind. Then that will take care of the mentally ill. From a Forensic Psych.

[KayCo]

How in the hell is this even a comparison? Blakeman has said some stupid things in the past and here he goes again.

Obama is not a private person anymore and for him to take public plane home would involve the secret service and would have been difficult to pull it off in a regular airport. This is the price he had paid for running for public office. He cannot just get on a plane like a regular "Joe' and fly home to visit his grandmother. Also whether its right or wrong, he is also going to be followed by the press.

Quit bellyaching about this Brad. I applaud him for taking time to visit his grandma, while he is able to. This shows that he is a family man and that he understands the needs of families. Sarah Palin's extravagant wardrobe price is hypocrisy while she is trying to pull off that "regular middle class person facade. If the RNC wants to waste their money that way, fine. That's their choice. But don't give us any of that regular "hockey mom" crap while you are wearing a $2,500 jacket!!!

[wmholt]

Lighten up, Francis!

[cobaltbluedog]

What was that word Al Swearengen always used on Deadwood?

Co----ker??

It's on the tip of my tongue and I know it fits this guy.

It'll come to me.