The GOP's Bizarre Purchases: Chocolate Elephants, Art Restoration, Rove's Lunches

In early October, as the presidential campaign was hitting its emotional peak, the Republican National Committee mailed off a check for $6,000 to an art restoration company in Kensington, Maryland. What political purpose such an expenditure played is difficult to ascertain. An employee at Wimsatt & Associates declined to discuss the services it provided for its client, only confirming that the company deals in repairing damaged artwork, not in selling pieces. The RNC, meanwhile, did not return requests for comment. But it is hard to imagine, in the context of the current election, that $6,000 for art restoration helped the Republican Party's electoral standing.

The revelation that the RNC spent tens of thousands on clothing for Gov. Sarah Palin has roiled the race in recent days. A more comprehensive review of expenditures by the RNC and the McCain campaign finds various other instances, such as the above, of questionable spending. In the past two months, for example, the GOP ticket has opened up its wallet for elephant-shaped shrubbery, baseball tickets, a yacht rental, and lunches for Karl Rove.

Like Palin's clothing, these expenditures pale in comparison to the vast sums spent on standard campaign essentials. But with Republicans facing down a historic Obama-led fundraising juggernaut, they seem likely to raise new questions about the GOP's spending priorities, with no apparent practical purpose in advancing John McCain's candidacy.

For instance, the McCain Victory 2008 committee spent nearly $9,000 on "event site rental" from a yacht company in San Diego, while the John McCain 2008 committee bought $336 worth of "event tickets" for an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game.

Hoping to lavish big time donors with gifts of appreciation during the GOP convention in Minnesota, McCain Victory 2008 purchased 250 wine glasses adorned with elephant designs, at a cost of nearly $7,000, from a shop in Georgia. It was considered a deal.

"I gave them a 20 percent discount," said an employee of Kevin's of Thomasville. "We are all Republicans here."

That same committee also purchased $3,589 worth of elephant shaped chocolates from a sweet shop in Dallas, Texas. "They bought about 1,000 pieces," said the storeowner. "About eleven ounces a piece in all three types of chocolate: milk, dark and light."

In addition to these items, the McCain campaign spent nearly $9,000 at a jewelry and political paraphernalia shop in Washington D.C., and $4,249.07 at the outdoor/clothing store, Lands End. The RNC, meanwhile, paid the Minnesota-based Tropical Plants Unlimited nearly $500 for an elephant-shaped topiary shrub.

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These may seem like minor expenditures. And certainly, the Obama campaign and the DNC have also made their share of questionable purchases. But, all told the McCain campaign put down nearly $20,000 simply on items classified as "event-donor gifts."

The campaign also bought items that cut against the Republican candidate's own political message. These included checks totaling more than $9,400 for an event at the Beverly Hills Hilton, roughly at the same time that McCain was criticizing Obama for going to Hollywood while the economic crisis stirred. John McCain 2008 also paid $107.20 in subscription fees to the New York Times, the same paper that aides to McCain have called a non-journalistic institution and have trashed on a semi-regular basis.

The Republican National Committee had its share of curious purchases as well. The party paid $1,000 for a gift certificate to South Coast Growers Inc., "a plant grower, broker, & distributor dedicated to both the buying and selling of quality plant material and specimens for the wholesale market." It covered more than $600 combined in Starbucks purchases made by its workers; and $77.41 in meal tabs reported by former Bush strategist Karl Rove. And from September through last week, the committee spent $955 on golf carts and $38 on two separate car washes.

In the end, these budget items add up to a small amount of the many millions of dollars that the RNC and the McCain campaign have plowed through during the course of the campaign. But with an election that seems close to slipping away, and with multiple states considered battleground turf, every penny surely would help. And six-thousand-dollars on art restoration won't, it appears, win any votes.

• • • • • • $3,589 Worth Of Elephant Shaped Chocolates From A Dallas Candy Store...

Comments

[Heyogirl]

I have an idea about the "art restoration" expenditure. You see, somewhere in the farthest corner of the attic in one of his 7 houses, John McCain has this portrait....

(and we all know what happened to Dorian Grey).

[MsLiz]

I figured it was actually for makeup for John and Cindy McCain.

[GMoney2008]

I heard the art restoration was the painting of Steven Colbert which will hang in the White House when McCain wins - Between McCain and Bush. (HA! - What a waste - Like McCain can win.... fairly)

[geaaronson]

This is a non-story if I ever read one. Who cares?

[nyclady]

I dislike the GOP as much as anyone, but this article is bordering on the trivial. There are a few items here that might merit raising an eyebrow, but really all considered, $20,000 in gifts with a multi-million dollar budget seems to be only possibly a bit unreasonable (but probably not), but especially not worthy of the full article and headline. Is buying a 77 dollar lunch for Karl Rove a bizzare purchase? I think not. There's already enough ammo to blast the "liberal media", let's not give them any easy arguments there.....this is blatantly biased and unfair reporting. I would expect at the very least some substantiation to the claim that Obama's camp might be spending equal. That would help.

[joanVA]

I have to admit I think the chocolate elephants are a good idea even if they paid entirely too much for them.

[FirstShirt]

"And certainly, the Obama campaign and the DNC have also made their share of questionable purchases."

Like what?

[amluvinit2]

I don't care what they spend their money on, I certainly did not donate a dime to their campaign, but the people who did donate should be mad. I am more concerned about the fact that these are the same people that were elected for the past 8 years, and they call Democrats the tax and spend bunch. Even Cheney's son George Bush spent our money like it was nothing. Something we get to pass on to our children, debt.

BTW, I never noticed how creepy J.M.'s smile really is. My daugther told me that it creeps her out, this photo did me as well, now I know what she means. It's creepy alright.

[realistic2008]

I am more concern with the lies they say than what they spend unless it is illegal which in my opinion the Palin's wardrove should be.

[rockyersocksoff]

Them choc'lit elafints is a bargin.

I ain't too keen on 'em spending 3 TRILLION bucks to drive around in the sand blowin' sh*t up for 6 years, only to give one of 'em back to the Tali-wackers an' t'other to the Iranimans.

[trollsbwild]

Just a glimpse of how they have run the country and would continue to govern.
To them, rules are only for the little people.

[Meggie]

They've been rolling in dough so long they don't know how to stop. The readjustment will take some time. But, as long as it's repub donor money and not my money, I don't care.

[Passenger57]

I say GO RNC! Burn that money off on loopy stuff! The more chocolate elephants they buy,the less money there is for them to use against Obama/Biden.
'Fess up,Palin...not all those are going to "charity".­..especial­ly the ones for the family!

[justoverit333]

did they return the chocolate elephants they
purchased for their pity parties?

[justoverit333]

you can't return clothing you've already worn.
she had no intention of returning those clothes.
but as much as they spent, I'm sure there are
plenty that still have tags on them.

[agathapreen]

I wish this would stop. I don't care how the candidates spend the money (as long as nothing immoral or illegal is going on) - who am I to say what is necessary during a campaign. However, I do find it interesting to juxtapose the Republican campaign expenditures with McCain's past issues with Democratic campaign expeditures. Also, seems to me that Republicans are getting what they are usually the one's to dish out - anyone remember the frenzy over Edward's $400 haircut? The McCain campaign keeps doing things it was previously intolerant of. I call it hypocritical.

[Magnus Parvus]

Women judge each others outfits, they rate them on the ensemble they’re wearing while us guys don’t care about how Sarah Palin looked that little red outfit or that black dress with the straps, and you’d look at us funny if we did. And Joe Biden never feels the need to strut around in sunglasses like Bono, because women don’t really care how the man dresses. They correctly assume he is, like most men, completely without style.
Now you may think that deciding your vote on how good looking the candidate is, and how fashionable they are, is a horrendously shallow reason for deciding your vote, but there are those women out there for whom it would factor heavily to their opinion of the person. And frankly the right to vote doesn’t have stipulations of it. We don’t have to vote smartly or responsibly. For many folks the importance of responsible voting in American Idol weighs heavier on them then in choosing the subsequent leader of the free world.
So yes the expenditure of 150 000 dollars was valid, but I think that if people should base their vote on something shallow like how someone photograph’s, then they should at least be able to pin it up in their garage.

End

[justoverit333]

I can totally understand them buying her new
clothes, it was just totally excessive.

[Ipanemagirl]

Absolutely.! but She would have looked just as good in Macy's clothing , for a fraction of the price, especially for all those hillbilly crowds that rally around her. Man , have you heard the comments those people make? Its mind boggling how they could be soooo ignorant!
Why they wouldnt know a Gucci from a Hanes anyway...so its just wasted on them!
What bothers me most is not their wasteful spending of other peoples money,we already now they are addicted to doing that ! Its the lies and hate she is spreading around to those lunatics hate mongers...Have you thought what these people are capable of doing when Obama wins the elections? They will think of nothing else but to kill him!
I honestly think she should have been stopped before its too late. But hey,
That's also all she is good at!

[helpusa]

We're talking $150,000 in a period of ONE MONTH or so not your whole family of six over their entire lifetime.!! These people are gross and disingenuous.

OBAMA/BIDEN!! VOTE EARLY, avoid lines.

[Magnus Parvus]

You see, men and women may be equal but we are different, biologically, instinctually, and psychologically. From the moment those wonder hormones, testosterone and estrogen start flowing, we start to behave differently, and men and women become less alike.
Now you may wonder why is fashion important, if men don’t notice it, why do women care about it, why do women care about how they dress if all men care about is young beautiful and scantily clad.
It’s because women care about how they are dressed themselves, they care about looking attractive to others and because other women notice it. Women look at how other women dress; they pay an inordinate amount of attention to it.
(Now I’m not talking about the sexual consequences of women looking attractive to women, and besides that it’s mainly men who are attracted to concept of women attracting women.)
End Part 2