The Palin Spending Spree -- "Let Them Eat Cake."

By now, most Americans have learned that the Republican National Committee spruced up Sarah Palin and her family with $150,000 worth of new clothes, accessories, makeup, and hair styling. But the McCain campaign tells the public that it was always the intention to donate the Palin family's new clothing to charity after the election. Is Mother Palin really goin' to take away the new Louis Vuitton purse from Piper and donate it to a young girl livin' in a homeless shelter? That young girl needs warm clothing not a designer handbag.

This morning, our local newspaper reported that three more manufacturing plants in our state will be laying off hundreds of workers and that the statewide unemployment rate has risen sharply. Thousands of people attended a local job fair last week -- a much higher attendance than in the past. Local food banks and even animal shelters are low on food stocks as more people lose their jobs and their homes. Our community college is conducting a winter coat drive.

There is nothing wrong with buying nice clothes if we pay for them ourselves and we share our financial resources by giving to charitable causes. But going on a massive spending spree, using your fellow citizens' money, at a time when "Joe Six Pack" is looking for work to feed his family is outrageous. It reminds me of the 18th century Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, who when told that there was no bread to feed the starving citizens of Paris, infamously said "Let them eat cake."

This lack of moral, and even political judgment, reveals once again that Senator McCain did not put "country first" when he selected Governor Palin as his running mate. The RNC should be ashamed of itself for this misuse of donor funds. It may or may not have been an illegal use of RNC contributions but that is beside the point. This latest Palin episode clearly demonstrates that this year's Republican ticket is totally out of touch with the financial struggles of millions of our fellow citizens.

Comments

[gvc]

She should sell the clothes on Ebay.

[MelRoy]

A couple of nice suits for SP for the campaign trail is one thing, but did she really buy her 7-year-old a Louis Vuitton bag?

I mean, who does that except people with too much money and no sense?

[access2narnia]

Palin's reckless disregard for the feelings of American citizens by spending in less than 7 weeks nearly 4-5 TIMES the median incomes of most states (50% of the population making less than median) and more than 6-7 TIMES the US poverty levels for average size households (let alone larger ones) pales in comparison with the absolute irresponsibility of Jon McCain and/or his campaign advisors who were not only stupid enough to let her do it, but are now even more stupidly trying to rationalize it.

People facing WORLD DEPRESSION have no business giving out blank checks for personal luxuries with funds solicited from political donors for election support ---ARE THERE NO ADULTS IN THE ENTIRE GOP????????

[eshalom]

Sarah Palin's expenditure for clothes doesn't even come close to the millions Barack Obama's campaign has spent on items like renting Invesco stadium with its Greek pillars, not to mention other expensive backdrops, plus his trip abroad so he could meet foreign leaders for the first time and finally take a look at Iraq firsthand instead of just shooting his mouth off about it.

How much did BO's campaign pay the graphics designer for that fake presidential seal?

And how about the cover on the back of his seat in the campaign plane - it says something about the One, doesn't it?

When it's all added up, I'll bet no candidate in American history has blown as much money as Barack Obama has just to support his incredible ego.

[vune]

This is slightly off-topic, but I just wanted to mention that in all likelihood, Marie Antoinette never uttered the phrase "Let them eat cake." Here's an interesting post on the subject:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/550/did-marie-antoinette-really-say-let-them-eat-cake

[Libbydoe]

The issue is not the clothing, but the fact that she didn't use her own money to purchase it, as well as the insistance on the part of the right that they, in fact, are just regular folks. Regular folks, even middle class, women can spend a lot less than $150,000 and still look quite chic.

[Kindheart]

The reason why Johnny never mentions the middle class is because he doesn't think they exist. When was the last time that any middle class person spent that kind of money on clothing or shopped at Saks or Neimans?

[sansone]

But then, McCain's definition of rich is earning more than $5,000,000 per year.

[eshalom]

McCain is the guy who opted for public funding. Barack Obama broke his promise and has been trying to find ways to blow all the money he's been raking in - he has to really go overboard for things like renting Invesco Field, Greek pillars, etc.