RNC's What Not To Wear

[Ravenstorm]

Remember John Edwards' $400 hair cuts?

The RNC spent about $5000 on Sarah Palin's hair. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html) And 150 grand on clothes. Which is fine unless you're a Republican who gave the Democratic candidates grief about spending too much to look good.

[Parkbandit]

I wouldn't expect you to understand Ravenstorm.. but most guys don't spend $400 bucks on a haircut.. where as women spend money on hair, nails, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc... ALL THE TIME.

[Paradii]

I wouldn't expect you to understand Ravenstorm.. but most guys don't spend $400 bucks on a haircut.. where as women spend money on hair, nails, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc... ALL THE TIME.

I didn't realize women spend 150k on hair, nails, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc all the time. Good to know.




Drrrrrrrr

[Tisket]

...and people think she is stupid. If it were me I'd so break the bank on a shopping spree.

[Allereli]

anyone know where pictures are available of her before the big makeover?

[Mabus]

anyone know where pictures are available of her before the big makeover?

http://www.grimmemennesker.dk/data/media/2/funky-hairdo.jpg

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

...and people think she is stupid. If it were me I'd so break the bank on a shopping spree.

Srsly.

If people are gonna be nasty about everything she does, she might as well look good.

I don't like Palin on a lot of things, but I do like how she looks and dresses. And if I can be totally frank, I think a lot of women can learn from that.

Call it superficial but to use a totally personal anecdote, I did something called DECA all through HS that was all about marketing and business. I was told during my first year as a freshman to try to be as masculine as possible during the competitions, tie the hair back and wear pantsuits and crap to impress judges and appear more "corporate". For some reason, and I don't really know why exactly, that offended the shit out of me. Like am I not as smart because I have long hair and wear a skirt? Holy crap, I look like a woman so I am immediately judged as being retarded? I should neuter professional gender just to get ahead? My bull-headed personality kicked in and honestly, it felt completely unfair (ra-ra feminists go). So I started building my professional wardrobe around my more feminine features... each year I made it to the national competition and I never put my hair (down to my waist) into a french twist or other "bun" and I never wore pants in front of the judges (always skirts). Even to this day I don't go out of my way at all to de-feminize myself in the work place, because I find it offensive to my own personal taste to do so. I've never felt I needed to make myself NOT look like a woman to be recognized for intelligence, cleverness, creativity, etc.

I don't agree with Sarah Palin on pretty much every political issue under the sun. I do however like her choice in fashion and at least in my mind, I actually find it to be progressive for a woman to take an aggressive stance in a typically male-dominated career sector and wear very feminine clothing. I know a lot of people may write it off as being silly and inconsequential but I know from a woman's perspective that when men's wear tailored for women (see: Hilary Clinton) is the norm for doing business (and in this case.. politics!).. showing up in something decidedly feminine takes some serious balls.

I know I'll take some heat and have people be like OMG U R SAYING U LIKE PALIN 4 HER SKIRT. That's not the truth (Sorry guys, still voting Obama). Just saying that I do like the fact that she is unabashedly feminine in how she physically presents herself.

[TheRunt]

Narc I agree with you on this. Wear what you wear. But how the hell could you de-feminize yourself with those boobs you have? Other than with a machete? I think you have no choice a ace bandage has no chance against those monsters.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Narc I agree with you on this. Wear what you wear. But how the hell could you de-feminize yourself with those boobs you have? Other than with a machete? I think you have no choice a ace bandage has no chance against those monsters.

You'd be surprised. Finding the most boxy-fitting crap that looked the worst on me (with a plain collared shirt underneath) and scooping my hair into an ugly bun on the back of my head was pretty much protocol. I felt that was more demeaning though than mandating me having to wear a stripper bikini or some other crap.. I felt I should be able to judge for myself what was appropriate and pretty much carried on from that point of view and wore what I thought made me look nice, not what made me look androgynous.

Also, I wore an ace bandage over the girls while I ran track :/ Each practice I wore one, and during meets I wore three to really pin them down. Had to teach myself to breathe with em on! That was all for practicality though, never forced >.<

[Allereli]

I don't like Palin on a lot of things, but I do like how she looks and dresses. And if I can be totally frank, I think a lot of women can learn from that.

But would she dress like that if it weren't for the big makeover? Is she dressing herself at all or is the RNC telling her what to wear everyday. I'm always suspicious of people who never wear the same thing.

The question is: are you admiring her style? or her stylist's style?

[Asha]

Stylist or no, I appreciate Palin very much. I mean appreciate. Rawwr.

[B2]

Google images doesn't really have much of her that isn't from her pageant days, a hunting trip, or very recently.

I thought I read something like "This is a woman who goes running every day, and no one realized she was pregnant." I can't imagine that she was wearing the most tailored outfits if no one could see any sort of bump on her slight frame.

While most men don't spend 400 bucks on a haircut, most women don't spend 3000 bucks either.

150,000 is a LOT of money to blow when you depend on an image of yourself as a honest and transparent.

I did find this picture, from April of this year. I never got the hang of displaying them here, but: http://todercan.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/small_pic_with_sarah_palin.jpg

Another one from April: http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/2008-04-alaska-governor-sarah-palin-2.jpg

July 29th: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/assets_c/2008/07/Gov%20Sarah%20Palin%20small-thumb-425x294.jpg

And, ooh, a side-by-side! http://www.makemeheal.com/news/images/sarah-palin-plastic-surgery.jpg

[Keller]

I wouldn't expect you to understand Ravenstorm.. but most guys don't spend $400 bucks on a haircut.. where as women spend money on hair, nails, makeup, clothes, shoes, etc... ALL THE TIME.

I spend $30 on a haircut.

My wife spends $90.

$30:400 /= $90:5000

[Sean of the Thread]

$30 on a haircut? Dayum I hope you get a happy ending with that.

I spend $7 and tip 3 or $8 and tip 2... bottom line I'm not spending more than $10 on a cut.

[NocturnalRob]

yeah, what setting do you ask for...?

$30 haircut. $10 tip. she's hot with big boobs. and has kids. i'm a giver.

[DeV]

She single handedly fulfilled most women's dream in one fell swoop. At least she was spending the GOP's money this time instead of hitting up Alaska's tax payers.

[Mabus]

With everything going on in this country and the world, this has to be one of the most reaching non-issues I have ever seen.

In politics, this "issue" is called "a distraction".

Biden spews something possibly hurtful to the campaign, go off on how much Palin has spent on clothes. Don't worry, the supporters will fall for it and the media will eat it up.

How much is spent on those suits, and the make up artist, for your candidate? That's right, he wears makeup, just like everyone else that goes on TV.

If you do not feel that what is spent on his clothing and makeup, his wife's clothing and makeup, his kids clothing and makeup, etc. is important then think about why this is such an "issue" to you.

Economy tanking, health care unaffordable, businesses closing their doors, two shooting wars, terrorists, and other real issues, but no, how much Palin spends on clothes and makeup is what we should be discussing two weeks out.

Wake the fuck up.

[Keller]

With everything going on in this country and the world, this has to be one of the most reaching non-issues I have ever seen.

In politics, this "issue" is called "a distraction".

Biden spews something possibly hurtful to the campaign, go off on how much Palin has spent on clothes. Don't worry, the supporters will fall for it and the media will eat it up.

How much is spent on those suits, and the make up artist, for your candidate? That's right, he wears makeup, just like everyone else that goes on TV.

If you do not feel that what is spent on his clothing and makeup, his wife's clothing and makeup, his kids clothing and makeup, etc. is important then think about why this is such an "issue" to you.

Economy tanking, health care unaffordable, businesses closing their doors, two shooting wars, terrorists, and other real issues, but no, how much Palin spends on clothes and makeup is what we should be discussing two weeks out.

Wake the fuck up.

I know. You were outraged when the media was ridiculing John Edwards, too! You're such an even-handed guy.

But seriously. If $5000 hair cuts are "main street values", I need to get some main street money!

[NocturnalRob]

If $5000 hair cuts are "main street values", I need to get some main streat money!


The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

am i missing something here? guarantee that makeup constituted a large chunk of that expenditure.

[Sean]

Economy tanking, health care unaffordable, businesses closing their doors, two shooting wars, terrorists, and other real issues, but no, how much Palin spends on clothes and makeup is what we should be discussing two weeks out.

If I had to wager I'd say this is where the problem falls. No one really cares how much Edwards spent on a haircut, the problem was that he was a champion of the impoverished and spent obscene money on ridiculous things. Right now we're in an economic crunch and Palin is spending obscene money on ridiculous things so of course the opposition is going to point it out and make an issue of it.

[Tsa`ah]

Spending campaign money like that is ... illegal.

[Allereli]

am i missing something here? guarantee that makeup constituted a large chunk of that expenditure.

makeup is way too fucking expensive. so are bras.

[Keller]

makeup is way too fucking expensive. so are bras.

So are wives.

[Mabus]

I know. You were outraged when the media was ridiculing John Edwards, too! You're such an even-handed guy.

But seriously. If $5000 hair cuts are "main street values", I need to get some main street money!
I could give a rat's ass about Edward's haircuts, how much Michelle Obama's dress costs, or how much a campaign spends on latte's and arugula.

They are non-issues meant to distract the ignorant, and "peaking over the fences for dirty laundry" for the media to point at in order to attempt to raise their ratings.

Has Obama put out an estimate on how much the campaign has spent on him and his family in clothes, makeup and accessories? Are they going to donate all the purchases to charity as well?

Non-issues.

[Mabus]

the problem was that he was a champion of the impoverished and spent obscene money on ridiculous things.
When did you read that Obama did this?

Remember, he is the champion for the middle class and poor.

[Keller]

When did you read that Obama did this?

Remember, he is the champion for the middle class and poor.

He was talking about Edwards.

[Mabus]

He was talking about Edwards.
Like that wasn't known. Duh.

You sure are bored today, eh?

Want to discuss which campaign uses tooth whiteners next?

[Tsa`ah]

Non-issues.

Except in the case of Palin ... there's the legal issue.

[Tsa`ah]

How much is spent on those suits, and the make up artist, for your candidate? That's right, he wears makeup, just like everyone else that goes on TV.

Umm ... the makeup is provided by the makeup artist, it's one charge and not an asset. Obama has spent nothing on clothing with campaign funds. If you really want to get into it, Obama's campaign staff bought him a new pair of shoes because he kept wearing the same ratty pair and they knew he'd eventually have to step out from behind a podium.


If you do not feel that what is spent on his clothing and makeup, his wife's clothing and makeup, his kids clothing and makeup, etc. is important then think about why this is such an "issue" to you.

It's an issue when campaign funds are used for such things .... your argument fails because funds from the DNC or Obama's campaign were not used.


Wake the fuck up.

Please, take your own advice.

[Mabus]

Except in the case of Palin ... there's the legal issue.
Post the law that was broken. Or you can post your favorite word, it would be about the same for you.

[Keller]

Like that wasn't known. Duh.

You sure are bored today, eh?

Want to discuss which campaign uses tooth whiteners next?

I'd prefer you do condemn, instead of condone, VP ethical violations.

[Tsa`ah]

Feel free to look it up. You can not use campaign funds for personal gain. The purchasing of clothing, of that cost, is considered gaining assets ... put that together with campaign funds and you have an illegal act.

That makes two now, at the very least. You would think that after being told no, you can't ban books from a public library ... and no you can't have someone fire your ex brother in-law ... you would begin to question the legality of your actions more often.

[Mabus]

Umm ... the makeup is provided by the makeup artist, it's one charge and not an asset.
How much was spent at each event on this makeup?

How much was spent on the pillars put up by Britney Spears production company at the DNC convention?

How much was spent in Denver on the boxes of American flags that were found in dumpsters behind the DNC Convention?

All non-issues, just like this current one, unless you can answer these as well.


Obama has spent nothing on clothing with campaign funds.
Has not reported. There is a difference.

Not reporting expenditures is a violation of law, just as is taking foreign campaign contributions. But he gets a pass on that, because "look at those shoes!" is much more important.

[Mabus]

Feel free to look it up. You can not use campaign funds for personal gain.
The items are being donated to charity, which is allowed.

But you all skipped that.

[Tsa`ah]

How much was spent at each event on this makeup?

How much was spent on the pillars put up by Britney Spears production company at the DNC convention?

How much was spent in Denver on the boxes of American flags that were found in dumpsters behind the DNC Convention?

All non-issues, just like this current one, unless you can answer these as well.


Has not reported. There is a difference.

Not reporting expenditures is a violation of law, just as is taking foreign campaign contributions. But he gets a pass on that, because "look at those shoes!" is much more important.

If McCain thought Obama wasn't reporting campaign expenditures ... he'd have demanded an investigation at this point.

I'm sorry, but per the usual ... you're grasping.

[Mabus]

I'd prefer you do condemn, instead of condone, VP ethical violations.
What has Cheney done that you have posted in this thread?

Is he doing the shopping for her?

[Mabus]

If McCain thought Obama wasn't reporting campaign expenditures ... he'd have demanded an investigation at this point.
They have demanded investigations, but the investigations will not be completed until after the election.

Then, if Obama wins, we can see that he is just as illegitimate as GW was in 2000.

Won't that be fun!

[Keller]

What has Cheney done that you have posted in this thread?

Is he doing the shopping for her?

Clever.

At least you're consistent.

[Tsa`ah]

The items are being donated to charity, which is allowed.

But you all skipped that.

The items, after the legality of the purchases were called into question, are now to be donated after the campaign ends. That in no way lets her off the hook.

All of that aside. How does it feel to have donated to the campaign only to have the #2 blow such an exorbitant amount of cash so wastefully?

Imagine what all of those moderate republicans are thinking right now ... imagine what real republicans are thinking right now.

Palin's only defense of this would be:

That there is "fiscally conservative" doncha know.

[Tsa`ah]

They have demanded investigations, but the investigations will not be completed until after the election.

Then, if Obama wins, we can see that he is just as illegitimate as GW was in 2000.

Won't that be fun!

Who has demanded investigations and on what grounds? Where is this investigation you speak of?

[Mabus]

How does it feel to have donated to the campaign o

About as good as it feels to donate to the other campaign and have them spend $4,855,984.46 on "travel and lodging" fpr September, I imagine.

Those weren't Holiday Inns Obama and Biden were staying at, now were they?

[Sean]

Since when has any campaign soley been about issues? Everyone does what they think needs to be done to win.

[Tsa`ah]

About as good as it feels to donate to the other campaign and have them spend $4,855,984.46 on "travel and lodging" fpr September, I imagine.

Those weren't Holiday Inns Obama and Biden were staying at, now were they?

You do realize that those costs are pretty on par with a staff that large and how extensively traveled they are.

Our money is doing what it should do. Is yours? Explain to me how spending 150 grand on clothing, hair, and makeup (clothing she could have purchased herself, kind of like Cindy does ... hair and makeup is what the campaign staff takes care of) contributes to the campaign? Explain to me how this is going to appeal to a blue-collar family? How can you explain blowing 3-6 times the annual income of your campaign target?

[Tsa`ah]

And let me repeat myself


Who has demanded investigations and on what grounds? Where is this investigation you speak of?

[Sean]

For the record I don't actually have an issue with Palin spending whatever she wants on clothes if she has the means available to her. But I also have no problem with using it as a means to criticize her.

[Kefka]

anyone know where pictures are available of her before the big makeover?

Before:
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/36552/thumbs/s-TRIG-PAXSON-large.jpg
http://www.zieak.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/sarahpalincrop.jpg

After:
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/10/22/gal_palinfashion-1.jpg
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/10/22/gal_palinfashion-10.jpg

[Mabus]

And let me repeat myself

"WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross will announce today a complaint that the RNC is filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the Obama campaign. The complaint will address foreign national and excessive contributions accepted by the Obama campaign that demonstrate it is operating
outside of federal campaign finance law.

© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved"

This is one complaint, but you see, the FEC does not want to investigate just previous to the election:

"An auditor for the Federal Election Commission is attempting to have his bosses seek a formal investigation into the collection by the Obama for President campaign of more than $200 million in potentially illegal political donations, including millions of dollars of illegal, foreign donations, and has sought a request for assistance from the Department of Justice or Federal Bureau of Investigation. But the analyst's requests have largely been ignored. "I can't get anyone to move. I believe we are looking at a hijacking of our political system that makes the Clinton and Gore fundraising scandals pale in comparison. And no one here wants to touch it."

One reasons cited by his superiors, says the analyst, is that involvement by the Justice Department or FBI would be indicative of a criminal investigation, something the FEC would prefer not take place a month before the presidential election. Such actions, though, have been used to scuttle Republican campaigns in the past, the most famous being the Weinberger case in the days leading up to the 1992 re-election bid of President George H.W. Bush.

The analyst, who declines to be identified for fear of retribution, says that on four different occasions in the past three months, he sought to open formal investigations into the Obama campaign's fundraising techniques, but those investigations have been discouraged. "Without formal approval, I can't get the resources I need, manpower, that kind of thing. This is a huge undertaking." And the analyst says that he believes that campaign finance violations have occurred.

The Obama campaign has already had to deal with several FEC complaints about fraudulent donors and illegal foreign contributions, and the FEC says it has no record that those complaints have been resolved or closed. As well, the Obama campaign has been cagey at times about the means by which it has made its historic fundraising hauls, which now total almost $500 million for the election cycle."

Dresses, shoes and makeup are the really important issues!

[Tsa`ah]

This is an investigation into donations, not expenditures ... as you claimed. Please be more coherent.

[Mabus]

This is an investigation into donations, not expenditures ... as you claimed. Please be more coherent.


Not reporting expenditures is a violation of law, just as is taking foreign campaign contributions. But he gets a pass on that, because "look at those shoes!" is much more important.
(bold my own)

If you just want to troll, and skip the fact that if elected Obama will be just as illegitimate as GW on 2000, that is of course your choice.


The Obama campaign has already had to deal with several FEC complaints about fraudulent donors and illegal foreign contributions, and the FEC says it has no record that those complaints have been resolved or closed. (bold my own)

That means the investigations (plural) are still pending or ongoing.

But look at those shoes!

[Tsa`ah]

Actually, you implied the Obama campaign utilized funds for inappropriate uses.


With everything going on in this country and the world, this has to be one of the most reaching non-issues I have ever seen.

In politics, this "issue" is called "a distraction".

Biden spews something possibly hurtful to the campaign, go off on how much Palin has spent on clothes. Don't worry, the supporters will fall for it and the media will eat it up.

How much is spent on those suits, and the make up artist, for your candidate? That's right, he wears makeup, just like everyone else that goes on TV.

If you do not feel that what is spent on his clothing and makeup, his wife's clothing and makeup, his kids clothing and makeup, etc. is important then think about why this is such an "issue" to you.

Economy tanking, health care unaffordable, businesses closing their doors, two shooting wars, terrorists, and other real issues, but no, how much Palin spends on clothes and makeup is what we should be discussing two weeks out.

Wake the fuck up.

The entire post is pretty amusing.

[Tsa`ah]

Looking into the complaint ... it's pretty laughable.


RNC to File FEC Complaint on Obama Fundraising Practices
By Matthew Mosk
A lawyer for the Republican National Committee today said the party will ask the Federal Election Commission to look into the source of thousands of small-dollar contributions to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.

The RNC is alleging that the Obama campaign was so hungry for donations it "looked the other way" as contributions piled up from suspicious, and possibly even illegal foreign donors.

"We believe that the American people should know first and foremost if foreign money is pouring into a presidential election," said RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross.

Cairncross alleged there was mounting evidence of this, and cited a report in the current issue of Newsweek magazine that documents a handful of instances where donors made repeated small donations using fake names, such as "Good Will" and "Doodad Pro."

The Newsweek report says that earlier this year the Obama campaign returned $33,000 to two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who had bought T-shirts in bulk from the campaign's online store -- purchases that count as campaign contributions. The brothers had listed their address as "Ga.," which the campaign took to mean Georgia rather than Gaza.

"While no organization is completely protected from Internet fraud, we will continue to review our fundraising procedures," Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt told the magazine.

At the heart of the RNC complaint is a federal fundraising rule that lets campaigns accept donations under $200 without itemizing the names and addresses of the donors on its campaign finance reports. The rule was intended as a matter of practicality -- it did not seem reasonable to ask a campaign to gather that information from every five-dollar donor.

But the Obama campaign has raised more than $200 million this way, a staggering sum for donations that will not be subjected to outside scrutiny.

Obama campaign aides said today that a number of steps have been taken to safeguard against foreign or illegal contributions coming in in smaller increments. The measures include: requiring donors to present a passport at fundraising events held for Americans overseas, ending contributions to the Obama Store from contributors with addresses outside the U.S. or its territories, and requiring donors to enter a U.S. passport number when contributing via the Americans Abroad page.

"When we were made aware of an ad for a Nigerians for Obama fundraiser in a Nigerian paper, our attorneys sent a letter to the paper making it clear the event had nothing to do with our campaign, and that we would not accept contributions from the event," one Obama aide said.

And aides note that Sen. John McCain had his own foreign fundraising issues, having been forced to refund about $50,000 in donations solicited by Jordanian Mustafa Abu Naba'a, who was raising money on behalf of one of McCain's top Florida bundlers.

Bolded the parts you would like people to skip over ... or that you would omit.

[Mabus]

Looking into the complaint ... it's pretty laughable.
Because it is all about the shoes!

This is one complaint, and one investigation.

Bolded the parts you would like people to skip over ... or that you would omit.
That at the FEC's comment,
"The Obama campaign has already had to deal with several FEC complaints about fraudulent donors and illegal foreign contributions, and the FEC says it has no record that those complaints have been resolved"

There made bold for you, because you would ike to skip over, or you would like to omit them.

Plural, not just the one admitted case.

[Tsa`ah]

So what you're saying is that you're a child molester.

[Mabus]

So what you're saying is that you're a child molester.
Seek mental help, seriously.

[Tsa`ah]

Well, I had a small hope you would see the logic in that statement.

It was a veiled accusation, not that I believe you to be a child molester, that would warrant an investigation ... which could be closed in a day, or pending/unclosed for years.

The status of the investigation(s) doesn't imply anything other than the book isn't closed. That could mean they're still looking, or it could mean they're looking again ... or it could mean someone hasn't put a stamp on the file because it's at the bottom of a very large pile.

Hell, I currently have 43 pending/unresolved complaints against my business. Each and every one of them are from people that tried to get discounts, refunds, or who were just thrown off the property. It doesn't mean that I broke the law or screwed anyone out of money ... it means they have my statement and documentation and they're waiting on the other party ... or it means they haven't made a decision ... or it means they haven't been able to address the complaint.

Your bias, in the end, is what makes all of this laughable.

[Ravenstorm]

An interesting piece of information that seems pertinent to the claims of foreign contributions: do with the clicking (http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/10/newsmax-not-awa.html).

[TheRoseLady]

Has Obama put out an estimate on how much the campaign has spent on him and his family in clothes, makeup and accessories? Are they going to donate all the purchases to charity as well?

Non-issues.

Where have you read that the Obama's are billing the DNC or their campaign for their clothes? I'd be interested to see that story.

[Keller]

From: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=ayg4oNopCTac#

The Republican National Committee disclosed spending more than $150,000 through Sept. 30 for designer clothes, shoes, makeup and other accessories for Palin, or the equivalent of about $5,000 per day since John McCain (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=John+McCain&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) picked her as his running mate in August. After the expenditures were reported by Politico (http://www.politico.com/), the campaign said it had always been the intention to donate the clothing to charity.

Palin earned $166,080 last year, according to her tax returns. Under some circumstances, the Internal Revenue Service may consider the clothing taxable as income to her, experts said. As a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker learned last year, the write-off for donating used designer clothing can amount to a fraction of their retail value.

``This is clearly income,'' said Paul Caron, associate dean of the University of Cincinnati School of Law and editor of TaxProf Blog (http://taxprof.typepad.com/). ``The charitable deduction will not eliminate all, or most, of the income.''

[TheRoseLady]

Truthfully, Palin does need to look presentable for her campaign. I'm pretty sure that stylists bought the clothes and told her what to wear. Same with the makeup and hair. If you look at what she wore prior, it's a huge difference.

However, I don't think anyone would begrudge her some nice looking clothes and some good highlights. The truth is that I get a weave every two months (that's color highlights for those who are hair challenged) and just color on the off two month cycle. I spend 120.00 bucks and 100.00 bucks respectively including a tip. That's a far cry from the cash they spent on her hair.

Did she really have to wear a $2500 Valentino jacket to the RNC? The expenditures are excessive.

In one breath they are talking about how they are like "Joe the Plumber" while wearing a several thousand dollar suit that is a deep contrast between her and the plumber's wife.

Is it a non-issue? To those who are on the fence, it could be the deal breaker. It's a news cycle that McCain couldn't afford.

As an aside, Michelle Obama is known to wear stuff from The Gap, White House Black Market, Talbot's, H&M. It's not Walmart but it's not all Neiman Marcus or Sak's either.

[Kembal]

It should probably be noted that it does not appear she did her own shopping. The expenditures are noted as done by an agent of the campaign/RNC, Jeff Larison. (he's their robo-call consultant, amongst other things.)

I suppose he's got a career as a personal shopper if he ever wants to get out of politics.

[Allereli]

However, I don't think anyone would begrudge her some nice looking clothes and some good highlights. The truth is that I get a weave every two months (that's color highlights for those who are hair challenged) and just color on the off two month cycle. I spend 120.00 bucks and 100.00 bucks respectively including a tip. That's a far cry from the cash they spent on her hair.

Isn't a weave when you add fake hair to your own hair (i.e. extensions)?

[Paradii]

Isn't a weave when you add fake hair to your own hair (i.e. extensions)?

yeah, it is. Not the sure wtf roselady is talking about.

[Cephalopod]

I think this just means that people planning to Trick-or-Treat as Sarah Palin need to spend a lot more on their costumes than they had planned.

[TheRoseLady]

yeah, it is. Not the sure wtf roselady is talking about.

I know what I'm talking about, maybe you don't ;)

Fine weave highlights will add a natural hint of lightness and color to your hair, and should give result in a blended, natural finish.

http://www.thehairstyler.com/blonde-hair-coloring-tips-going-going-blonde.asp

I imagine it depends on what part of the country you live in...

http://www.spasalon.com/brenwood/

[ClydeR]

It should probably be noted that it does not appear she did her own shopping. The expenditures are noted as done by an agent of the campaign/RNC, Jeff Larison. (he's their robo-call consultant, amongst other things.)

I suppose he's got a career as a personal shopper if he ever wants to get out of politics.

It's not clear that all the money went toward clothes for Palin. According to this article (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/wardrobe-mysteries-linger/), the list of expenditures don't add up, and somebody may have bought items for personal use and charged it to the RNC. The RNC says they don't have any concerns about the discrepancies, and they consider the matter closed.

[ClydeR]

I think this just means that people planning to Trick-or-Treat as Sarah Palin need to spend a lot more on their costumes than they had planned.

There are several places to buy Sarah Palin hair pieces.


Brooklyn-based e-commerce site Sheitel.com is selling Palin wigs made of 100 percent human hair for $695 ($100 off!). The pieces bear a striking resemblance to the side-swept bangs hairdo favored by Palin, the Republican party’s vice-presidential candidate.

The wig — a best-seller, according to Sheitel.com – can be custom-dyed to suit your particular hair color desires. It comes in small, medium and large cap sizes, parts on top of the head and is 16 inches from crown to bottom.

Other sites offer cheaper, faux-hair Palin looks, such as Miami-based Wigsalon.com’s $115 wig described as a “new Raquel Welch shoulder length shag with feathered layers and a subtle flip which lends a contemporary touch to this classic style. Perfect for a fashionable style change, reflecting the fresh style of Sarah Palin.”

Palin’s trademark Kazuo Kawasaki glasses are also in hot demand, and her presense in the presidential race has inspired a rush of other online novelties, such as gun-toting action figures and a large pumpkin carved with her face.

More... (http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/2008/10/14/be-a-maverick-with-your-695-palin-wig/)

[Warriorbird]

Far more telling.

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/f/f4/Bristolpalinandlevijohnsondrinking.jpg

[ClydeR]

McCain set the record straight on the clothes issue this morning on Meet the Press. He said they returned about 1/3rd of the purchases, and Palin (whose net worth is only a little over $1 million (http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/10/palins-net-worth-exceeds-1-mil.html)) is not rich and lives a frugal life, and the remainder of the items will be donated to charity.


MR. BROKAW: Those pictures of you when you were a prisoner of war in Hanoi have been a very powerful reminder of what you went through. And then in the last 10 days or so, we've learned that the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 on her wardrobe at Neiman Marcus and at Saks when she was portraying herself as a hockey mom representing the values of Main Street. Wasn't that a colossal mistake on the part of the RNC?

SEN. McCAIN: Look, she lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this, and there was some--and some third of that money is given back, the rest will be donated to charity. Look, Americans right now care about whether they're going to stay in their homes, whether they're going to have a job, whether they're going to be able to keep their health insurance, if we're going to come out of this ditch that we're in. They want change. They want reform. She is a role model to millions and millions and millions of Americans.

More... (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27388251/page/4/)

[Deathravin]

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4748/1223956747991ta1.jpg

Wrong on many levels... Funny!... but wrong...

[Daniel]

Rofll!!!!

[longshot]

From: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=ayg4oNopCTac#

As a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker learned last year, the write-off for donating used designer clothing can amount to a fraction of their retail value.



What fucking banker does this??

They should publish his name and boot him from whatever PE shop he landed at. Nevermind... they probably already went under.

At any rate, I'm not saying it's right, but it's understandable that a chick running for high office would need a makeover. Was the amount of money spent her excessive? You'd have a point by saying yes. Sure.

But no matter what side of the spectrum you're on, you would probably admit that Palin looks good. For 65 days from the start of the RNC (Sept 1) through the election is 65 days. $150,000 / 65 comes out to $2,300 a day. With shoes, accessories, daily hair and makeup... that doesn't sound all that far fetched, does it? You want the VP nominee to wear the same shit everyday and do her own makeup while campaigning?

Kerry had botox. Why? Because he needed it. He looked like the fucking grim reaper before. If it cost him $250,000, it was well worth it. It accomplished a given goal. That's what's important.

Here's the outrage... John Edwards paid $400 for a men's haircut, which is something I've never heard of before. I paid 73,500 yen for my last haircut, and I felt fucking ridiculous. I've never heard of a man paying that much money. And what goal was accomplished? It still looked like shit. That's the big problem I have with it.

If only they would have hired a trainer for Bill Richardson... just kidding.

[Mabus]

Was the amount of money spent her excessive? You'd have a point by saying yes. Sure.

But the argument that these clothes were bought for Palin is just as fallacious as one anyone could make about Obama:

"DNC buys Obama Roman pillars and rents him a stadium!"

Props are props. All campaigns do the same.

The only difference here is the media smelled blood in the political waters, and the Obama campaign needed a distraction from Obama's "spread the wealth" comments.

[longshot]

But the argument that these clothes were bought for Palin is just as fallacious as one anyone could make about Obama:

"DNC buys Obama Roman pillars and rents him a stadium!"

Props are props. All campaigns do the same.

The only difference here is the media smelled blood in the political waters, and the Obama campaign needed a distraction from Obama's "spread the wealth" comments.

Maybe. Maybe not. I honestly don't care. They all suck.

It's politics... that's how campaigns are run.

I'm still blown away that some banker would donate his clothes to charity. That's just wrong.

[Mabus]

Word is going around that the clothing purchases were made by Nicolle Wallace without the RNC's, Palin's, or the McCain campaign's, permission, and that she then presented the bills to the RNC.

This is unsubstantiated by any current news reports, but if true would make Ms. Wallace one cowardly SOB. That she would leave Palin and McCain hanging in the wind during this distraction without stepping forward with the truth could make her one of the worst campaign staffers in history.

You heard it hear first.

;)

[Stretch]

Here's the outrage... John Edwards paid $400 for a men's haircut, which is something I've never heard of before. I paid 73,500 yen for my last haircut, and I felt fucking ridiculous. I've never heard of a man paying that much money. And what goal was accomplished? It still looked like shit. That's the big problem I have with it.


Isn't it like 100 yen to a dollar? I'm assuming you have an extra 0 there

I paid $30 for a haircut once. I didn't like it any more or less than my $15 cuts.

EDIT: Welcome back to the fold LS. If you haven't noticed, 8/10 posts now have to do with politics.