More on Clothing Gate

[Richard D]

Sarah Palin has a new and unexpected problem -- the Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 on clothes and accessories for Palin and her family in just seven weeks. The figure includes more than $75,000 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, and nearly $5,000 on hair and makeup. The funds were not just directed at the governor -- about $5,000 was also spent at Atelier, a high-class shopping destination for men.

The political implications are more than a little humiliating. Consider all the McCain campaign messages a story like this steps on -- "elitist," "small-town values," "big spender," "relating to 'real' America," etc.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American households spend an average of $1,874 a year on clothing. The RNC spent $150,000 on one family in seven weeks. Frankly, I'm not even sure how one family can spend that much so quickly. We're talking about an average of more than $2,000 a day, every day, since late August. (Yglesias noted, "The total bill is well over double the median household income in the United States.")

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/104096/republicans_disgusted%3A_palin%27s_%24150%2C000_shopping_spree/

[ogneopasno]

1. AND HER FAMILY! Jayzus, I didn't know that.

Ridiculous.

[SoCalDem]

5. Does anyone think that Levi owned a jacket that was not down-filled?

of that the daughters would CHOOSE tasteful GREY dresses & black flats?

Dude's racing suits were not proper attire either.. and Sarah's favorite brown track suit with aqua piping and the colorful KMart scarves just would NOT do :)

[Chimichurri]

2. This is how they would run the treasury as well. Republicans only

care about themselves. Their real God is money.

[morillon]

4. Totally agree.

Virtually every Republican administration has been about raiding the treasury and enriching themselves and their friends.

[norepubsin08]

3. I hope she pays taxes on that stuff

If she keeps the clothes, then she should pay taxes on the retail value of them. If she gives them to charity, then she should be able to take the depreciated value of the clothes off of her taxes...if she says that they are actually the property of the RNC and she was just loaned them...then she should have to pay taxes on what would be considered the fair use value during the time that she "rented/borrowed" the clothes. I hope the IRS goes after her ass big time!