Supporting the economy by buying $150,000 wardrobes on the Republican party dime

clipped from www.rockymountainnews.com Who knew looking like a hockey mom was this darned expensive? Certainly not Wanda Routier, a proud hockey mom in Hewitt, Wis., who spends her time in sweat pants, turtlenecks, ankle boots and heavy coats. She was dismayed to hear Wednesday that the Republican Party had spent $150,000 on clothes, hair styling and accessories for Sarah Palin and her family from such upscale stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nieman Marcus. "I was put off by it," Routier said. "I mean, I know they have an image to project, but that's a lot of money when we're talking about the economy the way it is! And the burden on ordinary Americans."

Some people, i.e., those with real jobs who actually work for a living, will (hopefully) be very put off by this extravagance, particularly since it comes at the same time that they're bailing out other extravagant cocksuckers with their tax dollars.

Others, like the Connecticut bitch (referred to in the story, but not quoted above) for whom L.L. Bean is too gauche to be worn in public (and whose husband is most likely employed in screwing working people over), will find no problem at all with this story.

And it sounds like even some Republicans are upset about this one. (They must be closet Democrats, blame the media, hey look a terrorist, etc.)

clipped from marcambinder.theatlantic.com There is already an attempt to blame the media -- as in, the liberal media would have looked askance at Palin if she wasn't clad in Neiman Marcus, but this won't wash. Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures. This sort of spending is without precedent -- the closest approximation for any campaign I've ever covered is make-up expenses for television interviews and commercial shoots -- , and Schmitt's weakly defensive response tonight indicates that the campaign is deeply embarrassed by it and has nothing to say in their defense. Spokespeople have clammed up, a sure sign that they're trying to figure out who authorized the expenses and who knew about them.

clipped from dyn.politico.com “As a Republican Eagle and a maxed-out contributor to McCain’s general campaign, I’d like my money back – he can still have my vote,” complained one irate donor on Wednesday. “I’m not one who says a candidate shouldn’t wear fine clothes,” he added. “I’d just like to think they were successful enough in the private sector to have afforded their wardrobe with their own money, not the party’s or the campaign’s, which is really our money as contributors.”

But hey, it might not be illegal, although there is a "gray area" involved. For people who talk black-and-white, Republicans sure like to hang out in the gray areas these days.