Two things:
- It appears the Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to coif and dress Sarah Palin and her family. If you're wondering where she got those terrible red leatherette suits, apparently the answer is Saks and Neiman-Marcus. Recalling conservative outrage over John Edwards' haircuts, expect great umbrage from keepers of the flame like Rush Limbaugh.
- It appears that Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska for her children's travel when she took them on official business. Highlight: She and her daughter spent four nights in Manhattan's Essex House (at $700 a night) so Sarah could attend a five hour conference. At a similar conference in Philadelphia, Palin took her two daughters along and billed the state for an extra room at the Ritz Carlton ($215 a night). Oh wait: I forgot airfare. They billed the state for airfare, too. Palin apparently later went back and changed her expense filings to make them look more innocent.
The clothes thing is a bust. The price of shoes or haircuts is the kind of Rovian bullshit that we should eschew. If you want to take someone from Wasilla and give them some cred on issues germane to being one heartbeat away from The Button you certainly need to give them the appropriate wardrobe. Though given the recurring Joe Sixpack, Plumber, Builder meme going, she would have inspired her base even more in pink Carharts.
The family travel on state budget is one more example of "the Rostenkowski Trap" although again it is amazing how quickly Gov. Palin took to the oily waters of political entitlement. If it looks like a duck and swims like a duck is it still a maverick?
Please spare me any comments on how Obama doesn't really represent change. He convinced me of that himself when he voted for telcom immunity in FISA.
Posted by: Wally | 10/22/2008 at 12:41 PM