Republican party spent $150,000 for Palin's dress and makeup in September

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has spent more than $150,000 for clothing and accessories for Governor Sarah Palin and her family in September, according to their financial disclosure records.

Sarah Palin calls herself “Joe Sixpack,” and says she reflects “Small Town Values.” However, her shopping spree shows a different picture. Palin and her family bought clothes from luxury companies like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Neimann Marcus, where “average Joe” types can only dream of going. The Huffington Post notes that Palin received more valuable clothes in one month than the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years. Financial records show Palin spent $49,425.74 at Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York. She also had a big-time shopping trip to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis where she spent a staggering $75,062.63. The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September. Other shopping expenses are as follows: • September payments were made to Barney’s New York ($789.72) and Bloomingdale’s New York ($5,102.71). • Macy’s in Minneapolis, another store in Minneapolis that hosted last summer’s Republican National Convention, received three separate payments totaling $9,447.71. • The entries also show a few purchases at Pacifier, a top notch baby store, and Steiniauf & Stroller Inc., suggesting $295 was spent to accommodate the littlest Palin to join the campaign trail. • An additional $4,902.45 was spent in early September at Atelier, a high-class shopping destination for men. This spending might be illegal under Federal Election Commission’s rules on using campaign cash to purchase items for personal use. Politico asked the McCain campaign about these financial disclosures. Initially they didn’t have any comment but after the article was published, McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt issued the following statement:

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

Schmitt may be correct, but didn’t the RNC and Fox News make a big racket when Democrat John Edwards spent $400 on hair cuts in 2007? Didn't they call him elite and out of touch with the middle class? Sarah Palin says she represents people like “Joe the Plumber” yet spends hundreds of thousands more on her dress and makeup. Politico did a review of similar records for the Obama team and the Democratic National Committee, turning up no similar spending records.