Sarah Palin in Las Vegas on 10/21/08. Credit: WENN
Many people were incredibly upset and shocked to hear that the Republican National Committee used official campaign funds to outfit Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin and her family to the tune of $150,000 in designer clothing and accessories. A minority of people argued that the charges were somewhat justified and that Palin did need to look the part, but whether she needed over six figures worth of clothing when the economy is in the tubes is up to question. Tens of millions are being spent on ad campaigns for the candidates, but somehow the expensive high-end fashion seemed excessive.
It turns out that the campaign costs for Palin’s makeover didn’t end with shopping sprees at Saks and Neiman Marcus. Her makeup artist costs $22,800 for just the first two weeks of October and was the highest paid McCain staffer during that time. She wasn’t just an average makeup artist, and was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the reality show “So You Think You Can Dance.” What’s more is that Palin’s hairdresser was paid $10,000 for that same time period.
Who was the highest paid individual in Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign during the first half of October as it headed down the homestretch?
Not Randy Scheunemann, Mr. McCain’s chief foreign policy adviser; not Nicolle Wallace, his senior communications staffer. It was Amy Strozzi, who was identified by the Washington Post this week as Gov. Sarah Palin’s traveling makeup artist, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night.
Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?”, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi’s payment as “Personnel Svc/Equipment.”
In addition, Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif.
W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain, whose own hair stylist, Piper, works at the Hair Grove as well.
[NY Times via Huffington Post]
$32,800 for a hairdresser and makeup artist for two weeks!? Sure they traveled with her, but that’s outrageous! Palin could have hired a decent makeup artist and hairdresser for just a fraction of that amount. Instead, she spent more than the average family in the US makes in a half year in just two weeks for her hair and face. Palin needed a celebrity makeup artist slathering on that mascara as she winked at us and bragged about her down-home image. She said “It’s time that normal Joe six-pack American is finally represented in the position of Vice Presidency.” Joe six-pack would be paying off his mortgage if he came into $30k, not spending the money on hair and makeup.
What’s truly shocking is that her make-up is horrible. She’s slathering on the rouge like … well, in Senator John McCain’s own words to his own wife, like a “trollope”.
Disgusting.
Quick, everybody start making fun of her and bashing the rnc for hiring people to make an already beautiful woman look truly magnificent!
Or..she could have spent $100 and attended a MAC Makeup class and learned how to trollop herself.
From that close-up Newsweek cover it looked like she put her makeup on in the dark.
ER: Maybe the RNC should have used the money for coaching her on what newspapers she reads.
Do people even know who “Joe six-pack” is? He had back taxes owed and if he’s voting for McCain because of tax reasons, he is an even bigger idiot. He would not be affected since he does not make more than 250k a year. IF you are making more than 250k per year, you are not the “average” American! Sorry was off topic.
But yeah, that’s an outrageous amount of money.
😕 … like a Victorian English novelist?
burning that money would have made more sense. she looks like something out of madame tussauds.
Look at that proud American flag pin – Obama should take a hint, and learn to respect the country he hopes to lead.
she could have come to my nail salon and had someone wax her stache for $6.
truly repugnant woman. I have never seen anyone so self-interested and blinded by pure ambition. the same woman who brags about cutting wasteful spending and largesse and pats herself on the back for not needin’ any of that frilly perk stuff like a chef in the governors residence in juneau is willing to take take take when it benefits or pleases her. luxury hotel stays with your uninvited daughter in NYC at AK taxpayer’s expense? check. charging the state $$ to sleep in your own house? check. flying your brood around at taxpayer expense? check. make sure your 7 year old gets vuitton out of the deal, while someone else is payin’? check.
can’t really give your hair and makeup away to charity, can ya Sarah? can’t wait to see how this one is spun. “oh, boo hoo, they are mischaracterizing me. if you only knew how frugal we are.”
PuLEASE! this woman can shoot a moose and fly 10 hours while in labor after delivering a speech as her amniotic fluid is leaking, and bitch can’t do her own hair and makeup?
I don’t quite get it. She looks pretty much the same in many of the photo’s I’ve seen of her as governor of Alaska. She claims that they’re “giving the clothing to charity” after the campaign. Does that include the designer purse she purchased and gave to her daughter with RNC money? Sounds a little like her claim that, “I didn’t do anything wrong” regarding the Troopergate scandal.
ER… that woman you love so much, and who is out there calling other people elitist, spent in two weeks what I take home to my family of three in an entire year.
Justify that for me, please, because I am so disheartened and upset about that figure that I’m on the verge of tears.
My family LIVES on that amount of money for 12 months.
Please, explain to me why I shouldn’t be upset about this.
Die hard dem here,but gotta tell you, I am not bothered by this one tiny bit. Image is everthing in this country. I am in my mid 40’s and the grey is really starting to come in & I refuse to color my hair. You would not believe the heat I take on this. While couldn’t image ever casting a vote for Gov. Palin I think the RNC did the right thing (no pun intended) in picking up the tab.
To ER:
I’d say that the 33 bills he created/sponsored/co-sponsored while in the US Senate more than qualifies him. You should read up on what Obama has accomplished.
By the way, that pin looks very expensive; or did that cost the RNC many thousands of $$ as well?
If she (or McCain , for that matter) can’t (or won’t) put an end to excess spending in their campaign, I sure as heck hold no hope for them to do so in office.
I understand public image is important, but if frugality and reform is truly the standard she is preaching, she should have stuck with it from the start. Lord knows she had a very fresh one with the american public.
I can’t wait until these elections are over.
Haha — somehow this seems like further proof that politics is run by a lot of old men who — like grandfathers and fathers across America — are a little terrified at the idea of anything having to do with putting on makeup or girls doing their hair, and certainly have NO clue what a stylist should cost.
And, seriously, there’s no way this woman needed $22,000 worth of makeup help. Politics aside, I’d like to look that good at her age.
NYCmom,
totally agree that politics is an image game. that doesn’t mean hiring celebrity stylists and makeup artists and shopping for designer clothes when no one (who counts) can tell the difference and the SAME image (since image isnt necessarily reality) could have been accomplished for a LOT LESS while still preserving their campaign SLOGAN. this is tactically incredibly stupid, because it could have been done so much smarter. and it wasn’t. because between mccain’s dementia and palin’s vapid pagaent brain, the two of them screwed the pooch on this one, regardless of who was ultimately in charge of making the call to spend this much. they should have KNOWN.
Oh that was fun. Sometimes it’s great to throw zingers out there just to see what kind of response you get.
This is really a fantastic site and the authors are great writers.
It will be nice when the election is over though, so we can all go back to celebrity chat instead of politics.
I am with you, Diva. The $32,000 spent on Palin’s hair and make up in two weeks is significantly more than what my daughter and I live on in one year.
And ER, your criteria for behavior that constitutes respect for this country is seriously flawed… If there is one thing that is crystal clear, it is the CONTEMPT that Governor Palin holds this country and its’ citizens in. This good old gal is just a little too crude and obvious with her social climbing.
Ok ER I have to point out to you in elementary terms, a flag pin does not make you a better American, or more patriotic, it just means that you know how to work a pin clasp. If you do think that it does make you a better American, your boy McCain did not wear one to any of the three debates. NOT ONCE. However, the unamerican Obama wore them to all three. Guess you need to change your vote over that pin.
Also please remember that your super American Sarah Palin’s husband and by default herself, were members of a sessionist group in Alaska. In fact she recorded a message for thier meeting this year. Not very American at all.
And 32,000 for 2 month of hair and makeup! Holy hell, that’s more than the budget on alot of movies! And she still has mall hair.
If you think Obama hasn’t been wasteful with money then you clearly haven’t done your political homework.
Both sides are going to slander the other, it’s how it works. Don’t be jealous because Palin has money at her disposal and you don’t.
No matter how bad the press is about Palin I cannot even begin to imagine voting for Obama. Palin and Mccain just seem the lesser of two evils to me.
ER: “Oh that was fun. Sometimes it’s great to throw zingers out there just to see what kind of response you get.”
Zingers? ER, you need to get out more. A LOT more.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Image might be everything but Michelle Obama seems to be able to dress and present herself very nicely for quite a bit less, at least according to the article C|B posted here yesterday.
While I agree that clothes are a silly thing to be bickering over, it does make my blood boil that someone at the RNC spent more money on crafting this image than my family of 4 has seen in income in the past 5 years.
And really, what is the point of buying the clothes if you’re only going to donate them? Why not just make hefty contribution directly to the charity; they certainly would’ve gotten much better press over it.
Yes, it is an outrageous amount. Yes, it sends a horrible message in these trying economic times. But you HAVE to admit, bitch totally looks the part from the tip of her pedicured toenails to the top of her $10,000 hairdo! Her look is flawless, the perfect combination of subdued sex appeal and serious politician.
Wow – even by Irish standards that is a lot of money to spend on hair and makeup! Our ex-Taoiseach (prime minister) was lambasted for spending over €150,000 (about $190,000) in a year on hair and makeup for public appearances.
I woudn’t mind but he still looked like a bag of boiled socks. 🙄
ER, please remember the old adage “In a democracy, we get the government we deserve”. If you choose a badge over evident cluelessness about any pertinent national and global issues then you truly do deserve McCain & Palin.
(BTW, many of us on this side of the Atlantic, especially those with some connection to government and politics still think that they could sneak through. Racism could be a factor, but I think that in times of economic uncertainty, people vote for what they (think) they know).
EDIT – ER you’re a brat!!! I thought your comment seemed odd. But then again, there could well be thousands of people out there with that attitude
What a waste!! Who did her hair and put on her make-up before her nomination?? Oh, wait she probably billed to the state of Alaska!! Sure, I trust her to help run the country!!
Mair….no need to call names. But it does get old watching people bash McCain/Palin when they clearly haven’t paid attention to how Obama/Biden spent and earned their money.
Anyhow, at the risk of sounding defensive I will stop. I won’t change your minds anymore than you will change mine. I think we have to agree to disagree. But that is one of the great things about this country….free speech!
I am not jealous, ER, I proudly work hard for my money, and I’ve climbed a ladder to get to the point where I am. Because I make less in a year than this woman used campaign funds to make herself pretty, when this is supposed to be about our country, doesn’t make me jealous, it offends me.
My feeling is that the millions of dollars spent on campaigns is a huge waste. It boggles my mind the amount of money spent by Obama in this. But that money, $25 of which came from my pocket, is being used for campaign purposes. Palin is a smart, capable woman, there is no doubt in my mind she’s capable of putting her own make-up on and doing her hair this last month the same way she’s worn it for years. To suggest that this is a legitimate expense is to say that Sarah Palin is not as capable of grooming herself as another political candidate. And the fact that she would TAKE the help at that costs is nothing short of hypocrisy while she runs around her “real America.”
And just to reiterate a point I mentioned at the top of this comment… Sarah Palin does NOT deserve to hold ANY office because she’s pretty. Being ATTRACTIVE does not make her better equipped to be the Vice President of the country. There is a double standard, I agree, and that double standard is that THIS particular woman is revered for being “hot” with little substance while Hillary Clinton was disliked because she was substance with little in the looks department. And I’m NO Hillary fan, so I’m not biased toward her.
It is my opinion that women should be offended and ashamed about the clothing and make-up revelations, because it reduces the most prominent woman in politics to being little more to her own party than the pretty picture she paints at appearances.
Sorry ER, I re-read the edit of my last comment the penny just dropped that it came off as critical. I meant that you’re a complete and utter brat for winding us up. And I’m the feckin’ eejit for falling for it. 😳 😆
I suppose I should explain the cultural difference here. I am really very wary of putting so much importance on symbols that it becomes jingoistic as for years a certain sector of Irish society hijacked these for their own political and criminal ends. Flags are significant symbols, but they can’t change or pass laws or feck up budgets. 😉
But you’re absolutely right about needing to focus on both sides – I keep meaning to pay more attention to Biden because, after all, he could potentially be one bullet/car-bomb away from being President.
I always thought that Hillary was a handsome, attractive woman. So neagh! 😛
Don’t fool yourself, Diva, Hil spent a fortune on makeovers and plastic surgery (and she looks terrific, as pretty as she can be), AND she’s incredibly smart. I wish I had been given the opportunity to vote for her next month, but America hates women just a little bit more than it hates black people, as the primaries showed.
But I digress- the difference here is that Hillary spent her OWN money to improve her image, not donated campaign funds.
“serious politician.”
r u kidding me?
I think you mean big fat liar.
WASHINGTON — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin calls herself a fiscal conservative who wants to “rein in government spending.” She says she “reformed the abuses of earmarks in our state.” Republican John McCain said during the last debate that his running mate has “cut the size of government.”
But Palin didn’t cut the size of government as mayor of Wasilla, and she hasn’t done so as Alaska’s governor, city and state budget records show. Spending in fast-growing Wasilla increased by 55% during her tenure from 1996-2002, records show. In nearly two years as governor, she has presided over a 31% spending hike by a state government that sought earmarks from Washington even as it reaped billions from higher oil prices and Palin-backed tax increases on oil companies.
i can’t wait until she wins! then she can start spending my tax dollars on her clothes and makeup! it’s gonna be a worthwhile contribution to this country, i tell ya, and i’ll be proud to make it!
ER, i wish you would succeed from the union already. we won’t fight to get you back this time!
“Look at that proud American flag pin – Obama should take a hint, and learn to respect the country he hopes to lead.”
*rolling eyes*
In the words of John Prine:
But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
DIVA ROCKS!!!!!!
*hi Diva
smooches*
Wow, astounding.
Blanche….I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t know Diva personally, but she’s been on this blog for a long time and has made some great statements, stands up for what she believes, and sounds like she works hard. Just because she and I don’t agree on politics doesn’t mean there’s hate, at least I hope not 🙂
That’s why I said, ‘let’s agree to disagree.’
She is neither beautiful nor magnificent. She slaughters helpless animals from helicopters, hates women, used her position As Governor to have someone fired for no reason, is dumb as a hoe, doesn’t know what the role of the Vice President is. And her husband the First Dude would like Alaska to separate from the U.S.
Ok I’m just going to say this bluntly:
How can anyone logically justify using donations, tax money etc. to buy clothes and makeup? No matter who you support, just look at the facts. Palin has received money that could have been used for better things. That is obvious. Palin and McCain are struggling right now, that is also a fact. Americans, and yes, even people in Alaska, are slowly realizing what a bad choice Palin was for a VP candidate. It’s fact, not opinion or judgment.
ER – Even if you intended to just “rile up the crowd” that was still very immature and a waste of time. Spewing out ignorant attacks at Obama as a way to defend Palin is not going to win you any arguments.
WTF: Your arguments are obviously an attempt to show support for Palin, but your approach is lacking in validity.
Basically Trolls, stop wasting your time.
This is a wonderful site, with great writers and commenter’s, there is no need for spiteful comments.
Mairead: “Bag of boiled socks.” 😆 I’m home with my two sick and incredibly grouchy toddlers, and that comment made me laugh out loud. Which in turn made them laugh, and more importantly, stop shoving each other in frustration. Our hero!
How disappointing that so much money was spent on something so unimportant. “If you only knew how frugal we really are” is probably true – she is probably very frugal with her own money. But other people’s money and taxpayer money is there to be spent. How could she not be aware that this would come out in the press. How can she be so out of touch with the way most Americans live. Even if Republican party officials gave the OK for these expenditures she should be aware enough to realize how ridiculous this makes her look.
It’s all been said but I still want to add: for that amount of money, couldn’t they have coached her properly and actually made her look…pretty? No amount of airbrushing or styling will ever make her attractive (at least to me) but still, there’s gotta be more oomph and prettiness you can get for, as someone appropriately pointed out, what a family makes in year!
Sarah Palin is a disgrace to America (as is John McCain, if for other reasons) in so many ways already, you’d think somebody would advise her to keep all these things and figures under wraps, lest she really be the reason the Republicans didn’t win.
I’m still hoping, for America and the world, that the Republican lunacy and nightmare will soon be over. I can’t wait till it’s election day! I’m wearing my Obama badges in my politics class until then 🙂 I do what I can (which, ironically, at times seems to be more than McCain/Palin combined):)
Yep, she’s just like one of us. Many’s the day the little woman would throw down $150,000 dollars on clothes and make-up and I wouldn’t bat an eye. NOT.
GOP- your lies are showing more than ever.
It doesn’t really matter who’s paying for the clothes or where they’re going afterwards, it still makes her look greedy and opportunistic. Are regular stores not good enough? Over $20 K for makeup? Obviously this shows she’s a poor choice – says one thing blah blah but does the total opposite – a liar and hypocrite.
No matter how bad the press is about Palin I cannot even begin to imagine voting for Obama.
Because pig-headed stubbornness is just so sexy. 🙄
Anybody who thinks that spending that much campaign money on clothing and make up is okay & justifiable, should think of it this way:
if you were working as a receptionist at a company, obviously you would have to look presentable right? So would you then take your company’s petty cash to buy your make up and go to the hairdresser? No! You would take your own money to the darn hairdresser, just like sarah palin should have.
And anybody who thinks she is attractive, or that she is the better choice over obama… i know this is a completely biased thing to say, but MY GOD WHERE IS YOUR BRAIN? Republicans claim to be so patriotic, so godly, but its a complete lie and i’m sure that if god was here, he wouldn’t advocate guns, killing animals, wars, repressing women and GREED. He wouldn’t advocate the lack of substance, he wouldn’t think that simply wearing a pin or badge of the US flag means that you are better, more qualified or patriotic than those who don’t. Truly patriotic people don’t need to go around waving flags in people’s faces because they know in their heart who they are and what they stand for, and waving a flag around is not going to change what is in somebody’s heart… if you fall for that you have no substance.
I mean, wake up! the whole world wants obama to win, because the whole world wants things to get better, more diplomatic, the rest of us WANT SOME FKN WORLD PEACE! But republicans only care about themselves!
@Blanche, I was speaking only of the appearance, not the content, which I made quite clear in my original post.
@Just Amanda: My comments in no way were meant to support Palin, but even if they were, why is everyone who might disagree with you automatically a troll? My post had no “spiteful comments”, but yours sure did, you just call it being “blunt”.
Sex sells.
Since Sarah Palin can’t sell a good tax plan, and thinks neighboring Russia is part of her major international experiences, and defines the function of vice president as “in charge of senate”, and allows her husband to abuse her political resources in the state she governs, the only way to promote her is to dress her up to sell her reasonably-good look.
When the presidential campaign comes down this low, one doesn’t know one should cry or laugh.
Why, in this day and age is it so difficult to make “comparisons”. I would like to see side to side how both parties spend. Then and ONLY then would I make an INFORMED decision.
I’m an undecided voter and I find it hilarious that as soon as the media says something about either candidate, its automatically “true”.
Americans aren’t lemmings. (At least I hope so!!)
Its sad that many people have jumped on the Sarah Palin hate wagon because of what the media says and not because of what they would feel on their own. I don’t judge any candidate based on what someone else tells me, I make observations myself, I find the facts out myself. That is the privilege we have as voters.
Well, I think the RNC can officially stop calling themselves the “family values” party, the “fiscally conservative” party and the “joe six pack” party.
And for my own sanity, I’m going to give ER the benefit of the doubt and assume those comments are all facetious.
Size of the pin indicating the quality of the patriot. Jeesh. I suppose the size of the bible indicates the righteousness of it’s holder too, yeah?
Wondering, just own that you’re voting for McCain/Palin. I just don’t buy that anyone is an undecided voter at this point. And guess where you get your facts “by yourself” from? That’s right: Media. Unless, of course, you’re traveling the country doing your own interviews and research on the candidates policies and life details.
Burn baby burn!!!
Going down in flames you trailer trash reject!!!
Go back to Alaska and crawl into your little hole where no one cares what you do or how you abuse your political power…
What I want to know is how a hair stylist can become “communications consulting”.
Also, as overseas observer, I am deeply worried. I fear that American might just elect the type of leader that is familiar to them.
Diva rocks (as usual). I couldn’t have said it better myself. This kind of expenditure on hair and makeup is offensive, particularly given our current econ. crisis. I totally agree on your assessment of Hilary vs. Palin (looks trump substance and intelligence-combined result of mysogyny, intellectual laziness, celebrity worship and short attention span). And since when wearing a pin equals being patriotic? It’s disheartening to see how shallow some people are.
Anon, I’m worried too. I’m afraid Americans will elect maybe not the guy they want to have a beer with (Bush) but a woman they’d like to f**… Attractive, dumb enough not to be intimidating, red-necky enough to feel like a girl next door. A cheerleader type. Scary.
Obama is so goin’ down. I can’t wait until the fourth!
I agree with trillion. I can’t imagine anyone not having made up their mind at this point. I wish we could just vote now and get it over with.
WOW! Imagine how much it would have cost Hillary!!! YIKES!!!!
The Obama campaign spent 5.3 million on his Greek columns set for ONE NIGHT! Not one word about it in the press anywhere. Just endless stories about the Palin family clothing budget.
So where are the figures for Michelle and Barak’s hair, makeup and wardrobe?
$5.3 million on a series of polystyrene cod-Doric columns? I’m not surprised that it’s not appearing anywhere – it can’t be true. It’d be cheaper to ship over an original temple from Athens.
Where did you hear this figure and was there a breakdown? Are you sure that it wasn’t for the whole of the convention including staffing, travel and insurance, building a replica of Air Force One? In that case I doubt that the Republicans spent much less on their convention (didn’t that have two venues?)
Anyway – despite his tax-and-public spend leanings, some conservatives and Americans concerned over their jobs may like Obama in the long-run as he does appear to have some protectionist/isolationist policies – such as his tax on American multinational companies who outsource abroad (Dell/Intel/Google etc).
Commentators haven’t noted similar policies with McCain.
Now that Obama has won and spent (wasted) $875 BILLION on doorbells and African American heritage parks. I guess we see who the stupid ones are. 43% on job creation (if you’re a construction worker) and 57% on his pet projects. And he knows no foreign policy. DUMB, DUMB, DUMB, people who voted for him. Out of the fire and in to the frying pan we go. Stock market drops like a rock every time he opens him mouth.
Morons.
Look at the state of Alaska’s economy. They have billions in the bank.
We are trillions in the hole NOW because of Obama. Enjoy paying for his park and fleet of “green” cars. You can afford it.