Sarah Palin talks about wardrobe flap ('If people only knew how frugal we are')

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib

An exclusive interview: 'If people only knew how frugal we are'


PITTSBURGH - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin insisted in an interview with the Tribune on Thursday that she did not accept $150,000 worth of designer clothes from the Republican Party and "that is not who we are."

"That whole thing is just, bad!" she said. "Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are.

"It's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there and are not reported," said Palin, saying the clothes are not worth $150,000 and were bought for the Republican National Convention. Still, she has been wearing pricey clothes at campaign events this fall. She said they will be given back, auctioned off or sent to charity. Most of them, she said, haven't even left the belly of her campaign plane.



Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-sarah-palin-1023...

---

more:


http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10...

<snip>

Q: You're giving this policy speech tomorrow, but has this journey been worth it to you when you're getting nitpicked on wardrobe and polls

SP: "It is all worth it because we know we are on the right path here in providing Americans a choice on Nov. 4th. You can support a children that will do all that we can for children with special needs and we support policies that will create jobs and get the economy back on track. Of course it's worth it. But I'm glad you brought up the wardrobe.

"That whole thing is just, bad! Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are."

"The clothes that were loaned to us during the convention. And I don't think it was anywhere near...What did they say, Tracey? $150 grand? It wasn't anywhere near that. Those are not ours. We give those back, those go to charity or they'll be auctioned off or whatever. That's not even my property. So to be criticized for that, that is not who we are."

[Bicoastal]

1. YOU BOUGHT AN EXPENSIVE SUIT FOR YOUR PREGNANT DAUGHTER'S FIANCE!

God, I'd be feeling ripped off if I was a Republican right now.

[saigon68]

25. She will donate the clothes to Charity

After they dry-clean the "shit stains" out of them

[tabasco]

80. LOL!

LMAO.

The freepers won't buy them unless the shit stains are still there for them to sniff.

[GinaMaria]

49. Then why is that the amount on the accounting ?

Was the money used for something else and just labeled as wardrobe expenses? Tell us how the money was really spent.

[marylanddem]

2. The interviewer says they're "nitpicking" on poor Sarah

Currying favor or pandering or playing dumb or really dumb - but this ain't nitpicking, asshole

[Bicoastal]

4. It's the Trib. Whatever.

[spag68]

26. The Trib.

I presume it's the Greensburg Tribune, called the Pittsburgh Tribune. Owned by a man slimier then Rupert, Richard Mellon Scaife, of the 7 Million investigation of Bill and Hilliary. Just like the NY Post, it is a money black hole and in the divorce papers his estranged wife wants him to stop pouring money down the drain with it. Oh my , I guess her settlement will be affected. There has been a long standing squabble over assets, and it couldn't happen to a better pair of really rich obnoxious people.

[dennysp]

3. I DID tell Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks" on that bridge to nowhere!

So, you know I'm tellin' the truth about these clothes. You betcha!

[goclark]

5. Can they arrest her and her slimeball husband when they

appear for that case tomorrow?

[buddysmellgood]

6. Why, we don't even pay to take our kids on vacations! eom

[PDJane]

7. But she's only profligate....

When it's someone else's money, y'see.

Disgusting display of conspicuous consumption.

[tblue]

22. Profli-gate would be the perfect name for this scandal.

[cboy4]

8. Mmmmmmm Hmmmmmmmm

[pinto]

9. Come on, I am officially embarrassed for our country that Gov. Palin is a national candidate.

And saddened, fwiw.

[FLyellowdog]

10. "That whole thing is just, bad! Oh, if people only knew how fu@ked we are."

[Melinda]

11. Bingo -- they must make this argument for the clothes to be considered...

campaign donations. Ms Frugal shops at Walmart. Neither she nor her family shop at upscale stores such as Neiman Marcus. And so, the 150k expenditure is out of the ordinary, will never be converted into her private wardrobe, and remains inpersonal.

How convenient.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. That tanning bed was a really frugal move...

Mmhmm.

[MO_Dem]

13. said Palin, saying the clothes are not worth $150,000

Ungrateful Sarah? Sheesh! I've heard of "looking a gift horse in the mouth", but Man!, this is rich!

[Richard D]

14. Well, they are used clothing now.

Certainly not worth what they were worth new.

[Roy]

15. Did she just say the campaign report is a lie?

If info on the clothing came from campaign disclosure reports, and now she is saying the clothing was on loan? OK, what was the $150,000 spent for?
If the clothing was loaned for use at the convention, why is she still wearing them, are family still wearing the loaned clothing?

Shouldn't the FEC be asking questions?

To be a good liar you must have a good memory and this lady does not have a good memory. I don't think remembers what she has said from one sentence to the next.

[tblue]

23. Yeah, what else do you buy at Neiman Marcus and Saks if not clothes?

How stupid does she think we are? We already know she lies like a rug. She just proves it more and more every time she opens her mouth.

[LynneSin]

55. And trust me, you can't even get a pair of undies in there for less than $25

I don't have a complaint about those stores - hell I like to buy stuff from their outlet stores here in Philly. But that money is my OWN money and NOT donations from hardworking people who thought they were using it to get you elected.

[Bake]

62. Hey, it wasn't ALL clothes ... some of it was hair and makeup!

So see, she's telling the troof! It wasn't ALL clothes! Sort of like "what the meaning of 'is' is."

I'm sure they ARE frugal with THEIR money!! Repugs never spend their OWN money, they always spend somebody else's!

Bake

[jmowreader]

79. You can, apparently, get really good cookies there

You have, certainly, seen the infamous "Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe" on the Internets...the one where someone went into Neiman Marcus' cafe, ordered cookies, asked for the recipe, was charged a lot of money for it, so spammed the world with the recipe to "get back" at the store.

Well...they're selling the cookies now. Why the hell not?

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?it...

[awoke_in_2003]

16. Can someone translate this to English?

"You can support a children that will do all that we can for children with special needs and we support policies that will create jobs and get the economy back on track."

We have had 8 years of bush mangling the language, but you could always figure out what he was saying. This woman takes proper English words and assembles them in such a way as to make you say "what language is she speaking?"

[OwnedByFerrets]

17. What she left out is....We are frugal with OUR money....

its other peoples money that we dont have a problem wasting.

[jwirr]

18. And what would have happened to them if no one had noticed?

[LynnTheDem]

19. "frugal" = $150,000 designer clothes in 6 weeks.

Good luck selling that one, Palin'.

[MO_Dem]

20. Yeah! Next thing ya know

she'll be trying to sell us a bridge to nowhere or some such ridiculous nonsense!

[wordpix]

21. "Most of them, she said, haven't even left the belly of her campaign plane."

Apparently she bought so much she can't even wear them, while children go hungry in America/around the world, our highways are full of potholes and bridges collapse.

McCain and Palin: good on the economy (as long as they're not paying)

[Ms. Toad]

47. That line caught my eye, as well.

In my book, frugal would probably not include buying $150,000 of clothing in my adult life - let alone buying it for a month period.

If, by some stretch of the imagination frugal would include such pricey purchases - it certainly would not include that kind of expenditure for clothing that is not even going to be used.

As for being good for the economy - it is pouring money into it

[PJPhreak]

24. Dear Sarah...

Just a quick note fer ya.
My name is Phil,I live in what you would you would call "The Real America" a small Farm/Manufacturing town in Kansas with a population of just over 13,000, a Per capita income of $18,660.
I live in what is called a "Shotgun Shack" (A house that if you look in the front door you can see all the way thru it!) That is 330 Sq Ft for all three rooms.Costs me $500 a month A.B.P.
I drive a 26 year old Toyota Corolla and my Girlfriend of 25 years a 7 year old Dodge.Both Cars need brakes VERY Badly,The "Yota" is getting to the point that it is gonna need a Hospice soon as it is getting "Terminal" so much is wrong with it...but it has carried my happy ass for 13 years so I guess I can't bitch too much.
My job is going O.K. tho its getting harder,in three years I've gone from making $9.50 an hour and 65 hour weeks to $6.55 an hour 36/38 hours a week,but the roof is still over our head and as long as people keep comin into the restaurant and grabbin a bite to eat,Ill have a job...So I guess I'm doin allrite considering that so many folk here in "Real America" are really havin a hard time.
Oh hey I gotta question fer Ya....I read that the wardrobe that was "Loaned" to ya is gonna be Donated to Charity...Could you just kick a box outta the Cargo Compartment of the Campaign Jet as Ya'll fly over Kansas??? I'll give Ya'll the GPS Directions so you can get it to me...It wont be noticed by yer boss,he's too busy bailin out the campaign ship with a Dixie Cup,lol

ALL HUMOR ASIDE....WHAT "SOMEBODY" ON THAT WARDROBE IS MORE MONEY THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON IN "REAL AMERICA" MAKES IN TEN YEARS!!!!!
PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS IN A TOWN WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR THEM BECAUSE OF THE SELFISH,CLOSEMINDED,LOOK DOWN YER NOSE AT THE POOR,UNEDUCATED,NOSE IN THE AIR,MY GOD IS BETTER AND RIGHTER THAN YOUR GOD,FUCKED UP ATTITUDE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU!!!!!!!

Have a nice Election Day,Bitch.....I KNOW I WILL!!!!!

Phil

[yardwork]

58. Welcome to DU! Great rant!

[beam me up scottie]

61. Bravo!

Welcome to DU!

[frylock]

67. nice!

[llmart]

78. Right on!

Don't mince any words, there. And welcome to DU.

[Zambero]

27. Calling Tina Fey!

Could there be a promenade and fashion show in the offing? Fey noted that the SNL Palin skits write themselves. And they keep on coming!

[pinniped]

28. She must be frugal, billing the state of Alaska for everything.

.

[struggle4progress]

29. She may be frugal with her own money. But with other people's money, not so much

[question everything]

30. Palin talks about wardrobe flap, double standard for women and special education

Source: Chicago Tribune

By Jill Zuckman
Tribune staff reporter

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin insisted in an interview with the Tribune on Thursday that she did not accept $150,000 worth of designer clothes from the Republican Party and "that is not who we are." "That whole thing is just, bad!" she said. "Oh, if people only knew how frugal we are.

"It's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there and are not reported," said Palin, saying the clothes are not worth $150,000 and were bought for the Republican National Convention. Still, she has been wearing pricey clothes at campaign events this fall. She said they will be given back, auctioned off or sent to charity. Most of them, she said, haven't even left the belly of her campaign plane.

Thrust into the national spotlight as John McCain's running mate in late August from relative obscurity as governor of Alaska, Palin has found herself under the microscope ever since, accused of being inexperienced, a drag on the ticket and, most recently, the recipient of racks of expensive clothes. Less than two weeks before Election Day, she will deliver her first major policy speech Friday, calling for full funding of special education, a subject that has suddenly become extremely personal. And that's not just because of the arrival of Trig, her 6-month-old son with Down syndrome. It's because families with children who have disabilities have been flocking to her campaign stops, looking to Palin and her family for inspiration.

Palin on Thursday granted one of her first newspaper interviews since becoming McCain's vice presidential nominee. She was joined by her husband, Todd, who cradled Trig, noticeably plumper since he was first introduced to the world two months ago. Palin called the disabilities issues "a joyful challenge." Todd Palin showed off photos of people with Down syndrome who have come to campaign events, and the candidate said one advocacy group sent her a bumper sticker that said "My kid has more chromosomes than your kid."



Read more: www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-sarah-palin-1023,0,7917...

[Eric J in MN]

31. In 2008, there wasn't much discussion of the clothing of male candidates.

So maybe women's clothes are getting more scrutiny in 2008.

But in 2000, there was tons of garbage about Al Gore wearing "earth tones" and supposedly "re-inventing himself" every time he wore a different outfit.

It was a big part of the media's War on Gore in 2000.

[grasswire]

32. don't forget the flap about Kerry's coat in 2004

He wore one of those sturdy coats that ranchers/farmers wear. He got blistered for it.

[karynnj]

64. Huge difference though - he paid for it and wore it constantly

if he was dressed informally. It was not extravagant.

[grasswire]

68. context

I was replying to the poster who said "there has not been much discussion about male candidate's clothes" this year and who cited the 2000 discussion about Al Gore's earth tones. I was not replying to any discussion of extravagance.

[BearSquirrel2]

70. It's called a Carhartt jacket ..

And you're right, if you haven't done a job or are on a site where wearing a Carhatt jacket is appropriate, you're just a poser.

[superconnected]

33. How many times can she use the female card in one week.

I'm a woman, and I'm sick of it.

[NashVegas]

39. Perhaps As Many Times As Its Played Against Her

How many people call her a dumb beauty pageant queen when she ought to be called a dumb jock? All because they didn't have scholarships for champion girls basketball players back when she graduated from HS - but put on a swimsuit and off to college you go.

[PaulaFarrell]

43. Untrue

There were scholarships for female athletes in the late 70s. I knew a few women on scholarships (mainly academic) when I was at school, but no beauty queens.

[NashVegas]

63. How Many

Colleges had womens' basketball teams in 1982 and scholarships for their players?

[Virginia Dare]

74. Maybe because she acts like a dumb beauty pageant queen..

the way she vamps around is disgusting and demeaning.

[mitchum]

77. That she has tits, ass, and can pop out brats are apparently the only "qualifications"

she possesses.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be pimping that shit all of the time.

[LynnTheDem]

34. NO ONE was discussing your clothes, Palin', until the world found out about the $150,000.00

from voter donations you used to buy them.

[sheldon]

35. McCain was against it

Before he was for it!

Flashback: McCain supported amendment to restrict use of campaign funds on ‘clothing purchases.’»

....on the Senate floor in 1993, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) supported restrictions on the use of campaign funds for “inherently personal purposes,” specifically denouncing the use of such funds on “clothing purchases”:

The use of campaign funds for items which most Americans would consider to be strictly personal reasons, in my view, erodes public confidence and erodes it significantly.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/23/mccain-clothes-rnc/

[Raschel]

36. So give us the facts if they're "not out there". Does she think it sounds any better to say

that most of the clothes are still on the plane? More waste.

[SoCalDem]

38. Must be pretty smelly by now...eeew.. unless there's a dry cleaners onboard

[radfringe]

37. Sarah the Whiner? n/t

[cornermouse]

40. It's not what they wear, it's what they do.

All this stuff about clothes is trivial and unimportant.

And as far as her son with Down's Syndrome being a joyful challenge? He's still an infant, cute, cuddly and mostly stationary at this point in time. She hasn't gotten to the hard part yet.

[mac56]

41. "It's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there.."

....and are not reported."

How very, very sad for her.

[Virginia Dare]

75. She has no problem suggesting Obama is a terrorist though..

that's perfectly legit....

[NewJeffCT]

42. Suck it up Sarah - if you can't take criticism on your clothes

how can you face Al Qaeda, Vladimir Putin or Hu Jintao?

[kutastha]

45. "My kid has more chromosomes than your kid."

Did someone actually send this? Down Syndrome children have 47 chromosomes. But I'm sure Palin knows this and used such an opportunity to show her knowledge about such a syndrome and educate the populace. Right?

[Luna_C_06]

46. Full funding of special education?

I thought she cut funding for disabled kids.

[BearSquirrel2]

69. If you wanted to give to charity ...

If you wanted to give to charity you could probably purchase 100s of garments for just one of the ones on Sarah's back now.

The outrage here is that this likely isn't even the "best" clothing. It's largely designer bullshit produced in the same sweatshops as all the rest of the shit. It just has a glitzy label on it that makes it more "valuable" for the Paris Hilton types.

It's not like they were buying technical outerwear and there is really a huge difference between the materials and construction of one garment vs. another.

[Hugin]

44. Well, there goes the whole concept of 'The Wardrobe To Nowhere' spring line. n/t

[LynneSin]

54. No but we'll keep the money and build a spring line that'll build up to there

[onecent]

48. BWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Makin' me laugh. It probably

isn't anywhere near...it's probably DOUBLE.

Oh good, 150,000 used clothes sell real well at second hand shops.

[Javaman]

50. meh, we already know how full of shit she is, why is there a need to know more? nt

[LeftHander]

51. No DUH....she gets the taxpayers to pay for lavish lifestyle....

Having someone else pick up the check is the ultimate in frugality...

[leftist.]

52. This is the republican party of bush/cheney/rove

Even when everyone else knows the truth about what you are saying and the facts are out there and easily available, even when it's not up for debate, just lie about it and move on. People will forget so why bother with apologies. Just straight up lie.

I'll say this - the fact that they are having to address it so much tells me that it resonates with the public and that they/we are not happy.

[LynneSin]

53. No shit sherlock - you think!!??!! If I were an RNC donor I'd be doubly pissed....

ESPECIALLY if I was living in a state or district that was about to lose my republican senator or congressional reprsentative.

$150k could help pay for a flyer to be mailed out, TV spots in a smaller district or some disgusting robocalls.


You could have taken $5k and shopped at Kohls, Sears or even Macy's and spruced up that bimbo.

Geez.

They better all go to fucking charity after she's done but I'd be shocked if they don't see the light of day or they'll end up at some fundy nut job charity where they will serve no purpose

[sunder]

56. What about the pricey $165 diaper bag?

Was that 'donated' too? Please.

[yardwork]

59. Welcome to DU!

[noel711]

57. "Painful to be criticized..."??

So you can dish it out but you can't take it?

Welcome to the real world of politics, darlin'-

YOu think because you're the star of the fundie base
you are immune to responsibility?

Grow up.

[all.of.me]

60. Give them back?! I didn't know Saks had a second-hand store. nt

[Virginia Dare]

76. The stupid freepers will pay for them yet again..

when they're put up on the auction block.

[petronius]

65. "When all the facts aren't out there" is such a classic rw line

We heard it all the time with Iraq: "Things are going great - there's lots of good things that aren't being reported. It's like rwers believe that the things they want to be true are proved to be true because the media is not reporting them.

The funny thing is, they get in front of the media and whine about "the facts not being known" - well, what you say is being reported, why not just mention those important facts instead of complaining that no one knows them?

(Wait, could it be because all the facts actually are known? Hmmm?)

[VaYallaDawg]

66. To quote "Das Barbecu" - dizzying new heights of dummassitude.

[Zorra]

71. She's so frugal that she stole tens of thousands of dollars from Alaska taxpayers

so that her kids could fly to watch a snow machine race, eat in fancy restaurants, and stay in swank hotels.

And then she tried to cover it up.

[daleo]

72. Wear your frugal clothes

That's how people can tell how frugal you are.

Wearing special campaign clothes that you would never buy for yourself shows a lack of sincerity - it's literally not "the genuine article".

[antonialee839]

73. Frugal?

Is this frugal?

In July, the governor charged the state $2,741.26 to take Bristol and Piper to Philadelphia for a meeting of the National Governors Association. The girls had their own room for five nights at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for $215.46 a night, expense records show.

Or this?

and a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel. (In October 2007, Palin brought daughter Bristol along on a trip to New York for a women's leadership conference. Plane tickets from Anchorage to La Guardia Airport for $1,385.11 were billed to the state, records show, and mother and daughter shared a room for four nights at the $707.29-per-night Essex House hotel, which overlooks Central Park.)

I wish I could be that frugal. What a maverick!

[bettyellen]

81. True! she has a half a million house she built for peanuts!!

[tanyev]

82. You might as well keep the clothes, Sarah.

It will be your lovely parting gift from a party that wants nothing more to do with you.