# GOP Spends $150K To Dress Up Their Caribou Barbie Doll **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048 "2008-10-22T13:40:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/141 "2008-10-23T03:42:51Z")
Today’s trivia quiz: Which US Senator made the following statements on the floor on May 25, 1993? [QUOTE=Mystery Senator] Madam President, the amendment before the Senate is a very simple one. It restricts the use of campaign funds for inherently personal purposes. The amendment would restrict individuals from using campaign funds for such things as home mortgage payments, **clothing purchases** , noncampaign automobile expenses, country club memberships, and vacations or other trips that are noncampaign in nature… 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… I point out these abuses, in my view what are abuses, because they are certainly not what the average contributor intends for their funds to go to… (emphasis added) [/QUOTE] [answer](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/22/204815/24/493/639218) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/142 "2008-10-23T03:50:42Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I’m not outraged our anything. I don’t care what other people spend their money on. > > But let’s stop pretended that $150,000 is a reasonable amount to spend on clothes. > > 150K is about 150% of what my mother paid for her house- which she will spend the next 30 years paying off. 150k can pay the salary for around 130 Peace Corps volunteers for a year. 150k is way more money than I’ve made in my lifetime, and I’m 27 years old. 150k will buy you tickets on a 131 day round the world luxury cruise- every year for the next six years. 150k is, quite simply, a lot of money. I don’t care how many other people pay 150k on clothes or how much fancy bras cost. It’s a shitload of money. There is no way you can construe this to be a reasonable amount of money to spend on clothing in one shot. No possible way. Sarah Palin’s annual salary as governor is $125,000. She also gets the Alaska bonus, last year it was $3200 per person, so that would be another 20,000–so she spent more than her annual salary and then some on clothes for a two month campaign. Definitely NOT reasonable, no fucking way! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/143 "2008-10-23T03:51:46Z")
Oh for Christ’s sake… $150K is way out of control. Let’s go to Nordstrom and go shopping, shall we? A very nice Misook suit will set you back about $800, and you can switch blouses or scarves with a basic suit for different looks. A St. John Knit suit is usually pricier and will set you back about $1500, ditto on blouses, tanks or scarves for different looks with a basic color. Even if she got 6 of each, that’s still only $12,300. I’ll even add another $10,000 for blouses, tanks and scarves. Throw in an extravagant $10,000 for shoes and top it off with jewelry and accessories at another $20,000. $52,300. Still outrageous and plenty nice. I am trying to remember what a professional hair/make up tech costs per day, but I can’t- at least $500 each plus expenses if they are traveling with her would be my guess. Seems extravagant but whatever. About the boys’ clothes- my hubby used to be a district attorney and had about a dozen VERY nice suits. At approximately $800-1500 each, it added up to about $14,000 in his end of the closet. Call it another $500 for dress shirts and $1000 for nice ties, and even throw in some Allen Edmonds shoes- say, 4 pairs for about $1600. $17,100. Hardly compares, really. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/144 "2008-10-23T03:59:24Z")
Here’s a question: How many of those clothes were made in the good ol’ USA? I’ve heard that almost _nothing_ of the high fashion lines are made in the US, and aren’t even being made in places like Paris and London, but in the same sweatshop factories that Kathy Lee Gifford has her crap made in. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/145 "2008-10-23T04:08:27Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Today’s trivia quiz: Which US Senator made the following statements on the floor on May 25, 1993? > > [answer](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/22/204815/24/493/639218) My guess is John “Maverick” McCain, no relation to John “Republican nominee for President” McCain. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/146 "2008-10-23T04:14:19Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Here’s a question: How many of those clothes were made in the good ol’ USA? I’ve heard that almost _nothing_ of the high fashion lines are made in the US, and aren’t even being made in places like Paris and London, but in the same sweatshop factories that Kathy Lee Gifford has her crap made in. Do you mean the ones in our closet that I mentioned above, or Palin’s? I could check a few labels if you meant mine… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/147 "2008-10-23T04:18:27Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Do you mean the ones in our closet that I mentioned above, or Palin’s? I could check a few labels if you meant mine… Palin’s, though I don’t think that it’d be unreasonable to assume that the two of you might have some of the same brands of clothing. ---
**Author:** ![kitemaker\_chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kitemaker\_chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitemaker_chuck)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/148 "2008-10-23T04:26:10Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > My wife dresses a lot better than that without spending $150,000 – which is a good thing, because I don’t make that kind of money. > > As several people already said, the issue is that Imelda-Marcos-style shopping sprees are utterly incompatible with the “hockey mom” image she tries to present. I think that Don Rickles would call her a “hockey puck” ! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/149 "2008-10-23T05:10:00Z")
I must point out that this is probably the best thing the Republican Party has done for the US economy in 30 years. And that Saks needs the money, given the big cut in bonuses for the Wall Streeters. They should have spent 10x more. They can’t afford Michigan, but they can afford schmattes for Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/150 "2008-10-23T05:27:18Z")
This is going to put her in tax trouble – these are clothes that can be worn outside the workplace, so count as compensation. If she’s considered an employee, then her employer (the RNC?) has to pick up 1/2 the payroll taxes. In any case, these clothes complicate her income tax liability in a big way. From [here](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-b-cohen/palins-new-clothes-augur_b_137057.html): She can’t deduct clothes she could otherwise be able to wear when the campaign’s over. > [@](#): > > As a deductible business expense, the clothing would not affect Ms. Palin’s taxable income. However, if the clothing is a nondeductible personal consumption benefit, her taxable income increases by the $150,000 spent. Even if she’d rather wear jeans & a parka. > [@](#): > > The only question is whether clothing could be adapted for ordinary use, not whether it is so used by the taxpayer in question. She’s still liable for a bunch of taxes if she gives it all away. > [@](#): > > While Ms. Palin has to report as income the amount spent for the clothing when new, she can deduct as a charitable contribution only the fair market value of the clothing when used. > [@](#): > > Even worse for Ms. Palin, there are payroll tax, as well as income tax, implications. Because she receives the clothing in connection with her work as vice presidential nominee, it is compensation subject to payroll taxes. I think also that the RNC can’t compensate her for the tax liability without further increasing her tax liability. If it was just a few thousand dollars, nobody would care about this as a tax issue – but by spending so much, the IRS can’t really ignore the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/151 "2008-10-23T05:35:34Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > I think also that the RNC can’t compensate her for the tax liability without further increasing her tax liability. If it was just a few thousand dollars, nobody would care about this as a tax issue – but by spending so much, the IRS can’t really ignore the issue. They can (and no doubt _would_) if McCain somehow manages to win. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/152 "2008-10-23T06:34:59Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > Yeah, I just want to point this out again. Looking at the pattern on Piper’s bag, it’s plainly _not_ Louis Vuitton, and is just one of those look-alikes that are ubiquitous on street corners in Manhattan. It probably didn’t cost her $20. > [@Tuckerfan](#): > > So, she’s supporting intellectual property theft. Didn’t Sen. Orrin Hatch once compare such people to terrorists? It’s a pretty ugly bag. Unless she had prior knowledge of Louis Vuitton (which I don’t), couldn’t she have bought it without even knowing it was a copy of another, more expensive bag? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/153 "2008-10-23T06:43:33Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > It’s a pretty ugly bag. Unless she had prior knowledge of Louis Vuitton (which I don’t), couldn’t she have bought it without even knowing it was a copy of another, more expensive bag? If she bought in certain areas of NYC, **no**. There’s several areas of the city that known as “knock-off central” and _everything_ you buy there is a knock-off of someone else’s stuff. The bag probably had a tag on it with Vuitton’s name slightly misspelled displayed rather prominantly as well. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/154 "2008-10-23T06:52:59Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > If she bought in certain areas of NYC, **no**. There’s several areas of the city that known as “knock-off central” and _everything_ you buy there is a knock-off of someone else’s stuff. The bag probably had a tag on it with Vuitton’s name slightly misspelled displayed rather prominantly as well. I think your first point is reasonable, but doesn’t the second still rely on prior knowledge of the Louis Vuitton brand? How can you tell that “Louis Vuillon” is a misspelling of “Louis Vuitton”, if you’ve never heard of Louis Vuitton? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/155 "2008-10-23T07:00:47Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I think your first point is reasonable, but doesn’t the second still rely on prior knowledge of the Louis Vuitton brand? How can you tell that “Louis Vuillon” is a misspelling of “Louis Vuitton”, if you’ve never heard of Louis Vuitton? Look, I live in the kind of place which produces the American version of “Crocodile Dundee,” I seriously doubt I could throw a rock and **not** hit someone who’s heard of Louis Vuitton, I seriously doubt that Alaska’s any different than here. Not to mention, Palin’s an ex-sportscaster with a large cable network, so the odds of her **not** knowing who Louis Vuitton is are as near as nothing as to make no odds. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/156 "2008-10-23T07:58:12Z")
Uh oh. It seems the credit crunch has hit the upper echelons of society: the Queen is recycling clothes, as this timely short video on CNN illustrates: [Video News - CNN](http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/10/22/marshall.uk.queen.credit.crunch.itn) Can it now be said that the hockey mom from wasilla is coming across more elitist than the Queen? I sense a parody political ad on some comedy show post haste. The timing on this story is hi-larious. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/157 "2008-10-23T09:55:26Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > “…but Clinton would have, potentially, in an alternate timeline have done the same thing!” I just popped over to that timeline to check and no, she’s buying her own clothes, as is her running mate Oprah. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/158 "2008-10-23T11:01:27Z")
Oh, for Christ’s sake. The answer from McCain’s campaign included this classic line: > [@](#): > > With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. PANTSUITS. Now, every picture I’ve seen of Palin shows her wearing a _skirted_ suit - and hey, if I had legs like that, I’d wear skirts every chance I got, too. I can’t remember seeing her wear a pantsuit, it might have happened, since some events have been outdoors and maybe in weather where a skirt was inappropriate, but most of what we’ve seen her wearing has involved skirts. But who made the pantsuit her trademark this election campaign? Why, that would be Hillary Clinton. Who we can quietly imply spends this sort of money on _her_ clothes, in order to take some heat from Palin (and hope undecided voters don’t notice that this is her own money she’s spending, not the DNC’s). Fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/159 "2008-10-23T11:12:05Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > Oh, for Christ’s sake. The answer from McCain’s campaign included this classic line: > PANTSUITS. Now, every picture I’ve seen of Palin shows her wearing a _skirted_ suit - and hey, if I had legs like that, I’d wear skirts every chance I got, too. I can’t remember seeing her wear a pantsuit, it might have happened, since some events have been outdoors and maybe in weather where a skirt was inappropriate, but most of what we’ve seen her wearing has involved skirts. > > But who made the pantsuit her trademark this election campaign? Why, that would be Hillary Clinton. Who we can quietly imply spends this sort of money on _her_ clothes, in order to take some heat from Palin (and hope undecided voters don’t notice that this is her own money she’s spending, not the DNC’s). > > Fuckers. I think you’re giving the Pubs way too much credit for subtlety. They are really not your party for sly inferences – they are your party for screaming from rooftops. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048/160 "2008-10-23T13:37:45Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > If she bought in certain areas of NYC, **no**. There’s several areas of the city that known as “knock-off central” and _everything_ you buy there is a knock-off of someone else’s stuff. The bag probably had a tag on it with Vuitton’s name slightly misspelled displayed rather prominantly as well. I hate to be the one to post this, but I have a knock-off LV from years ago that is extremely well done. Correct logos, materials, even interior tags and zipper pulls, no silly misspellings. Canal Street may have obvious fakes out front, but they also have real black market goods out back or upstairs (or at least very well done fakes). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-spends-150k-to-dress-up-their-caribou-barbie-doll/469048.md?page=9)