Apparently quite a few McCain aides, since they were the ones calling reporters to get the news out.
Considering that all these sources have been anonymous, I don’t think we can conclude that “quite a few McCain aides” are behind this. Not until we get a head count, that’s for sure.
Again, I’m not saying anything about whether these allegations are true or not. We just don’t have any reliable sources of information yet.
News?!? What “news” do you speak of that is actually news-worthy here? Skirts and belts and dresses? Pfft…
The only person showing any real class about this issue is Sarah Palin. The media is so wrapped up about this non-issue when they need to consider more important things like what’s going on in the world, but they continue their efforts to smear Palin. Why? And why don’t these “staffers” come forward and deal with the clothes themselves? What do they want to do…sniff her fucking underwear next?!?
More here:
I imagine there’s a kernel of truth to these stories, though I wouldn’t begin to guess how big a kernel amidst all the fluffy popcorn.
There are all sorts of claims and denials still being made, and nothing has been proven yet on either side. It is still worth getting to the bottom of, because:
Not when those public figures have (or seek) positions in the government. We do not allow even the suggestion that someone can get preferential treatment in return for money or gifts. A good friend of mine used to be an inspector for the Food and Drug Administration. There were very specific rules on what things she was allowed to accept from the companies she inspected. If my friend had to know, and follow, those rules, so should a candidate for vice president.
Can the people who keep saying her clothing budget wasn’t out of the ordinary come up with any examples of any other American politicians with similar clothing budgets coming from campaigns? I don’t think such examples exist, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong.
Or cite instances where the families of politicians were so lavishly dressed?
Exhibit A: McCain, Cindy.
The clothes were either a gift for which some law and order maverick needs to pay the tax or they were campaign props which need to be given back to the RNC. I don’t care that the RNC spent whatever amount they wanted dressing their Caribou Barbie and family but the tax on $150,000.00+ is not chump change and somebody better either take the god damned things back or pay the fucking gift tax. I can’t believe we are arguing with “Republicans” over whether the laws of this country must be obeyed.
cite?
Also, geniios: it’s going to be more apparent to everyone that you are replying to quotes if you put the quote ABOVE your reply. Everytime I read one of your posts with a quote in it, I first think that the quote is somehow backing up your argument, because you put it last. Just trying to be helpful.
But of course, she paid for her own clothes. No campaign funds used.
How would it be if the RNC just gave Palin the clothing, then she auctioned them off and pocketed the proceeds?
No, this won’t happen. This won’t happen because we have anti-corruption laws in place.
Many things separate first-world countries from the third world. A lot of them fall under the framework of “Rule of Law”.
This shouldn’t be a huge deal. Tax laws should be obeyed and ditto for the Federal Election Commission. It’s not hard to grasp.
Separately, Palin should come clean about the whole matter, rather than offering cute sound bites. But this is of less significance and --let’s face it-- it won’t happen. She doesn’t do candor, only posturing.
A total net worth of 1.2 million, which includes your home, your retirement savings, your business, and all other assets, does not make you wealthy.
Palin has spent most of her adult life making less money than her husband, who is a blue-collar rig worker. This is not the kind of income that allows you to shop at Saks 5th Avenue. It’s certainly a nice, upper-middle class income, but Alaska is also a very expensive place to live.
And part of the reason why they have as much income as they do is because the ‘Diva’ spends a lot of time in the summer with her husband commercial fishing, which is an incredibly difficult job. They fly to and fro in a 1958 Piper on floats, which is about as cheap an airplane you can buy.
And BTW, this is the jet she sold (or one just like it) - a Westwind II: http://www.aircraftmarketing.com/wp-content/images/inventory/1985_west2_sn436_big.jpg.
Here’s a picture of the actual jet: http://www.sitnews.us/1206news/121306/121306_jet.jpg I wonder if that’s Palin behind the sign…
She sold it and used a turboprop that was unavailable much of the time because it was old and required a lot of maintenance. Some Diva.
Actually, she would have had to use the turboprop anyway, as a Westwind II can not land on gravel strips and needs at least 4,000 ft of runway, making it unsuitable to fly into many communities in Alaska.
The Westwind burns almost exactly twice as much fuel as a King Air, and costs about twice as much to operate per hour (about $500/hr vs $1000/hr in direct operating costs). It’s also much more expensive to maintain and depreciates more.
:dubious: Well, several financial planning companies seem to think that it does:
To put this in perspective, in case you were starting to feel sorry for poor Sarah and Todd having only one-thirtieth the wealth that a real rich person has, let’s compare their situation to that of the median American household:
That’s the median American family: in other words, half of American families have more net worth than that, while half have less. And what they have in net assets is less than one-tenth of what the Palins have.
Sorry. Any definition of “wealthy” that excludes people who have more than TEN TIMES the median household wealth is so inflated as to be largely meaningless.
Sure, the Palins aren’t dripping-rich compared to some people, but they sure as hell ain’t average middle-class Americans either. Good for them, sez I, as long as they don’t go trying to palm themselves off on the voters as middle-class.
But thanks to union wages and benefits, being a blue-collar rig worker is a pretty good deal! Let’s hear it for United Steelworkers!
You are certainly correct that Palin’s net worth of US$1.2 million does not make me wealthy.
But anyone with over US$1 million is wealthy. Perhaps you can argue the degree of wealth, but it’s still wealthy.
OK, so selling off a plane she couldn’t use for some destinations and instead using a plane she could take on those trips proves that she is “not a diva”. Gotcha.
Really? She goes out and works on the fishing boats?
'Cause that would impress me, just as I expect it would have impressed a lot of us, had we heard that. I wonder why we didn’t?
<buzzer>
Sorry, but this isn’t the case. The fishing business does not make a lot of money, and Sarah does not actually go out and fish.
If you have a cite that says differently, I’d love to see it.
It’s not the tax. You can’t just give $150,000 to a politician, whether they pay tax on it or not.
Just because she isn’t living there doesn’t mean it’s closed up and saving the taxpayers money.
In IL, the governor hasn’t spent a night in the official residence since 2002 and there’s still staff that has to be there to guard it, maintain it, etc, AND the state winds up picking up the bill on two homes. I don’t think it’d be any different in Alaska.
One other point – Michelle Obama appeared in public in an H&M dress that cost $35…a dress from White House Black Market that cost under $200…and an ensemble from the J.Crew catalog that was probably under $300. If she can do it, why couldn’t Sarah?