$150k for Palin's Dress Up

Even the Republicans aren't happy about this one:

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

Thank God for Real Americans, huh?

Ambinder reports:

There is already an attempt to blame the media -- as in, the liberal media would have looked askance at Palin if she wasn't clad in Neiman Marcus, but this won't wash. Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures.

The coming Republican civil war will be between those who drank the Palin Poison, and those who didn't. Let's hope the country club crowd wins out over the Bible thumpers, but I suspect we'll have to wait until 2016 to see that come to pass. In 2012 the thinking will be, "McCain was a centrist, and he lost! Given the choice between Democrat and Democrat Lite, the people will choose the real thing every time. It's time to return to our conservative roots," by which they mean a return to the Tom Delay, Rick Santorum GOP base craziness. It'll be a landslide, and then they'll come around.

Oh, and get this precious reaction from a Palin spokesperson:

"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."

Awwwww. I wonder, what lucky welfare recipient or thrift-store shopper will be waltzing around in a $12,000 jacket next year?

Atrios ads the following to the discussion:

Remember the good ol' days (of about 8 months ago) when the GOP was outraged over $400 haircuts?

Oy.

By contrast, here's a picture of Obama's shoes.  He's had them resoled once already during the campaign.

That elitist bastard.