Hillary Designer: Palin Spending Strange

Designers Vie to Dress Political Candidates

(CBS)  CBS News Investigative Producer Laura Strickler wrote this story for CBSNews.com.

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CBS News has confirmed that the Republican National Committee spent up to $150,000 on what appears to be wardrobe and makeup spending at high end department stores for the GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

But one of the most famous political fashion designers of the year, Susanna Chung Forest, who designed Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits says it would be unusual for a candidate as famous as Sarah Palin to need to buy clothes.

“Why do you need to pay for it?” Forest told CBS News from her boutique Susanna Beverly Hills saying that most designers would offer to clothe a candidate for free. “It’s an honor, you are going to design for someone who could be the president of the United States,” noting that the exposure any designer would get from dressing someone as famous as Clinton or Palin would be worth much more.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this year that Senator Clinton’s custom made pantsuits from Forest were worth about $6,350 a piece retail. Clinton’s spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.

The McCain campaign responded to the Palin wardrobe spending with the following statement, “With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we are spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign,” said spokesperson Tracey Schmitt.

Spending over a hundred thousand dollars on a wardrobe is a sharp bump since her days as governor. Matt Simon, reporter from the CBS News Anchorage affiliate says he jokingly asked the governor 'who she was wearing' for the inaugural ball and she responded that she didn’t know. During an interview with KTVA soon after she was elected Palin told the station that her kids were bugging her to get some new clothes.

FEC officials say campaigns are allowed to spend on personal use items but it must be an item that "would exist irrespective if they were not a candidate or office holder", i.e. clothing, mortgage payments, country club fees, etc.

However, the political party (such as the Republican National Committee) can make coordinated expenditures with the candidate’s campaign of up to $19.2 million dollars. The FEC says the possible outstanding question is: Are coordinated expenditures the same as if it were the campaign? The FEC tells CBS News that to determine this someone would have to file a complaint and then the FEC would investigate.

The Obama campaign says it has paid for hair and makeup costs for the Obamas and the Bidens associated with interviews or events but campaign officials say neither the campaign nor the Democratic National Committee(DNC) has paid for clothing.

A CBS News review of DNC and Obama campaign expenditures did not find any similar purchases.

[floras-2009]

Obama has been running for President for years. He already had his suits for that purpose. (Cost and source, please? -- Not released, I bet.)

Palin was doing a real job in Alaska till the week of the convention! She needed suitable clothes, makeup, etc in a hurry. GOP donors paid for it, not taxpayers!

I hope she takes this head-on, offering to release details of the rack cost of her wardrobe vs the rack cost of Obama''s -- as soon as he releases his small donors list, other sought records, and his birth certificate!

[wvlizard]

This latest ploy to cast Palin as evil incarnate and out-of-touch is beyond ridiculous! There''s a double standard between men and women, but also between dims. and repubs. A DNC spokewoman actually had the gall to suggest on a news program that Palin could have bought her clothing at WalMart or Target. Are you kidding? Fine fabrics, excellent construction, beautiful fit, polished appearance, all from WalMart--who knew? Any candidate for a powerful position, experiencing ludicrous amounts of media scrutiny, must present themselves with a certain level of formality and polish. I wondered how much those fug-ly pantsuits cost; I''m sure they didn''t come form WalMart! Also, months back, I saw an interview with the makeup artist that prepped Hil for her big media events--to the tune of $20,000 per event!?! Doubtless no designer is beating down Palin''s door to dress her because she''s a Republican and not a big fat Lib, though she looks much better in clothing than Hil. Can someone tell me where the Annointed One buys his suits? I''m guessing he didn''t pick it up at Target.

[pcarroll512]

TO: knowhr at 04:27 PM : Oct 23, 2008

RE: your comment that The McCain/Palin ticket AND their supporters have been insulting and calling names since day one! Muslim ,a lie, kill him, lie about his tax programs, ..etc

Sorry, Charlie. Those are JUST THE FACTS! As the adopted child of his mother''s second husband in Indonesia and a child who was registered in school as "muslim" and who visited Pakistan as an adult in the 1980s with an Indonesian passport, I THINK IT IS SSAFE TO SAY THAT IF HE IS NOT A MUSLIM SNOW , HE WAS THEN. close enough for me to disqualify him ( and go ahead, call me prejudiced.)

RE: "kill him," the news story was a lie, repudiated by 20 US Secret Service agents on site who said publically that IT NEVER HAPPENED.

RE: His tax programs include a sleight of hand that calls a "tax credit" a "tax cut" and which amounts to welfare handouts to losers who don''t pay taxes to begin with.

As for child molesters protection ... you''ve got me. What is the claim exactly? But I know for a fact that Barrack sanctions infanticide so protecting child molesters isn''t much a stretch. I need more info.

And add this to list: SOCIALIST (and I do not mean "code" for BLACK, either. Sorry, but all the socialists on the world stage for the last 75 years are WHITE. Name calling, on the other hand, would sound something like, "Mother-----ing SOCIALIST." Nobody is saying that.

[joezap5]

Promise4me

Acorn was the victim of their own stupid quota system. They paid the poor by the hour and "suggested" (quota) that about 14/day would be acceptable.

If you''ve ever registered voters in districts that are being combed by many political organizations at once, during a hectic political season, you see that the region quickly becomes saturated. They should''ve known that once their cash paid, low income, workers were striking out they might resort to fudging the forms.

The fact that the Acorn employees registered fake names like Mickey Mouse and John Q.Public, in no way comes close to voter fraud! The Irony is that Acorn, in a way, is the one who was defrauded. But, by being that stupid, they deserve it.

This crime is being committed by persons filling out voter cards, not ACORN itself. This fraud could be committed by persons either using any other voter recruitment organization or NOT USING ONE AT ALL! and just sending their voter applications directly in to the government. ACORN is not necessary to facilitate this fraud.

The worst part of the Acorn affair is that the disgusting, Anti-American, Voter Suppressing, Civil Rights destroying GOP is able to lie and use this to their advantage.

After Kathleen Harris & Co. purged tens of thousands of legitimately registered voters in Florida In 2000 (An election Gore "lost" by less than 270 votes), the GOP will try to claim that this is the reason McCain is going to loose in a landslide election. Sick Irony...

[asamiller]

Palin''s people want to know why people want to talk about her clothes. Its because nobody except the very rich could spend $150,000 on clothes in a couple of months. I''ve raised 3 children. I am 51 years old. If I live to 100 I don''t think I will have spent that kind of money to clothe myself and my family over the years. Its grossly excessive and vulgar especially in a time when many Americans are feeling the brunt of recession and the loss of their life''s savings.

[mbwash]

fervan - Lorne Green has been dead over 20 years. Do you maybe mean Lorne Michaels?

httpwwwnews - you aren''t still on about his birth certificate being faked, are you? Even the conspiracy theorists have given up on that one. According to it, his birth name was indeed Barack, not Barry - although I believe "Barry" may have been a nickname as a child.

Fact checking is a good thing.

[kenglencando]

when the clothes are donated they don''t go to some bum in an alley!! they''ll probably be auctioned off and bring in a greater or equal amount! she''s so popular i''m sure they''ll sell big!! remember this"mccain by a landslide" , it''s a dukakis year my friends!! people are seeing through the media

[gotravel1]

How ironic that the MSM can blast Sarah Palin,but never criticize Hillary,Nancy Pelosi,Barbara Walters,etc.for their wardrobe budget.If Sarah Palin campaigned in her clothes from Alaska,you''d all criticize her for being not classy enough.They are being paid for and donated to charity,unlike the elite who have designers make them for them.Sarah has more common sense than Joe,put his foot in his mouth,Biden, and I''ll take John McCain,who stands up for our country,over Barack,who supports Odinga any day.Obama has tried to make everyone stay so narrowly focused on the economy that you won''t think about his weeknesses in foreign affairs and defense.He is naive and inexperienced.Let him go back to the senate and come back when he has proven that he can actually accomplish something instead of talking in platitudes.

[conn2460]

pcarrol
Just want to say thanks for calling me a loser who doesn''t pay taxes. As an injured nurse who by the way took care of many illegal aliens who didn''t have to pay for health care but I who was injured on the job have been hassled by my employer through the workman''s comp case. I just have to say thanks for that. I who am a mother of a 16 year old girl who is in her first year of college and a 13 year old boy who is just having a rough time making ends meet. I guess Joe the Plumber is doing better than I the nurse..... But what the hey, lets give those who are making 250K the breaks because I am just scum who doesn''t deserve any help because I am a loser? I am one who believes in giving a helping hand to my brothers and sisters who are in need. Thanks for the "welfare".

[red1952]

Hey...it just came out that the numbers the repubs spent on her and her tag along family don''t add up. Could even be more than what they''re releasing. Could it be true. Now I know the First Dude wants to look good, too, but a Louis Vuitton for one of the girls? Guess we see what''s in store for us if they get elected.

[truthliesgov]

$150,000 could have bailed out at least 6 American''s who are facing forclosure, with that said "The McCain Campaign" would have had a lot more to say about helping America.

[targaray-2009]

Elizabeth Hasselbeck set to introduce Sarah Palin. WOW, Two Bobble-Heads on One Stage...

I''ll bet these two can put a hurtin on the RNC Credit Card

- SHOP FIRST * COUNTRY LATER

[justinemo-2009]

To anyone determined to believe that Obama is anything but an American, a Christian, and a hard-working highly intelligent man who has earned his support and who believes this country can be far better than the past 8 years would have anyone believe: Fine! Halloween''s almost here, so y''all keep right on scaring yourself silly with that kind of hysterical conspiracy-theory nonesense while the rest of us elect people of substance to power in the White House and solid majorities in Congress. Run along and play, now, kids--the adults would like to have a conversation.

[wntrpls]

And what about 2 million dollars spent on a party,, he hasnt even won yet. 2 million and americans are figuring a way to pay there mortgage, this is the Obama Nation.

Obama camp splurges $2M to prep Chicago''s Grant Park to host massive victory bash %u2014 but what if he loses?

[jayloux]

If the $150,000 came from Campain Contributions,
then buying personal clothing would be ILLEGAL under
section 301 of the MCCAIN-Fiengold Campain Finance
Reform Act of 2002. Go figure.

[pcarroll512]

TO: knowhr at 04:27 PM : Oct 23, 2008

RE: your comment that The McCain/Palin ticket AND their supporters have been insulting and calling names since day one! Muslim ,a lie, kill him, lie about his tax programs, ..etc

Sorry, Charlie. Those are JUST THE FACTS! As the adopted child of his mother''s second husband in Indonesia and a child who was registered in school as "muslim" and who visited Pakistan as an adult in the 1980s with an Indonesian passport, I THINK IT IS SSAFE TO SAY THAT IF HE IS NOT A MUSLIM SNOW , HE WAS THEN. close enough for me to disqualify him ( and go ahead, call me prejudiced.)

RE: "kill him," the news story was a lie, repudiated by 20 US Secret Service agents on site who said publically that IT NEVER HAPPENED.

RE: His tax programs include a sleight of hand that calls a "tax credit" a "tax cut" and which amounts to welfare handouts to losers who don''t pay taxes to begin with.

As for child molesters protection ... you''ve got me. What is the claim exactly? But I know for a fact that Barrack sanctions infanticide so protecting child molesters isn''t much a stretch. I need more info.

And add this to list: SOCIALIST (and I do not mean "code" for BLACK, either. Sorry, but all the socialists on the world stage for the last 75 years are WHITE. Name calling, on the other hand, would sound something like, "Mother-----ing SOCIALIST." Nobody is saying that.

[joezap5]

Dude... "Red riding hood"!!!! I really think you are retarded, sorry I actually respect your opinions now. For a special person to get on the internet deserves true props.

[elzbethkw]

Someone actually ~designed~ Hilary''s ugly pants suits? If I was that designer, I certainly wouldn''t want anyone to know.

[joezap5]

With the economy in the toilet, Wall Street plummeting, Foreclosures everywhere- you would think this is an unimportant story.

But once again the retarded NeoCons have MADE it an issue by criticizing Obama as a "Paris Hilton" "Elite". A Celebrity!

Palin is just the Small town ''''golly shucks'''' hockey mom... ...........my a$$!

It''''s the Hypocrisy stupid!

Example: Sexual preference is normally a personal issue... but closet gay homophobic neocons getting busted in gay sexual scandal, after scandal makes the HYPOCRISY to much to ignore.

Neocon hypocrisy always pulls the conversation into the gutter.

[testnumber2]

OH MY GAWD, batman,
Who the heck is Susanna Chung Forest? Why do we care what she says? Somebody tell her that Sarah Palin is the VICE-PRESIDENT nominee, not the Presidental Candidate. Why didn''t we hear about hilary''s pantsuits when she was running? Tell me that CBS. $6350.00 each? I guess hilary is a bigger scammer since whats her face gives them to her for free.