McCain: 1/3 Palin Clothes Already Returned
Police arrive in the Mall, London, before Queen Elizabeth II leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations Tuesday June 5, 2012. Queen Elizabeth II will make a rare address to the nation at the conclusion of festivities marking her 60 years on the throne. (AP Photo/Anthony Devlin, Pool) / Anthony Devlin
Republican John McCain said Sunday that one-third of the $150,000 that the GOP spent on clothing and accessories for his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and her family, "is given back."
McCain strategist Mark Salter said "about a third of it was returned immediately" because they were the wrong size, or for other reasons.
Salter's explanation was the first time the campaign has said any of the items had been returned.
Last week after the purchases at such high-end department stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus appeared in campaign spending reports filed with the government, McCain and his aides repeatedly said the clothes would be donated to charity after the election.
News of such expensive clothes offered a stark contrast to Palin's image as an average "hockey mom."
Tracey Schmitt, Palin's campaign spokeswoman, said some of the clothing was returned after the Republican National Convention in September. The governor generally wears her own outfits on the campaign trail, Schmitt said.
"A third was returned post-convention," she said. "Many of the remaining clothes have never been worn."
Schmitt said Palin intended to donate the items she has worn to charity.
"Regardless, what wasn't returned will go to charity after Election Day," said Schmitt.
Asked about Palin as he was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press," McCain rejected the notion that Palin is unqualified to be president and that she is hurting is campaign for the presidency. He also was questioned about the clothing purchases.
"Look, she lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this, and there was some - and some third of that money is given back, the rest will be donated to charity," he said.
"Americans right now care about whether they're going to stay in their homes, whether they're going to have a job, whether they're going to be able to keep their health insurance, if we're going to come out of this ditch that we're in," McCain added. "They want change. They want reform. She is a role model to millions and millions and millions of Americans."
Meanwhile, on the trail in Florida on Sunday, Palin had a pointed message for Barack Obama: This thing isn't over yet.
Speaking in Tampa, Fla., Palin sharply criticized Obama for acting as if he's already won the election.
Palin mentioned reports that the Democratic presidential nominee, who is leading in the polls, has already written his inaugural speech. That drew boos from the crowd of more than 5,000 gathered for a rally at the Tampa convention center.
Palin said Obama's campaign "thinks this whole election thing is just a formality."
With just nine days to go before the Nov. 4 election, Palin was making another push in the swing state of Florida, where most polls show Obama leading McCain.
Read more about Palin's event in From the Road
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. McCain strategist Mark Salter said "about a third of it was returned immediately" because they were the wrong size, or for other reasons.
Salter's explanation was the first time the campaign has said any of the items had been returned.
Last week after the purchases at such high-end department stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus appeared in campaign spending reports filed with the government, McCain and his aides repeatedly said the clothes would be donated to charity after the election.
News of such expensive clothes offered a stark contrast to Palin's image as an average "hockey mom."
Tracey Schmitt, Palin's campaign spokeswoman, said some of the clothing was returned after the Republican National Convention in September. The governor generally wears her own outfits on the campaign trail, Schmitt said.
"A third was returned post-convention," she said. "Many of the remaining clothes have never been worn."
Schmitt said Palin intended to donate the items she has worn to charity.
"Regardless, what wasn't returned will go to charity after Election Day," said Schmitt.
Asked about Palin as he was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press," McCain rejected the notion that Palin is unqualified to be president and that she is hurting is campaign for the presidency. He also was questioned about the clothing purchases.
"Look, she lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this, and there was some - and some third of that money is given back, the rest will be donated to charity," he said.
"Americans right now care about whether they're going to stay in their homes, whether they're going to have a job, whether they're going to be able to keep their health insurance, if we're going to come out of this ditch that we're in," McCain added. "They want change. They want reform. She is a role model to millions and millions and millions of Americans."
Meanwhile, on the trail in Florida on Sunday, Palin had a pointed message for Barack Obama: This thing isn't over yet.
Speaking in Tampa, Fla., Palin sharply criticized Obama for acting as if he's already won the election.
Palin mentioned reports that the Democratic presidential nominee, who is leading in the polls, has already written his inaugural speech. That drew boos from the crowd of more than 5,000 gathered for a rally at the Tampa convention center.
Palin said Obama's campaign "thinks this whole election thing is just a formality."
With just nine days to go before the Nov. 4 election, Palin was making another push in the swing state of Florida, where most polls show Obama leading McCain.
Read more about Palin's event in From the Road
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I guess if everyone is rich who would want to do the poormans job....
Why cant we all just live comfortable?
There is enough for everyone if u figure it out right. Thats what we need.... Someone to FIGURE IT OU RIGHT!!!!
That question is not really relevant, BUT the other questions the poster listed are relevant. Since you didn''t include the important parts of that message, I''ll do it now:
Didn''''t John McCain leave his first wife, Carol McCain, when she became disabled? How can disabled women trust John McCain, knowing he left his disabled wife? Didn''''t John McCain cheat on his wife, Carol, with drug addict and thief, Cindy? Didn''''t John McCain take a vow "''''til death do us part?" Didn''''t John McCain break his vow to God and his wife? If McCain can''''t keep a vow to God and his wife, how can he be trusted to keep an oath of office? How can disabled veterans trust John McCain? Who wants a recovering addict and thief as First Lady of the USA? Didn''''t Palin abuse power by allowing husband, Todd, to pressure Trooper to fire her brother-in-law? It''''s not about clothes...
No, it''s not simply about clothing.
Oh- and by-the-way... most of the anti McCain people are folks who Have nothing and are looking for Hussein to Give them something. They are Children who haven''t learned that Rarely something will come for Nothing and generally it''s just easier to Earn it than wait...
a) was in the pocket of former Lincoln Savings & Loan president and convicted criminal Charles Keating;
b) was buddies with fellow convicted criminal Republicans Ted Stevens, Tom Delay, Scooter Libby, Bob Allen, Trent Lott, Jack Abramoff, Don Young, Larry Craig, Randy %u201CDuke%u201D Cunningham, Tom Feeney, Alberto Gonzoles, Bob Ney, Rick Renzi, Richard Curtis, Steven Griles, Mark Foley...etc;
c) accepted political donations from the Watergate convicted criminal G. Gordon Liddy;
d) picked a runningmate mired in scandal (Troopergate) and has acted "unethical" according to her own people - - and doctored expense reports to bilk her taxpayers;
e) gave up information to his communist captors in North Vietnam, whereas other American prisoners did NOT;
McCain has a lot to answer for. You can%u2019t call yourself patriot while voting for criminals
One of your readers said "isn''t John McCain decendant of slave-owners." We all are decendants of slave-owners. What gives?? It is called "Fault-Finding" and not looking in your own mirror. ALL of us, ALL - have sinned. Should we just give up because we have screwed up in life. According to some of your readers that is what they want from the republican party to do, but not themselves. Need I say more?
That leaves $100,000.
Drat! If only nobody would read those pesky campaign finance reports, they could have gotten away with it!