Palin's Spending Spree Sheds Light on Campaign's Priorities

October 22, 2008— -- Gov. Sarah Palin brags that she's not a member of the Washington elite, but she sure is dressing like them.

Campaign finance documents show the Republican Party spent more than $150,000 on clothing and accessories for the vice presidential candidate and her family at a series of swank department stores, the sort of places that "Joe Six-Pack" probably could not afford.

"She's a Saks-Fifth-Avenue-Neiman-Marcus hockey mom," cracked veteran Democratic strategist and ABC News consultant Donna Brazile.

The GOP-financed shopping spree seems destined to be material for late night comedians. While she is not the first politician to use donations from political supporters on personal expenditures, it appears that she has spent more on clothing and makeup in a shorter period of time than any other candidate in history.

With just 13 days remaining in the campaign, the Republican camp is playing the spree down and Democrats are pouncing on what they see as Palin's rich tastes while appealing to hockey moms and their families.

"Let Gov. Palin and the RNC continue to spend money as Americans lose their retirement funds, life savings, pensions and homes.  She will soon become a symbol of 'all dressed up and nowhere to go,'" Brazile said.

As first reported by Politico.com, Palin spent $49,425.74 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in St. Louis and New York. In September, the party spent $75,062.63 on a shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minnesota, just before the Republican National Convention.

Katherine Nelson, director of public relations at the Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, said the store would not comment on its customers' purchases.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup in September, presumably for Palin.

Purchases were also made at Barney's ($789.72) and Bloomingdale's ($5,102.71) in New York, and, around the time of the Republican National Convention, at Macy's in Minneapolis ($9,447.71).

Some $196 was spent at a tony baby store call Pacifier. Palin has a 6-month-old baby. An additional $4,902.45 was spent at Atelier, a men's clothing store.

The flap is the latest in a series of embarrassing flare-ups for Palin. As governor of Alaska, she allegedly fired an official who refused to sack her former brother-in-law, an Alaska state trooper, and used state funding to allow her children to travel with her.

During the primaries last year, Democrat John Edwards was pilloried after he disclosed that he spent $400 apiece on two haircuts.