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Politics | 11/12/2008 6:00 am

Palin Innocent in Shopping Spree Scandal, Says Source

Insider sources exonerate Palin in clothing debacle, but raise even more mysterious questions…
By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

Sarah Palin caught a lot of flack for spending an alleged $150,000 on her campaign-ready wardrobe. The matter’s been fodder for plenty of press, but Gov. Palin finally spoke out this week and told Fox News’s Greta van Susteren that she had nothing to do with the controversial shopping sprees at upscale shops. Said the former vice-presidential candidate, "[I] did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes. I would have been happy to wear my own clothes from day one."

Today, a source close to John McCain’s presidential campaign revealed exclusively to wowOwow that it was two stylists who often do work for CBS journalist Katie Couric who were hired by former CBS News political analyst and McCain senior strategist, Nicolle Wallace, around the time of the Republican National Convention. Wallace had worked for CBS Evening News until May 2008 when she left to work on the McCain campaign. Said the source, "They weren’t given any budget or parameters. They just told the stylists to work for her, because coming from Alaska, she needed a new look. She was a small-town girl who needed to look like a big-city girl."

Wallace is close friends with Couric. Couric would go on to get the second major interview and the longest television time with the former Republican vice-presidential candidate.

The two stylists, whose names have not been released, were the ones who bought the controversial wardrobe that Palin went on to wear. The source said that Sarah Palin "was used to wearing Ann Taylor and then all of a sudden, clothing was being brought in for her family." Concluded the source, "They simply picked out the clothes for Gov. Palin and told her to wear it. The stylists were told not to tell her how much the clothes cost but just to put them on."

Palin went on to distance herself even further in her van Susteren interview, "[I] didn’t know the New York stylists who they had hired or anything else. They were really nice gals. They were wonderful people. And you know, it was, I guess, productive, in a sense, in that they picked out some really nice clothes to borrow for a while there. But that was not anything that the Palin family would have chosen for ourselves."

112 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Susan B
Hey, Lady G, how are you! The Dude may not be my type, per se, but I’d love a ride on his snowmobile. :-D
By Susan B on 11/12/2008 2:30 pm
Lady Gator
Hey Miss Susan — I’m just ducky. Maybe I’ll take a ride on a snowmobile with Tim Tebow! (Quaterback, Florida Gators) By the way, is your hubby in mourning over PSU’s loss this past week? I really thought they would go all the way!
By Lady Gator on 11/12/2008 2:55 pm
Susan B
That young Heisman-winner of yours is a cutie, no question. Hubby is indeed disappointed. Seems he put down $20. in Reno (we were there with our daughter at a volleyball tournament, of all things) back in May for the Lions to go all the way. Woulda made $1000 if they had! That would have been GRAND, as it were. They play the Hoosiers this weekend, and are expected to win, but who the heck knows.
By Susan B on 11/12/2008 3:23 pm
HA BIBI
LOL Lady G, don’t know much about the “beaver biscuits” but the moose stew looked pretty good and Greta said it was delicious! Yep, that little machine looks like a whole lotta fun. Gee shucks, I think we need press passes. :)
By HA BIBI on 11/13/2008 6:18 pm
Lori F.
Hi! Elaine, like I said earlier, I think it was the Mitt Romney staffers who started all this to poison the water for Sarah in 2012!
By Lori F. on 11/13/2008 12:25 am
HA BIBI
Could be, But I gaurantee that she will be in the running in 2012!
By HA BIBI on 11/13/2008 9:57 am
DeBúrca obj
Anyone interested in Palin should read this commentary by Dick Cavett: http://cavett.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/the-wild-wordsmith-of-wasilla…
By DeBúrca obj on 11/15/2008 4:23 pm
Andy C
I must wonder why, after AIG is all over the news about THEIR excessive spending and “let them eat cake” attitude regarding same, we are still so fascinated with Palin.
By Andy C on 11/12/2008 6:38 am
Chips AHoey
exactly - I was never bothered by the whole clothes incident - I voted for Obama because that’s who I wanted elected not because the RNC purchased clothes for her and her family, who cares I think the gross spending at AIG is hyper-news worthy since that’s our money they are spending!
By Chips AHoey on 11/12/2008 2:04 pm
DeBúrca obj
We” aren’t. The only people fascinated with Palin are those licking their wounds after this election.
By DeBúrca obj on 11/12/2008 6:06 pm
Jeannot Kensinger
Going back many years I remember when Elizabeth Taylor was married to John Warner they (the politicos) did not like all that purple on her and demanded for her to wear other subdued colors. Politicians like to dress up the dolls? Does it make a difference to us who do not have a champagne budget nor even a beer budget at this time of the economy.
By Jeannot Kensinger on 11/12/2008 8:00 am
Lucinda Herbert
Jeannot, It does matter. The public loves to criticize those who are in the limelight; they are held to a higher standard. Flaws are quickly identified and seized upon.
By Lucinda Herbert on 11/12/2008 9:52 am
Ms. Dee
Glad to hear it. My guess is the stylists padded their expenses. Especially if they weren’t given any budget parameters. Lord! All they had to say was that they “spent it on Palin” and they could get reimbursed and keep the clothes they liked at the same time.
By Ms. Dee on 11/12/2008 9:06 am
immoddesta godessa
Perhaps the RNC has the Haliburton syndrome, and its not their money so any expense is OK and the bigger the better. Cost + ! now that’s the wway to do it!
By immoddesta godessa on 11/12/2008 9:19 pm
Nanny hasSeven
By Nanny hasSeven on 11/12/2008 9:14 am