by Frank James
Couple of interesting posts that deepen our understanding of one of the day's big stories, the $150,000 in clothing and accessories the Republican National Committee purchased for Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate.
Joshua Green over at the Atlantic writes that many of the purchases were made by one Jeff Larson according to the RNC's filings with the Federal Election Commission.
He writes:
Does the name Jeff Larson sound familiar? It should. Larson is the Karl Rove protégé who's a principal in the robocalling firm of FLS Connect (the "FLS" stands for Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, and Tom Syndhorst, all veteran Republican political operatives). Larson's firm is the same one that launched the scurrilous robocalls against John McCain in 2000, and that McCain has now hired to make robocalls connecting Barack Obama to Bill Ayers. He's also well known in Minnesota for leasing his basement apartment at a steeply discounted rate to embattled Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Evidently, Larson also has quite the eye for women's fashion. Even hateful liberals would have to admit that Palin dresses awfully nicely.
What's so incompetent about this from a political tradecraft perspective is that both parties ordinarily take the easy precaution of making sure such embarrassing material isn't obvious to reporters, which they do by routing the payment through a law firm or consultant. Here they neglected to do so. Larson may not be able to look forward to a lucrative contract with a McCain administration. But who knows? He may land his own show on Bravo.
Actually, Larson's name wasn't familiar to me. I take Green's point however that there's something strange about having a guy who's a principal in a firm that does robo calls linked to the governor's wardrobe.
Meanwhile, Jake Tapper at ABC News's Political Punch blog talked with a tax lawyer:
I asked him earlier in the day whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can avoid paying taxes on the $150,000 worth of clothes the RNC bought her, as she and the RNC maintain. (They said the RNC now owns the clothes; she's just borrowing them.)
He said that, after consulting with a number of experts at his prominent firm, he thinks the RNC and Gov. Palin are wrong.
"It's probably not a 'gift,'" he said. "The issue is whether it counts as 'income'" ...
... "The consensus view is she would have to count the wardrobe as income at least in the amount of the fair value of the rental of the wardrobe," he said.
Comments
What's that smell? Oh yeah, McSame is done.
Posted by: Bill H. | October 22, 2008 6:25 PM
Didn't he use to dress Foley?
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 22, 2008 10:11 PM
She sucks!!..No amount of high dollar clothes can make up for her accepting the nomination when she knew she was not prepared..She was not thinking of her family or of the Nation...
Posted by: kaye c. | October 22, 2008 11:48 PM
SARAH FEEL'S PRETTY
(I Feel Pretty, West Side Story)
WilliamBanzai7
SARAH
I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and even bright!
And I pity
Any trailer girl who isn't me tonight.
I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.
See the pretty hockey mom in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive mom be?
Such a pretty Vice Presidential face,
Such a pretty $5000 dress,
Such a pretty red lipsticked smile,
Such a pretty me!
I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a bunch of GOP red necked cowboys!
GIRLS
Have you met our good friend Sarah,
The craziest girl on Joe sixpacks block?
You'll know her the minute you see her,
She's the one who got a broken clock.
She thinks she's smart.
She thinks she's got a great campaign.
She isn't smart,
She's merely shopping McCain insane.
It must be the campaign heat
Or some rare hypocritical disease,
Or too much foies gras to eat
Or maybe it's media fleas.
Keep away from her,
Send for Gap Chinos!
This is not the
Sara we thought we knew!
SARAH
I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty
That the District should give me its key.
A Senate committee
Should be organized to honor me.
GIRLS
La la la la . . .
SARAH
I feel dizzy,
I feel sunny,
I feel fizzy and funny and fine,
And so pretty,
That the Miss GOP title can be mine!
"The use of campaign funds for items which most Americans would consider to be strictly personal reasons, in my view, erodes public confidence and erodes it significantly."
John McCain
Posted by: williambanzai7 | October 23, 2008 12:41 AM
Courtesy of this - Some scum, identifying himself as Guiliani (His voice did match Guiliani) made a disgusting robo call to me about sex-offenders and murderers..
Shame on them...
Posted by: amber | October 23, 2008 11:10 AM
What a sad testament of a once proud Party, the Party of Lincoln, Dirksen, Eisenhower and Gerald Ford. The Bush-McCain Republicans have brought this Party to new lows and they want more time, to do more damage to our economy, to our citizenry and to our international standing in the world community. We can't afford, four more years of Bush-McCain failed policies and deceptive practices, America is hurting, right now, due to their incompetence and malfeasance. Vote Democrat, you will be relieved of these phony Republicans !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | October 23, 2008 11:33 AM
I am voting for Obama. I have no problem with Palin's colthes. What the hell was she supposed to wear her flanels and jeans. Give me a break. Who cares?
Posted by: p. Collins | October 24, 2008 6:53 PM