One thought on “Palin: Election Comes Down To ‘Free Stuff Or Freedom’”

1. Let me remind Palin of all the “free stuff” she got.

   From The New York Times:

   Ms. Palin received a “per diem” expense allowance for 312 nights she spent at her home in Wasilla, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

   The $60-a-day allowance is available for state employees when traveling on official state business to cover meals and other sundry expenses. Ms. Palin’s per diems, which included some charges for partial days, totaled $17,059, from Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office, through June 30, 2008, the most recent data available, according to Sharon Leighow, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office. Ms. Palin’s salary is $125,000 a year.

   She was ordered to pay back taxes on that free stuff.

   She took her unruly brood everywhere on Alaska’s dime. From CNN:

   Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will repay her state for travel expenses for nine trips with her children as part of a settlement of a 2008 ethics claim, the attorney who investigated the matter said Tuesday.

   Anchorage lawyer Timothy Petumenos said Palin’s office is still adding up the costs, but “I’m told it’s running about $7,000.” Palin acknowledged no wrongdoing as part of the settlement, and her attorney said she has been “fully exonerated” by the investigation.

   Complaints that Palin improperly took her children on state-paid trips emerged during the 2008 presidential campaign, when Palin was the Republican nominee for vice president. The state Personnel Board hired Petumenos to investigate that claim and others filed during Palin’s time on the GOP ticket.

   From Politico:

   The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

   According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

   The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

   The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

   Courtesy of Eonline:

   “They were like locusts,” says one vendor at the suite, regarding Palin and her large group of hangers-on. “She showed up with like 20 people, and they immediately swarmed the place taking everything!”

   …We’re told Palin was quite the prima donna and that she insisted the suite be opened two hours early so she could come when no looky-loos would be around.

   “They told us last minute to get here superearly for [Palin],” says our rightfully annoyed source. “Then, she wouldn’t let anyone take her picture or do any interviews.”

   For those of you who think that’s a standard request—uh, it’s not, especiallywhen you’re getting thousands of dollars worth of free goods. Some of the products Palin picked up included Bloom facial products, which she told the vendor she needed for her under-eye area.

   “She said she always needed to look her best because she’s always in the press,” says a Bloom spokesperson.

   But don’t think Sarah stopped there.

   Palin grabbed some oversize sweatshirts and tie-dyed “jeggings” for Bristol, got a blowout by colorist Erick Orellana from the Chris McMillan Salon, along with snatching up jewelry from Pascal Mouawad, Skagen Watches, Lash Food and 40 pairs of Aiaiai headphones.

   Oh, and we can’t forget her Super PAC – where she gets all that free money.

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