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[...] and the Pea-Brains Jump to Comments (CNN) – Rick Davis, the campaign manager for former John McCain's White House bid, came to Sarah [...]

I wish they would admit that they just about misconstrued everything that Obama stood for while campaigning. That would absolve them completely. Anyway, it's OK – Obama still won.

John Mccain is still lying to all of us! He does not know her enough to say that she is ready to lead. what a disgrace!

So why couldn't someone have flown back to Alaska and picked up some clothes from her closet? She's governor, for pete's sake! She should be able to dress professionally with her own clothes.

Yeah, sure.

You can tell alot about a candidate by how well they run thier campiagn which will be simular to how they run the Oval office. I for the life of me still can't see how anyone would vote for mccain knowing how badly he failed to hold together his campaign...the same with Hillary

they are a bunch of liars! trying to sell us as if she was ready. but I always knew the republicans were capable of these actions.

it was very obvious Palin is not even governer material can you imagine president!

$150,000 is a failure to communicate? Isn't Palin smart enough to understand how much money cloths? It sounds like Davis is looking for a new job with Palin.

SAD SAD SAD

It's incredible that people still bash this woman. Enough! Talk about the emotional maturity of a 14 year old. All this hatred- you got your man in the White House now hold hands and sing Kumbaya. You'll be picking apart his abilities soon enough; after all, isn't that what we do?

The Republican Attack Machine has derailed. The Palin pick has become a national freak show. Let us hope that the media will, at last, stop wasting our time and attention on the Disasta from Alaska and focus on the incredibly difficult task ahead as Obama and company try to correct the worst 8 years of governance in the history of our country.

Palin needs to take the rest of the GOP on a long, long walk on the bridge to nowhere!

Enough of her please, we have serious problems to work on and solve!

November 14th, 2008 2:27 pm ET

Obama can afford to purchase his own clothes. He is a multi-millioniare. As are the McCains. The Palins are not.

Actually, they are

NEWS FLASH***Sarah Palin dresses like Elly-Mae Clampett.Video at Eleven.

I can't these idiots who keep complaining about this clothing stuff. At the national/international once-in-a-life-time event, clothing for the entire family, $150K is nothing compared to your brainless celebrities who's putting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in clothing and jewelry every day. Some even spent a thousand dollar a day for someone to take care of their dog.

You guys stop using your brain or what? The media too.

I'm glad someone finally set the record straight. This woman has endured more than her share of criticism, just as Hiliary did. Why do we not here about some of these kinds of details with the men running for office? Obama is a millionaire and yes, he can afford his expensive suits – but how much did they cost? The democrats are so concerned about the wasteful Republican spending. Obama spent a ridiculous amount of money to get elected– why doesn't anyone see a problem with that?

Please boycott Limbaugh and any products advertised on his "show".

Wow, people really are incredibly hypocritical. First of all, Michelle Obama was not running for VP- she was not a candidate- so you can't compare spending money on her clothes with what the campaigns spent on the actual candidates. And to think you all believe that people were not shopping for the Obamas during the campaign. Sure she conveniently wore a JCrew outfit right after this story came out when in fact every other designer dress she wore cost a couple grand each. You think Michelle personally went out and bought her daughter's cute $450 dress for election night?? If campaigns can spend money on staging and such then why not clothes. Give me a break, condescending people.

wouldn't it have made a lot more sense to just buy her a plane ticket back to alaska and let her get her own clothes. how dumb do they think american voters are, i mean do the math.

Who cares about her clothing the main concern here is how can McCain choose his running mate with so little preparation.
Is this how he was planning to run the country

Rick Davis admits "very little prep had been done" on Sarah Palin. No kidding!

I am the first one in line for NOT supporting Palin as a VP pick. However, I do not blame this wardrobe fiasco on her (on her alone at least). This fiasco speaks volumes on the failure of McCain and his advisers than of Palin. They did not prepare themselves, or her for that trivial event called National Election.

Yea, RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

TELL ANYTHING TO THOSE DESPERATE GOP VOTERS.

STILL DON'T CHANGE....PALIN IS FOR PALIN..NO ONE ELSE!!!!!

YOU REPUBS HAVEN’T LEARNED YET, TELL THE TRUTH. WHY DON’T CHA?

I agree with Rich from Philly. "If she didn't click with John" – what's that all about? I thought they said that they vetted her. GOP B.S.!

oh so it was true after all eh? this is so funny on so many levels. Rick Davis is such a sniveling schmuck, i feel absolutely no sympathy for him. actually, i feel a little sympathetic for McCain for having to drag this guy around with him....

Joe, as long as you're asking about the cost of Palins home and who paid for it, why don't you ask about Obama's home and how he got the adjacent lot for $300,000 less then market value? Do you know who sold it to him?

Kevin -
Blackberry's are a communication and business tool – a far cry from wardrobe expenses ... what are you thinking – clearly you're not!

Thank God the United States is no longer at risk of having these vicious and incompetent people, led by Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt, calling the shots in the West Wing. They are the poster children for all that is wrong with politics and government in America.

NO MORE SARAH PALIN!!!!! CNN, DO YOU HEAR US? Your readers are SICK of her, and stories about her. CNN, NO MORE!!

Where was this side of the story a month ago? Would have ended this crap quickly. Furthermore: I said in the beginning they (Rick Davis) could have rolled her out like this:
Gibson: Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?
Palin: Charlie, I'll tell you what.. I was brought to this ticket for my experience in Managing in Government, my conservative principles, and my willingness to go against the party if I had to to get things done. Foreign policy is something I am learning and will continue to learn from a guy with 26 years of experience.

END OF STORY!

Would have probably won them the race, had they handled it from this point. Would have taken the argument of "lack of knowledge" and put it aside. This was my thought back in early Sept. But what do I know I am just a normal guy who voted for Obama.

The "failure of management" wasn't that they didn't keep track of what was spent on clothing. The "failure of management" was having chosen a VP at the last minute, after one meeting.

The "failure of management" was not even knowing what their failure was.

Sounds like this crew wasn't qualified to manage a candy store let alone the United States of America.

Poor management was the hallmark of McCains' three campaign management teams. The Palin clothing cost issue may have brought the extent of mismanagement to the forefront even though poor management practices were present throughout both the primary and general election campaign periods.

First, who cares anymore!!!
Second, I don't buy it! This campaign has told so many lies that nothing they say is believable! I don't believe for one second Palin did not know the cost of those clothes! Her 7 year old daughter was walking around with a $ 1000 bag! Give me a break! Palin has zero credibility besides being not qualified and not intellectual or smart enough to be on the national scene. Smart is IN. Dumb is OUT.

I guess if you can't say something mean, then the moderator will not publish it.

Jack Carlson:

Who, exactly, is this enemy in our midst that must be stopped and whom we cannot see?

she looked good in those clothes too! real good.

this shows that repubs will lie about anything and everything. they said that she had been vetted not. they said the she and mccain admired one another, not. is there anything else we need to know before 2012.

TF November 14th, 2008 2:21 pm ET
His comments show that McCain only took a day to meet and then determine Sarah as a suitable running mate. God Bless America for not hiring these fools to run our country. ---------------------------------------– The MOST sensible observant so far in the comments section. (McCain only took a day to meet and then determine Sarah as a suitable running mate)

Where was the rest of her clothes and family clothes?I guess the clothes were on a bridge to nowhere. That big mouth gal from Alaska who was her spokeswoman could have arranged a flight for her clothes. If memory tells me ,i think after she spent a few days on the campaign trail Sarah Palin did return to Alaska before the convention. What was this idiot thinking? All she had to say to McCain was that she was not ready.Even now,the idiot still thinks she is the logical choice for the Republicans in 2012.

Who is Sarah Palin??? Why are people STILL talking about this loon? SHES A NOBODY, and next week she will be as significant as joe the what????

They RNC clothed Palin like they ran the country for the last 8 years. Sent George Bush out to get the job done but never gave him any idea as to how much to spend.

I truly wish all these stories would just DIE! Who cares?

Rick Davis & Tucker Bonds are idiots..

It's a bloody shame John McCain left his independent roots pandering to far right dopes. I hope Obama doesn't make the same mistake by listening to the Far left goofballs in his own party.

When are these two parties going to realize the vast majority of americans somewhere between those two extremes.

Some call it common sense.

The first sentence should read "John McCain's former White House bid," not "former John McCain's White House bid."

It's not John McCain that's former, it's the bid!

Sorry, guys, but who is editing your articles???

What she had no money of her own? Where did Todd leave his wallet?? Please…..enough of the excuses! She is and was a horrible pick to play to their "base" which in GOP speak, is the religous fanatic. Poor planning, poor judgement. That is what the GOP would give us!

Why should Todd pay when he receive $40,000.00 worth of new clothes also!

Wow... McCain's campaign couldn't manage the VP candidate's clothing. How could they have managed the country? I think the country dodged a bullet by sending McCain back to the Senate and Palin back to who knows where.

Every day this woman remains in the spotlight it becomes more clear that the best ticket won that campaign.

McCain couldn't manage his own McCain.

Palin didn't have the knowledge or intelligence to be a global leader.

Enough said. Campaign over. I know CNN gets a lot of money from tension and perpetual campaigns, but give us a little time to actually govern.

One one hand, I might be able to understand being caught up in the whirlwind of it all, shopping sprees, handlers, etc.

But... all we heard throughout the campaign was how prepared Gov Palin was for the Vice-Presidency; how much more Executive experience she had over Sen Obama.

What keeps popping in my head is if she has all of this knowledge, experience, judgment, guts to take down the establishment, etc., then why didn't she have enough foresight and simply say 'no.'

Isn't that what a Maverick does?

And you weasels say it is the right that is full of hate and mean?

the whole clothes ordeal was a bit ridiculous. it was like the john edwards haircut. the focus should have been on the campaign and policy not on how much she spent on clothes. granted, the price was outlandish, but not worth dominating days of news cycles. attack her for being a weak candidate, not for her wadrobe budget, or lack there of.

Let's face it, the RNC DID vet Palin, at least when it came to her clothes. Apparently that is all they really cared about. Making sure that she looked good. Forget about everything else…

Well, that's why you lost. You put a primadonna in a high profile spot, you can't be surprised when it backfires on you and now, you're calling someone ELSE Mr. President.

Goody for ya.

GO OBAMA!!

GO (HOME), PALIN!!!

The issue of "the clothing' is a moot point ... the fact that McCain chose to name such a backwoods yokel to fill the VP slot is a far more important issue, but even that is HISTORY now. Enough of this non-story ... or any other story about the former first runner-up to a meaningless little beauty pagent in Mooseville! Alaskans voted for her ... AMERICA did not!!

No, it was a bad candidate, who made bad position statements and a horrific choice for VP! Because the VP choice saw the writing on the wall, she threw McCain under the bus and began running for 2012!

However, Palin will have to deal with the GOP party regulars in the primary in 2012, which will be a whole lot more uncomfortable than being the surpise VP choice this time around!!!

and this from the party who said she was ready to take over if GOD FORBID she had to step into the presidency. do you really think the american people are that stupid?? did you people ever hear of a "hockey mom" shopping in neiman marcus?? i don't know of any. but then i shop in target, kohl's and macy's when they have sales. my house didn't cost 150k, but then i only have one. you guys just don't get where "real americans" are coming from. we don't have that kind of money, but you do. gee i wonder why? i pray for obama to be the man i believe he is and to be the GREAT president that this country so desperately needs. after the last 8 years you people should hang your heads in shame for what you have done to this country. shame on you!! now go away, you lost.

What was his excuse for all the lies she told on the behalf of the Republicans. She is still spewing the talking points they gave her. It is all she has. She still has to answer to her voters at home. Speaking of which how did that nice home she lives in get paid for and by whom?

Hey...I'm not a Palin fan and would hate to see the party fall into her hands, but she didn't deserve this. You have to see that now that Davis is finally doing the right thing. Funny, he never had the backbone to come to her defense during the campaign though. How terrible would it have been to see them in power.

Country First, my a$$.

Make Palin Go AWAY.

Linda B November 14th, 2008 2:27 pm ET wrote:

"Obama can afford to purchase his own clothes. He is a multi-millioniare. As are the McCains. The Palins are not."

Ah, Linda, let me ask you then, why did Piper need a Louis Vitton bag??

Are you joking? That was your vetting process. Fly her out to Arizona to she if they "clicked"? Then throw her on stage at the conention a few days later? And we were supposed to vote for you why?

I've never bought one, but even this Josephine6Pack knows that a "Valentino" label is way beyond the 6Pack Family spending limit – you betcha!

As far as trying to take the heat off the new leader of the GOP 'also", you will need Duct Tape for that. HINT – you don't have to have a "gal from NY" buy it for you 'there". Just send the "gal" who gets your lunch to the nearest Home Depot/Lowes/Ace Hardware store.

"The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks."

Don't they have outlet malls or cheaper department stores? I bet there was some nice consignment shops they could of shopped at.

Incredible. You guys focus on a $150K clothing bill donated to charity and could careless that Obama wanted $3 million for a projector. A projector? Really? $3 Million? Tax and spend it's the Democratic way.
The election is over. Obama won. Is the Liberal media really that scared of Palin that they will continue to trash her? Will this go on over the next 4 years?
We should be looking at how many millions Obama distributed to Chicago neighborhoods and then look at the crime statistics for those areas. Of course, we know how the money given to Acorn was used.

Please, I really hope that once our fine next President Obama is sworn in, stop talking about this unremarkable, mediocre slob from Alaska. All these things combined are why the right lost and lost big last week. The beginning of the end for the neo con traitors was the 2006 mid terms and then sealed with Obama's victory and the Democrats thank God, sweeping the right wingers out of control of congress. It will most likely be a generation before the Republican Party ever gets a majority. They need to go back to being the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt instead of Limbaugh and Hannity.
I despise republicans, because they ignore the lies, support these policies, and don't care who suffers, or who dies, simply out of dogged blindness and willful ignorance. Furthermore, the Republican party has forsaken its grand traditions, and allowed itself to be taken over by a hard-right version of protestant christian fundamentalism that preaches bigotry, supports racism, sexism, and homophobia. They seek to impose an orwellian prison state upon america, because they see it as their god-given duty to "occupy the land." Their main goal, in life, politics, and faith, is bring the world into a fiery armageddon, after which they will all be brought unto the bosom of their lord, while the rest of us burn in their vision of hell.
and to the few righties left after your deserved defeat, GET OVER IT!

"Very little prep had been done" "The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing, what it was worth or where it was going. "

Rick Davis said it all.

Elections are all about money and image. Look at the results across the country. Those with the most money won in all but a few contests. Incumbent or not, if you outspent your opponent, you win.

As far as the image, don't think for a moment that all of the candidates had handlers and were told what to do and say and wear. President-elect Obama smokes. Did we see any pictures of him with a cigarette in his mouth? Nope. Did we see pics of him in sweats, sneakers, and his White Sox hat? Not until after the election.

I wish him and his administration the best. He is the president of my country, so he is my president. But don't think that the man you saw during the campaign is the real Barak Obama. Any more than the Sarah Palin we saw was the real Sarah Palin. And that is sad.

Is there any reason why her youngest daughter needed a Louis Vitton bag? Is that the imagine of family that the RNC wanted to portray?

Let's face it, the RNC DID vet Palin, at least when it came to her clothes. Apparently that is all they really cared about. Making sure that she looked good. Forget about everything else...

WOW A DEN OF DEMS ...ALIBABA WILL BE WITH YOU SOON !!

This is not the (dis)organization I want in charge during an economic crisis. They can practice getting their act together while an actual organizer keeps the country together.

The more I find out about the lack of organization and coherence in the McCain campaign, the more I think we dodged a bullet. Mr. Obama will have a tough time of it, but at least he doesn't seem to be in over his head, as McCain and co were.

They admit they couldn't manage a campaign, but expected people to have faith they could run the country??? Scary how many people did actual vote for this crew. Just what our country didn't need: Another incompetent administration.

So, we have a minor issue, getting clothes for Sarah Palin, and it became a management screw-up. I am really glad that Obama won. McCain's people never heard of the Scottsdale Mall! Are you telling me these guys do not have the contacts to arrange for after hours shopping! What a bunch of amateurs! Oh, I know! You guys needed to keep this a secret prior to showing up in Dayton, Ohio. Well guys, you announced in Dayton that Sarah Palin was vetted by the FBI, which backfired on you when the FBI explained that political nominees are not vetted by the FBI. I think that made you look more foolish than the clothing screw-up. All in all, the McCain Campaign will now become the number one training tool for all future candidates and their campaign teams.

Lets face it, they were hoping that some eye candy would get them the votes and shake up their base at the same time.eye candy sells and is still selling airtime.Americans love .their bimbos.I must be honest,im still waiting for the swimsuit portion of the contest.

Unprofessional.

It's time for the Green Party to come into light. GOP and their 8 Years is done. That's the old US. Technology, Environment and WISE spending are our priroties!

Go Obama! I voted for you because you reflect exactly what the Citizens of our Country need now and for the next 8 Years. Repair what they've ruined, a whole new foundation to be poured and hold people accountable 110%!

Just let me keep my home!

One last thing, I don't share Sarah Palins political view or lack thereof, but the Republicans have sunk to a new low by asking back for the clothing she wore during the campaign. Who is hillbilly here? Sarah Palin or the McCain/Republican camp? I guess if they could have asked back for the food she and her family consumed they would have done that too. Bunch of low lives.

it was poor managment all the way around, the campaign, the pick of Palin, etc. We will see in 2012 just how serious the Republicans are, especially if the pick Palin.

We hear that Sara just bagged a Wolf up there in Alaska. Was it Wolf Blitzer?

Now they say Palin cannot figure out which clothes were hers and which ones were bought for her.

Probably so she could keep the good stuff and give back to the GOP/RNC her plaid flannel shirts and her torn jeans.

GLAD SHE IS NOT THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. JOHN MCCAIN SHOWED VERY POOR JUDGEMENT PICKING HER!

Palin says she was forced to buy the clothes. ????!!!!!. forced? If she doesn't have the brains to decide what clothes she 'is forced' to or not then how the heck was she going to make decisions as President if McCain had dropped dead in January? I just can't imagine Reagan, or H. Clinton, McCain or Obama or any other Presidential or vice Presidential candidate so 'out of it' that they would 'be forced' to do a darn thing.

I'm so sick of Sarah Palin..... Please go away!!!

CNN , THE OBAMA CHANNEL 24 HOURS A DAY ALL OBAMA ALL THE TIME ... STOP THE BUTT KISSING ITS ENOUGH.

In management the grand plan is paramount but if you ignore the details you'll lose the game. Senator McCain proved he and his team could handle neither. Good luck to John and Govorner Palin.

If Obama governs with even half the competence his campaign demonstrated we have a winner in the White House.

sorry jim and JIMBISCIELLO- nobody is going anywhere. The two party scam will continue to run on the sheep.

@Linda B...you don't exactly have to be a multi-millionare to be able to purchase your own clothes. I don't think that this should be such a problem for someone who hauls in 6 figures per year.

Please! Like McCalin-Palin lost the bid over $150K clothing costs? It's the economy and the Grand OLD Party's lack of ideas. I cannot wait for Palin to climb back under the glacier she escaped from.

They actually bought clothes in different sizes b/c they didn't know what dress size she wears!! It's not that hard, just ask her.....could've saved a bunch of money that way. But that's water under the bridge.

Would you fricken people get off Palin's rear end. You got your puppet so quite the negative words. Grow the heck up and leave her alone. Enough already!!!!

All this man's comment did was to verify that everything about her being pick for VP was nothing more than a hasty, knee-jerk reaction to sway Hillary's voters. She was not qualified, not prepared, not vetted, and did nothing to stop this kind of extravagance. She ran on a ticket of being a "reformer" who cut out unnecessary spending and didn't "walk the talk", pure and simple.

If I were a Republican, the first thing I would be doing is turning the page on the whole Sarah Palin/McCain episode. Move far and fast from that debacle and start looking out for real leaders.

Now, the problem is that I'm not sure they know what a LEADER looks and acts like...

I don't about the McCain Campaign, but when I send my kid out to shop I only give him what I want him to spend.
I mean, she spent the price of a home mortgage on cloths!!!
That is a little more than " a bad management" problem.

Nice try though Rick.

Even though I'm so sick of that lying Palin, I have to thank you all for your hailarious comments. At a time like this, loosing all of my life livings on the stock market, worrying about loosing my job, all of your comments brings back the smile and keep me through the day. I'm grateful that Obama is our president, but keep the comical material coming! lol

Why are we even still talking about this woman? Im surprised that no one has said this but heres the deal. Because of the so called media bias against Sarah Palin and others especially Fox and their cohorts seemed to think that she got a Raw Deal, so now all these Pundits are trying to soften their stance on Sarah by all of a sudden trying to make nice so that they dont come out seeming like the ones who attacked Sarah. Please give me a break! This woman came out swinging at Obama, spouting all kinds of untruths and half truths and now crys of media unfairness. What troubles me even more is that now some of these Pundits, sorry to say CNN included are acting as if this woman is a serious contender for the GOP! Im not trying to be mean spirited here, because Sarah is a very likeable person, she seems like a very down to earth person, but come on. She is not any way ready to step into the big league just yet.She still has these run on sentences and her voice is painful to listen to and all I hear is babble coming from her without her ever answering the question asked of her. Now its as if everyone is now scared to criticize this woman in fear of being the media bully. Bottom line is that she lacks substance.

B/S She is eye candy and loved every stitch of it. But why spend 10s of thousands of contributor's dollars on clothing for her DUD, Children and 17 year old unmarried pregnant daughter? Did they also dress up the pregnant making boyfrien? SHAME on values/

Romney and ANYBODY but Palin in 2012!

Would GOP donors given Sarah Palin and her family $150,000 to buy clothes? I doubt it. Did we Democrats donate money to advertise our cause with the successful 30-minute infomerical? You betcha!

This is just a lot of cover my behind because I hope in 4 years I can be in charge again. I agree. Please just go away. You lost. It wasn't one thing. There were many. Ultimately, the best man for the job won. And if Mr. Davis wants to hook his wagon to Sarah Palin's star, go for it. SHE is NOT qualified to be Vice-President or President now or in 2012 or 2016 or EVER.

She really is intellectually challenged. The sad thing is, she doesn't get it. I know someone just like her. She adds those extra words to her sentences, "like, also, too" that aren't necessary. She can function in the world, but she is INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGED. The difference is, she is a nice person. Sarah Palin is MEAN and NASTY. Someone has told her she has a license to say what she wants. I wish they would revoke it.

I am a women and if I'm called to interveiw as the VP, beleive me, I'm coming all deck out with my finest clothes. Therefore, I know this story that Rick Davis is trying to drum up is a big fat lie.

Listen, every women knows just what she's doing when she goes shopping so let's not pretend she is innocent, cause she ain't.

Mrs. Dumb Palin is history and don't know why on earth the news media continue to talk about her. She's history and NO she will not win nor does she have a chance in 2012.

The race is over and you are still lying! Get over yourselves! and it wasnt a top secret! all the exspensive clothes in the world couldnt make me vote for her and i am sure there are millions of people like me who feel the same! so it was a loss that you had to take!

P.S

Does her husband Todd say anything! i have never heard him speak!!!!

now she wants to give interviews? michael jackson is looking for his red leather jacket.wonder if that will turn up at Goodwill.

come on 1/20/09!! obama!!!!

it is amazing to me how scared these liberals still are of Gov. Palin.

Obama has never been properly vetted. No of the liberal media ever asked him a tough question. He has ZERO foreign policy experience
and would not qualify for high security clearance, so why do you guys pick on a VP candidate.

You will all get exactly what you have coming to you, but I don't think the change you get will be the change you like!!!!

I didn't care about her clothes. I cared that she seemed to have the emotional maturity of a 14-year-old.

Anyone who wants to can try and take the blame for Palin's spending, but it is perfectly obvious from the way that she has conducted her affairs prior to her being drafted, and certainly after, that she often takes advantage of situations involving money and travel for herself and her family. We should all be honest and admit that she seems to be constantly guilty of including them in everything that she does, thereby causing others to foot the bills for their enjoyment and pleasures. I, for one, don't believe that she is being honest when she tells Americans that she never wanted or asked for anything, but never said no to all those items she bought for herself and her family. Furthermore, she has told more than several lies about a lot of things that have occured in the past and recently. I would not believe one word out of her mouth if I was one of her supporters, but to each his own.

The tab could have been cheaper had Sarah not draged her entire family along for the ride. Here kids should have remained in school except for Trigg who needed her breast milk and perhaps her husband who could have helped campaigned but did little of that. Otherwise the entire gang could have stayed back in Alaska until it was absolutely necessary, like at the Convention, or a victory speach (which was never going to happen). At anyrate, the McCain camp wanted to sell the country a bag of goods that wasnt, and they paid the price for it. Now they should just shut up and keep moving. Sarah said she returned their clothes, so I dont understand why this is still being talked about. Anyway, out of curisoity, who the hell is going to wear Sarahs cloths after she done pranced around the country in them?

To Jay along with any other readers:

BOTTOM LINE:
Unites States should not treat (a) Presidental Election like a JOB FAIR. as the (RNC) did. (not sure why John McCain put up with it)...still has me boggled.....
No one had even heard of that Alaskan Gov.

The Presidential Election choose Barack Obama. not the other way around (must see Barack Obama Revealed).. it tells his story/path.

***What and how the RNC treated the American People with this seriouse matter of "Presidential Election" was just shamful on-so-many levels, and should always be remembered.
***We need leaders that have compasion, emathy, by WORKS, not be duty and words alone.
God Bless this country the President Elect and America.

Linda B.... Get the facts, are you seriously comparing McCains fortune to the Obamas? LOL

And justifying Palin's wardrobe handout? I thought conservatives were more serious about people not getting any support if they could not earn for themselves? LOL. It's the RNC contributors money, I hope you really happy your money were to lavish the Palins and not some homeless veteran

I agree with HELEN.......TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!! IDIOTS!

The stupid clothes are nothing more than a symbol of the much bigger problem here. McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was done in a spur of the moment way with little review, investigation or careful thought. It is not surprising that she showed up with not enough clothes – the whole process was so shoddily handled that she was lucky to have anything to wear at all. John's McCain seat of the pants decision to put Sarah Palin one rather old heartbeat away from the presidency will go down as one of the most selfish and careless political decisions of all time. While she is clearly a self-serving, two faced political novice with no future on a national level, he has gone from a well-respected politician to a pandering old man. It is sad.

This is indicative on the McCain campaign. That campaign was a complete mess.

So why are they stating that just now? Kinda weird. Seems like there were management issues all through the campaign.

Next to her lack of knowledge about any issues, the clothes issues Palin comparison!

Oh come on. She went to Arizona to possibly turn McCain down? Just a day trip she was planning? Her family couldn't bring clothes for Palin from Alaska when they went to the convention and dragged along the schmuck who made it on national tv only because he impregnated an underage girl? Nobody believes all this, do they?

Sarah Palin should have known that she needed clothes for herself and family members.You don't go on a vacation with no clothes packed. I am not buying this bull that Rick Davis is selling. You could see this woman like to dress with the latest fashions and certainly Sarah palin was not selling herself as a hockey mom or the mouse killer.She has a mouth,she could have said return those clothes and buy some modest ones. Instead Sarah Palin wore the clothes which costed thousand of dollars and preached something else to the American people.Sarah Palin has herself to blame and not say she returned the clothes to the RNC. If you play with fire you will get burn.

I think this is a non-issue as she said she planned on returning the clothes. Mountains out of molehills! Palin appears to be a direct threat to Senator Clinton for years. At least her husband is obviously permanently attracted to her.

Why is this news anymore? Who cares? We finally have an exciting administration to look forward to and we focus on these losers. Please let's move on...

That is the management that we chose NOT to elect to run our country. Very good decision.

He is only positioning himself to be her VP pick when she runs (and fails) in 2012.

I'm a liberal and I'm embarrased by the comments here. Give Sarah Palin a break! How many of you can say that you would have enough suitable clothes to campaign in if John McCain swooped in tomorrow and asked you to be VP? I know I wouldn't, personally. It's McCain's campaign managers fault if they did not keep track on how much these high end designer clothes were worth, especially when they demanded Sarah buy them. Get a life. You guys are making me sick.

This information further confirms the incompetencies of the Republican party and its machinery. A shoot from the hip decision by McCain to pick Palin (get the Hillary votes) who turns out to be a very light lightweight. Add to that the Repub posters on this board and their weak arguements and shots at Obama reveals a party in serious jeopardy of surviving. I am sooooooooo happy Obama won. No more idiocy in the White House!

We don't need this dysfunctional group in White House and wasted our taxpayer's money. Tough luck, you losers.

Okay, everybody, enough about Sarah and those clothes. Giving the woman those clothes is the least they can do for her and her family. She went out and totally humiliated herself in the Republican name. She never stood a chance and they knew it. They never vetted her and now they are trying to blame her for their loss. Rick Davis' admission of "mismanagement' is an understatement. The whole Bush Administration has been extremely "mismanaged". They have left a nasty taste in everybody's mouth and big holes in everybody's pockets.

How on earth was McCain going to run a country and influence a world, if his right hand and left hand didn't know what each was doing in a campaign???

This is supposed to be exonerating??? No wonder he lost.

67 days till the end of the Bush administration.

Please let's focus on what's important here – Palin's still equal parts arrogance and ignorance. Doesn't matter what you dress her in.

Well I always knew that Rick Davis was a low life. He tells whatever story that fits for the time being. Guys like Rick are nothing but pure slime and can never be trusted.

Left wing liberal and socialists democrats. Why even bother to comment. We can read your comments without you even having to writethem.

I'll betcha you support Ayers in saying he was not a domestic terroist.

Fascinated by the comments here. But I can't help but wonder if they aren't "programmed" by the leaders of the Obama campaign. Everyone agrees that Palin was a poor choice, everyone agrees that the McCain campaign was all screwed up, Everyone agrees that Obama outspent McCain 4 to 1. Everyone agrees that the economy presented almost a perfect storm benefitting Obama, Everyone agrees that the public is tired of the Iraq war. And yet Obama won by only a few percentage points. INTERESTING, EH?

Glad you dumb Republicans lost. Can you imagine what kind of a government there would have been if they had won? I am a reformed Republican. Never again to be fooled by their evil ways.

As one who supported Hillary and voted for McCain, I knew Palin was telling the truth. But CNN and MSNBC managed to make a much bigger deal of it than they should have. Again, the media was in the bag for Obama. So, what else is new. After seeing what they all did to Hillary I have no respect for the New York Times, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, NBC and to a lesser degree ABC. They should be fired just like Dodd, Frank and the rest of them who sat by and watched this mess unfold.

Why is she still wearing the clothes?? McCain entire campaing was mismanaged.

Oh my ... What will I ever wear. What did she wear as governor? Or was the emperor wearing new clothes?

Not surprise, it showed throughout the McCain campaign.

What will she do for her next national coming out gig?
I think this was discussed prior to Ohio. Women think about clothes in a different way. I am not convienced this is the full truth to this matter.
When does a party pay for clothes for a family?
Had she been elected she would had been paying for her own items.
Face it -it was tacky.
Her not having the clothes to face the nation should had been an eye-opener.

Republicans lost due to lies, racial rhetoric, and poor campaign management. In addition to thinking we as woman would embrace someone who was clearly not qualified just because she was a woman. Give woman, men and minorities more credit then that. The woman from Alaska was simply a poor choice period.

Left wing liberal and socialists democrats. Why even bother to comment. We can write your comments without even having to read them.

Yeah, you gott just love that (black widow) dress that Michelle was wearing...

I feel the change! Everyone is so much more friendly and smiling – no nasty comments... Oops! My mistake. With supporters like these, Obamy won't have any honeymoon.

Didn't Biden say that Obama was not ready to lead this country in the primaries???

Didn't Hilary say the same thing??

...and now Biden swear's Obama is the best leader to lead this country and Hilary is kissing Obama's butt for a position in his administration...hahaha....
typical left-wingers, such hyprocrites!!!

The clothes issue has no bearing on the election in reality. The choice of Mrs Palin WAS the issue! Or should I say one of many issues.

Sarah,
Are you going to sell this wardrobe on E bay?????

Didn't Biden say that Obama was not ready to lead this country in the primaries???

Didn't Hilary say the same thing??

...and now Biden swear's Obama is the best leader to lead this country and Hilary is kissing Obama's butt for a position in his administration...hahaha....
typical left-wingers, such hyprocrites!!!

You don't have to spend $150,000 to look good. That is why I like Michelle Obama so much–she always looks great and doesn't feel it necessary to buy "Designer" clothes. She's down-to-earth. Palin I think just wants to grab the attention and get as much loot as she can for herself and her family. I also think the press is spending way too much time covering her. In my opinion there is no way she is ever going to be able to adequately prepare herself for the national stage.

Sounds like somebody is trying to line themselves up to be her campaign mgr for 2012.

What a mess of campaign!
They picked a gal from Alaska to run for VP and then a gal from NY to dress her up. It makes perfect sense.
By the way, a woman knows good stuff, this excuse that she did not know how much the clothes and makeup were costing is an insult to our intelligence.
And... were the clothes donated already? I wonder which lucky homeless will be parading a $75 suit..... Yeah, right. Shame GOP!

She is the new queen of mean, a clothes horse and a diva. Hey don't forget about Todd silk boxers, wow.

If they couldn't keep tabs on a $150,000 clothing line for Palin and family, I am glad McCain was not elected to run the country, because there is a lot more to keep track of.

Nice try, Rick. I'm not buying it. On the other hand, if this is true it shows what a poor job your team did in vetting Palin. You based her selection on that second interview. You now prove her selection was a lark.

Ms. Palin was the wrong choice. Get over it. It was not the clothing...it was who was wearing them.

Glad to see everyone is moving forward now that the election is over. Reading some of these comments just reiterates the ignorance of some in this country. Win or lose its time to move forward as we are all Americans first!

The Obama campaign did spend $600M... NOT on Michelle's clothes! I really don't want to hear about this gal anymore!

I still find it funny and sad that people think McCain is Bush. Get over it people it was a well ran campaign Obama did and you blinded yourself into every rhetoric he said that you've lost your objectivity.

Everything here in this story is nothing new and if anything it should vidicate all you people who are attacking Palin of the cost of the clothes. Pathetic how petty people are. I see how most of you guys are going to help Unite this country. GJ blind lemmings.

And let's not forget, there was probably a full moon as well.

"SHE WAS FORCED TO BUY THE CLOTHES!" This gets funnier all the time. If you read (Democrats do Republicans don't) the European papers and listen to the news items from Australia and elsewhere you will discover that the entire world is laughing hysterically at this woman. Worse the entire world is laughing at the stupid American voter who thinks she is really wonderful and would make a great president. John McCain must be senile.

Rick "The Ugly Duck" Davis should ....Shut it up! He is just as patheic as Palin!

I love it. Flew her down to meet one day, then ZOOM off to the convention without so much as a suit to wear! But no, Palin had been well vetted prior to signing her on to the ticket. Puh-lease. Keep that straight talk a'comin! Enough Palin for me she's become the Britney Spears of politics. Still gotta love how all the ultra conservatives ran like lemmings to her flag.

Wow!!!! What an admission: Failure of management! Duh!!! The fact that it is admitted how quickly that ticket was put together is reason enough for the loss of the election! What a poor judgment call by McCain and the rest of the GOP campaign "management."

As for Sarah Palin, I still maintain she could have had some say over the cost and extent of her wardrobe; certainly a governor of a state has some formal clothes, and they could have been flown in. Also, her whole family didn't need an overhaul of that extent!

Thank God for the down-to-earth soon-to-be President and his family, as well as the new V.P. and his family!!!

Wasn't Davis on "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids"?

To be quite honest Im not so sure that many people really gave a crap about the whole deal. I think most Dems really weren't that caught up into it and probably wouldnt have made a fuss had it not been for all the crap they were throwing at Obama. I think it was pretty much tit for tat. I think she was entitled to having nice clothes afterall she has to represent, but it was a little excessive.

Forced to buy the clothes? $150,000+ worth of clothes? Did they put a gun to her head? Couldn't she have just smiled at the cashier and said, "Thanks but not thanks" to Neiman Marcus?

Thank God i voted for Obama. How so unready you guys were.

Rick Davis = Loser

What took this individual so long to come forward? Did someone "instruct" him to come to the defense of Gov Palin? If he had come forward immediately, then I could believe his story, but it is too late. I think he is trying to cover up the RNC's failure at picking someone that was not qualified or ready for the VP position.

So Palin was too stupid to realize that she couldn't wear her mooseskin dress to the Republican convention, so that's why they spent +$150,000 to dress her up. Please. Again, the GOP under-estimates the intelligence of voters. The purchase of these clothes, including Prada purses, took place over a period of time, and NOT before the convention. Palin fed at the trough of the RNC and was probably planning on keeping the clothes until the press got wind of her extravagance. And it's my understanding that some of those clothes went back to Alaska with her and that the RNC has had to dispatch an attorney to inventory them and bring them back. Lot of lying going on here.

So Obama won't spend campaign money on clothing to make him look good, but he's willing to spend millions on stage-craft to make him look good, and ethically that is ok?

Can some Obamanite please explain the difference to me?

Lay off John. He's a great man.

Well, all you jealous idiots – do you ever think positively about anything or anyone? All I read on CNN blogs are negative comments and mostly from Democrats. Stop and think about the messiah's wife and how shoddily she is always dressed!! She was advised, early on, that sleeveless clothes weren't appropriate for the TV, her position, etc. Did she listen? Hell no (and no surprise there!). That horrible, black/red whatever you call it dress she wore at her husband's acceptance, it was sleeveless as well! The little black sweater just didn't hide that fact! Can't wait to see her in a photo-op in the rose garden! (not!)

"We flew her out from Alaska to Arizona to Ohio ... because it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn't click with John."

Geez!! No wonder you lost the election. The operative words here are, "just a day trip if she didn't click with John." That is telling the world that John McCain only met and talked with Sarah Palin for the very first time when she arrived in Arizona. If she had been vetted, you would have seen all the baggage she was dragging with her. You deserve what you got!!

Unbelievable that she didn't think about what to wear–what woman doesn't think about how she looks especially for an important event? It is time to let it go, the Republicans lost.

What is wrong with you people? This woman said at the time all this came up that she was doing what she was told to do by McCain's staff. This verifies it. I think the man had big cojones coming forward with this. It should have shut you whiners and sour-grape people up. It's over, Davis fessed up. Obama's going to make the US the wimpiest county since Carter... Deal with it.

@Donna – Where did you find the figure that Obama's campaign spent $600 Million on clothing? You cannot compare $150K in clothing to a higher figure in which clothing was a small percentage. Stop comparing apples to oranges.

So now let me get this straight????? The Conservative right wing party, who are not only penny pinchers, but also are deathly affraid their taxes are being going to be raised , had the desire to make their VP candidate look good since she had very few clothes! So they stuck the Republican Party with over a $150,000 bill? Does anyone realize how many clothes that is - a plane belly full, right? GIVE ME A BREAK!! Does this guy and/or the Repubs really think we were just born yesterday? It will be a long, long time before many of us will EVER FORGET this clothes saga! I have to wonder whose going to pay for her clothes the second time around????? HA

McCain is too nice to have himself and his campaign manager blame themselves in order to support Palin's future career. But, we don't want her back. It's not just about the wardrobe, it's about her lack of knowledge and capacity, her lack of moral integrity and sly divisiveness and her small-town political views.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. If the republican Party is hanging their hat on Gov. Palin as the future of the Party, boy are they in trouble.

Enough already, Sarah! Go home! You said you would serve the people of Alaska, yet when have you had time during your "love me" campaign?

Has anyone noticed that Rick Davis looks like a duck-billed platypus?

First, the whole point of the article was that Palin did not buy the clothes herself - they were bought and then brought to her.

Second, one can hardly blame the failure of the election for the GOP on the failed principles and ideas of the GOP when John McCain has rarely, if ever, represented the policies of the GOP.

Palin is no wilting violet. No victim. She is a self-described "pit bull". Rick Davis mismanaged the McCain campaign. But...... I believe in Karma. What goes around comes around.

The vile attacks, the lies-hate-fear-and-division that was spewed by the McCain/Palin campaign was and IS their downfall. And will continue to be the downfall of the GOP, they just don't get that we, Americans, are sick and tired of their vile lies and hate-mongering!

The $150,000 spent on clothes, hair and makeup is a big joke!

I'm sure a Governor doesn't have any clothes to be seen in public in.
Very poor excuse,.............
Major lack of PR experiance. Trying to push the maverick stance while carrying on under the normal Washington premise of do as I say not as I do.
Before next time see if the GOP can educate her a bit, teach her to talk, and give her something to speak about other than the Rove tactics she made her mantra during the election.
I think this particular candidate is soiled goods never to be seen again.

Thanks CNN, I knew you will listen to the voices of the people.

Drip! Drip!! Drip!!!

Just keep the tap on the Palin Show going, how else could I spend my day.

So, why now? What took Davis so long to come up with this?

This is like campaign staffers sabotaged Palin from the very beginning, and thus McCain's campaign.

I just can't stop myself from clicking on this link. Please somebody help me. Stop yesterday's train wreck from still smouldering. Thank you.

Show me anyone in her position that wouldn't have done the same thing for their 15 min. of fame.

News of the pricey tab caused a stir in the LIBERAL media days before the election and still is causing a stir.

Yet Obama spent millions on a faux Greek Column setting for his speech, that I'm sure went to a gargabe dump, and not a single word from the media on the extravagence. In fact, they celebrated it.

PS: I hear the Obama questionnaire he is handing out to everyone who is looking for a postion on his team asks them if they have any questionable relationships. We need to contact webster so that can add the scenario to their definition of both Ironic and Hypocrite.

Another joke by the MSM. Ethics, who needs them.

HEY OBAMA SUPPORTERS,

DID YOU REALIZE THAT OBAMA STILL HAS TO SHOW PROOF BY DECEMBER 1ST THAT HE IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF I SAID HE WAS BORN IN KENYA LIKE THE REST OF HIS FAMILY????

GET READY!!!!!!!!!

YOU SURE WASTED ALOT OF MONEY ON HIM!!

So much for careful vetting and preparation then–was that a big lie?

Weasel!

The real 'failure in management' took place over the past 8 years. McCain had the misfortune of being the Republican candidate trying to follow in W's wake, which was made worse by the fact that he had figuratively and literally embraced the man who did him dirty in the 2000 Republican primaries. So much for 'judgement'. As for the disasterous campaign waged by the McCain – Palin team, it was good of them to help nail the lid on the coffin, but they can stop talking about it now. Or can they? I guess if Palin is going to try for 2012, they'll need to somehow clean her up after this debacle. That will mean other people, like Davis, being good soldiers and falling on their swords. All this is entertaining, but maybe we can redirect the energy toward helping the new president deal with the problem of getting our country out of the ditch.

I wouldn't put Mr. Davis in charge of walking my dog!

Mr. Davis says, ""We got her a gal from New York..." A gal from New York? I wonder how he refers to Ms. Palin in private?

@Donna:

Yes, let's talk about Obama's 600mil. Obama did exactly what I asked him to do with the money i sent him. He bought advertisements, organized an awesome ground game and then finished it with a top notch infomercial. I am sure the donors to the McCain campaign did not sign up to purchase little Trig and silver pacifier. Did you send your money to purchase their new wardrobe? You should ask for your money back.

Is the same cry baby who complained about Campbell Browns' tough itnerview. What point is he making now. Did not make any sense to me.

Sarah just go AWAY !

Hey all of this is so stupid.
Are we going to be talking about her next week too?
Poor management is one thing you expect when at first you have extremely poor judgment.
Like last sunday when they went for two to win the game instead of kicking a sure thing to tie the game and go into overtime.
They took a blindsided risk and lost.
They went negative and lost.
With bad ideas they lost. Unqualified lost.
C-Ya bye bye

Take the Gov. of Alaska, Quick- – -I've got the convention comin' up.
Ah, to hell with the vetting – -who needs that stuff. Bring the whole family.
What? she's got 5 kids- -Oh well the taxpayers will fork over for it.and Go buy them some clothes they'll pay for that too, also.

Must have been how it come down folks

THANK GOD THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE WHITE HOUSE!

Reality check: Palin loved the spotlight, loved the new clothes, took every advantage to embellish the family wardrobe, ah heck – took every advantage. This women is not fully cooked and needs to understand as much. The fact that she became governor of Alaska does not impress me at all. She needs to do what she says she does best – take care of her family. Go home. Get fully cooked. Find an English grammar book and use it. Get some experience and then perhaps return when she actually can string two sentences together with proper syntax. Until then, she is a joke who came precariously close to fooling the American public. The more she talks, the more she tries to garner a leadership role in the GOP, the more of a trainwreck she becomes. She has become addicted to her own ego and the limelight. Go home, Sarah. You have overstayed your welcome in the political spotlight.

Fall on your sword Rick. We know you're lying about Sarah's lack of involvement in the shopping spree. But maybe the GOP will hire you to fail on another campaign in the future.

Let's focus on CHANGING THE FUTURE. The 2008 presidential election is over.

JUST GO AWAY – WE'RE FINISHED WITH PALIN AND THE CONSERVATIVES!

This really shows that McBush and McFalin' Palin were not ready to lead this country. The Dems made a right choice and put the best men in office. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being lied to by the Republicans. While the Repubs are licking their wounds, how about getting rid of real terrorists, Rush Dimbaugh and Lame Hannity.

Go Franken!!!!

Any woman knows that the clothes were expertly selected and fitted..
That is what insures the look of quality. Unfortunately the Republicans
didn't spend as much time selecting and fitting the person chosen
for the role...Poor "Homespun" Sarah was just a mannequin
for the Repugnicans ... set women back a lot as I see it !

PALIN WHO????

Well, we have known since the Couric interview that she cannot read and now Davis reveals the half wit cannot do simple math!

Palin 2012

PLEASE!

well finally some hoesty "very little prep was done"....by McCain....it was a shoot from the hip....cheap political trick

Hmmmmmmmm. Perhaps if the campaign management had used the time from Senator McCain's nomination lock-up in March to the convention a little more wisely, there wouldn't have been a last minute scramble to select a VP running mate.

How about some serious additions to her resume? She is not qualified. What kind of dress would you put on her mind??? You can only fool so many people in this day and age. As a nation we are more united and more educated than even 5 years ago and it can only get better because kids are smarter and more wordly and more inquisitive than ever. Knowledge is power and silly radio will also be a thing of the past i.e. hate radio.

TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!

And the RNC didn't vet her cultural or historical literacy, either. Perhaps, now, absent anything of real substance, Palin can lead the country to the rapture. We'd still like to know what her grade point average (GPA) was while she was attending those minor institutions getting her "education."

Clarence, MO:
"First serious female VP contender."

Geraldine Ferraro was a more serious VP contender than Palin could ever dream of being.

Still, why did she go crazy and spend that sort of money other than arrogance and a profound lack of self-control? She could have bought beautiful clothing by designers like Evan Picone, Liz Claibourne, DKNY, Jones New York, or many, many others. Someone who touts herself as Everywoman is asking for trouble when she acts like Palin did, refusing to do anything except get snippy when challenged. It was apparently typical for her – look how she is ripping off Alaska what with her expecting the state to pay for her to drag those kids everywhere, charging to be at home instead of at work in Juneau, making the RNC pay almost $100 for a tiny little onsie for the baby! She made herself look ridiculous and still does. IF the GOP wants her to be their standard bearer, it is pretty sad.

The entire operation was a failure.

GO AWAY AND STAY AWAY

I couldn't have cared less about the money spent on clothing. What bothered me was that Palin seemed to throw a bunch of words together and think they were understandable sentences. I kept wondering what was going on in her head, because she often just didn't make any sense. Also, McCain and Palin seemed to draw their energy from the crowds they attracted. They never seemed to realize how negative and divisive the energy was, and that it was this generated hatred that "true" Americans rejected.

Come on...I work at a University and I can come up with a minimum of 5 days of clothing and one that would for the convention. The truth is they had to "make", "create" what Palin is NOT. That's like taking a drug dealer off the corner and asking him to run the Trump empire. They have experience managing people and money, but they can't run the Trump empire. What is most telling is that the Repubs cannot be trusted. They will try to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters. They think more highly of themselves and everyone else are minions.

Obama can afford to purchase his own clothes. He is a multi-millioniare. As are the McCains. The Palins are not.

If they can't even run a campaign, how are they suppose to run a country/?

IT'S CLOTHING!!! WHO CARES?!?! It's sad that this was EVER an issue.

I'm a strong conservative but I don't think Palin was the best choice for VP or future Pres. She'd serve better in Congress as she has sound principals and commen sense for complex issues. Leadership and management may not be her strong points.

The GOP does have a strong pool of governors to look to in '12 and I hope they get rid of the current leadership, because they are soundly lacking in ideas and the identity that gave them the majority a decade ago.

"...it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn’t click with John. Very little prep had been done..."

Wasn't this just a few days before the convention??? Who would his VP have been if they didn't get along during that first "day trip"? Talk about poor vetting and mismanagement!!!

The fact that they felt the need to fly her around the country and show her what america looks like before the convention really tells me how bad an idea Palin was. Yikes.

This comment is to Donna who wrote: Donna November 14th, 2008 1:59 pm ET

Candidates' wardrobes are part of the expenses of campaigns. The candidates are highly visible and then scrutinized especially the females. Therefore, they must look good. Why are we focusing on $150K spent by the RNC when the Obama campaign spent $600M??

Well Donna the difference is WE the people GAVE Obama the money to do as he liked and guess what...HE WON! All you republicans got for your money was a stupid hillbilly who won't stop talking after the guests have left and the party is long over.

Forced high-end fashion wearing? Oh, please! AND if she didn't wear them as she now maintains (another word for "lies") where did she get all those clothes she was wearing?

Go away GOP's enough with you!

Oh one more thing. I hope this is the last of palin/pitbull in lipstick as she likes to call herself. let her stay in alaska where they seem to love her. we dont need or want her in the lower 49 (as she likes to say). NO MORE SARAH "PITBULL IN LIPSTICK" PALIN.

Such a fuss being made about Palin's clothing cost. Too bad. Who was responsible for asking her to get the clothes in the first place. Shouldn't they of told her what the guidlines for the budget were? Is it really that big of a deal? Typical GOP politics. Who needs them.

Palin did not say she was "forced" to buy the clothes. She did say that the clothes were purchased for her and the family by the RNC and picked out by the stylist. She did not ask for them or shop for them herself.

I consider this a failure on all their parts. She couldn't say... no I'm a hockey Mom, let's be sure to dress me nicely and with care for the cost in these hard times? Yeah... they wanted her to look WOW! and she was enjoying it. Come on!

Mismanagement is the hallmark of Republicans.
Let's hope that Pres. Elect Obama can call on their better qualities and bring folks together to work for all of us.

Wow..4 days and speech time. What decision making. Not her fault total failure from top down as to decision making. Well thank god..Obama won and we have a hopeful outlook.

"A gal from New York"? Why didn't they get Stacy & Clinton? They could have "made her over" (if such a thing is possible; even S&C aren't miricle workers) for $5,000.00.

Might as well have dressed her in Bermuda shorts and an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt for all the good she did.

IN 4 YRS FROM NOW. WHO WOULD WANT TO TRY AND GET IT BACK TO NORMAL. BIN LADDEN , WILL BE HERE WRITTING HIS BOOK, LIKE AYERS THIS MORNING ON ABC. WE ALL KNOW OBAMA WAS ABC'S DARLING , fOR THEY ALL REMOVED THERE LAPEL PINS IN SUPPORT OF OBAMA.

EVERYONE WILL BE TAXED BEYOND ALL THERE MEANS.

NO ONE NOW WANTS TO WORK . THEY ARE CRYING NOW FOR $1500. PACKAGES. THEN THERE ARE MANY TAX PAYERS THAT NEVER GOT THE FIRST ROUND. THE ILLEGALS AND DEMOCRATS CAME FIRST AND FORE MOST .

AND HE IS NOT EVEN SWORN IN , AN FARRAHAKAN IS GOING TO HAVE FRONT ROW SEAT AT THE BALL. I STILL SAY YOU HAVE LIVED THE BEST OF THE AMERICAN ERA .

Do you folks have jobs or lives to get on with.......what Sarah did or did not do is old news folks... go watch Obama walk on water.

Just goes to show a fancy wardrobe and lipstick on this pitbull makes a DOG of a candidate. Can't wait to see if AKC lists Sarah as the most popular dog name this year.

McCain didn't lose because there was a failure of management in his campaign. And he didn't even lose because he was blamed for eight years of failed policies by the republicans.

McCain lost because he was an inferior candidate. Obama is smarter and has better administrative and interpersonal skills, and he's a more inspiring leader. That's why McCain lost.

thats the rep. party they dont get it they are history. the rep. party will be seen as a joke look at the governor convention. they appearntly
support palin as there leader funny she seemedto hav e diff. messages, then look at bush, mccain,paulson. this rick davis guy
maybe the gop needs to have a payer meeting! why dont the just go away??????

The election is over... can we move on.... really.

I've seen plenty of professional, corporate women at work who aren't spending a fortune on clothes and look just as good. You can't claim to be this down to earth, just-like-you, kind of person and pick the most expensive stores to shop at. And by the way, if Republicans are looking for her to lead the party in the future then they are more out of touch than it looks right now.

McCain's administration would be as clueless about the national economy as his campaign was about their expenditures. Thank God the American people were smart enough to spare us a McCain presidency. We can't afford that.

sounds, or smells, like Davis is willing to fall on the sword to deflect the mess from Palin. Sure are a lot of conflicting stories about the clothing debacle, among other blunders committed by that campaign.

Meanwhile, Palin gets another 15 minutes in the spotlight and she couldn't be happier about it. This chick just can't get enough attention. What a narcissist.

A "management failure" was the least of McCain's troubles.

A failure of ideas, a failure of performance, a failure of judgment in choosing an airhead as a running mate – those are the real problems.

Even her fellow governors wish Palin would disappear into the background. I'm not a Republican, but Romney, Ridge, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe – I could go on and on naming qualified Republicans on the national scene.

Palin makes you guys look bad. Put her in the back row where she belongs at your earliest opportunity. Better yet, don't give her money to run again – for ANYTHING.

Damage control pure and simple. And what about the money spent using the aides' credit cards, what about Todd's silk underwear?

Now that everyone knows that 'She may not go away', they are all ingratiating themselves to her just in case her career moves forward.

She still denies her imbecilic behavior on the Couric interview, she still accuses Obama of infidelities with Ayers. She's still nuts, and a dangerous fundamentalist to boot. She's their celebrity candidate, even after they called Obama that! Palin/DeLay 2012. Frightening.

Excuses excuses ... they managed to fly Levi in from Alaska but not her clothes? You betcha

The press descended upon her like a pack of starving wolves. The pro-Obama folks were so filled with hatred and fear that they traded viral web gossip about her with fanatical zeal. She and McCain were on the receiving end of the Obama campaign machine armed with a third of a billion dollars. Still, she's in the public eye. They can't keep a good woman down.

How gallant. Palin and Todd knew what the value of the clothing was, and she sent out an aide to buy on their cards – adding to the $150,000. What I like a lot is that I don't think we're going to be talking about the Palins much in the future. She brings nothing to the table and never did. She certainly took a lot though. There isn't enough lipstick in Alaska to cover up who she is. The campaign revealed who McCain really is too, and I hope he's going under the radar as well.

"She didn’t think ‘dress for the convention’, because it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn’t click with John."

This is an interesting comment I find considering that they claimed that McCain and Palin met several times before and that she was thoroughly vetted before being picked.

Sounds to me like she was a last minute choice not one of several candidates being considered. I somehow doubt she was even considered until Obama picked Biden. I think that Palin was an after thought and not the front runner in McCain's choices for VP.

It was more than just a failure of management – it was an attitude of arrogance and the belief that they were the chosen ones to win the election. The McCain campaign was horrendous.

Who cares, the past is the past... McCain was too liberal anyway. If given the choice between a liberal and a LIBERAL, why not go all the way and get the LIBERAL.

Palin figured out pretty quickly that they didn't have a chance. I credit her for still giving it the ol' college try. In the future, I think she will come back and do things her way and let the liberals run in circles.

Plz. the whole thing was a circus. run by a bunch of clowns. the republican party needs to take some lessons from the dems on how to run a campaign without the name calling and mud slinging. they are pitiful. sad,sad,sad. better luck next time, but i doubt it.

The true "failure of management" was the selection of Alaska's Governor in the first place.

McCain would not have had to spend so much time, money and other resources on a good VP pick. In fact, a better selection could have gotten him the WH. Than again, maybe the conservative, religious right might not have voted for him, and he would have lost anyhow.

Regardless, Davis is right, the entire McCain campaign, from the Bush operatives to the lobbyists, was a "failure of management."

His comments show that McCain only took a day to meet and then determine Sarah as a suitable running mate. God Bless America for not hiring these fools to run our country.

Maybe the only reason for McCain to have picked Palin was that he wanted to be with well-dressed good looking women. What better boost to his male ego to be flanked by Cindy and Sarah both made-up to the hilt and dressed in expensive sophisticated clothes? What other reason could he have picked Palin for???? Can you think of any???

This past election was not lost by the Republicans because of this stupid issue. Quit talking about the failures and pointing fingers! Talk about how your going to change the party! I would start with Rick Davis...who the heck wants a Fannie and Freddie guy running their campaign? Oh yeah...that was Johnny MaC. Then it all went downhill from there!

Donna> The difference is, Obama buys his own clothes with money out of his own pocket. The RNC used donations to buy Sarah's ridiculous wardrobe, an ethical and legal no-no.

They sent some folks out to buy clothes and didn;t put a LIMIT on how much tospend!?

$150,000.

Just THINK about that!

"Failure of Management?" WTH? How 'bout a failure of decision-making in the first dang place, when they chose Sarah "If I only had a brain, but I don't so give me clothes" Palin. IMO, the campaign started tanking the night she made her so-called acceptance speech, which was actually a vitriolic diatribe. Heck, I live a whole bunch of miles from Minnesota and I am still wiping the spite and hatred off of myselft after that little "failure of speech writing". Bottom line, the entire endeavor of McCain/Palin was a failure, simply put, and best forgotten as we endeavor to work with our newly-elected POTUS in turning this country around for the change we can believe in!

Well, the GOP is the party of fiscal responsibility, after all...

The truth is, the money really isn't that important, as multi millions were spent on both campaigns, but even this mea culpa points out something important; if the McCain people couldn't manage this, how did they expect us to trust them with the country?

Also, this is Politics 101. Any consultant worth their salt would have spotted the potential disaster in all this.

Oh that was the reason John McCain lost the election – had not a thing to do with policy or lack there of a policy hehehehe

Obama is letting all his staffers have a cut of HIS campaign money by giving them free blackberries, etc. What the heck is the difference, liberals?

The clothes weren't as bad as the dope wearing them

THEY NOT ONLY FAILED ABOUT HER APPEARANCE THEY ALSO FAILED TO CHECK AND SEE IF SHE KNOWS HER MATERIALS FOR BEING ONE STEP CLOS TO THE PRESIDENT.THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT HER ABOUT WORLD AFFAIRS.THIS IS NOT ALASKA POLITICS.PLEEEESE

Didn't Mr Drysdale do the same thing to Granny, Jed, Ellie Mae and Jethro?
At least their show was successful.

This makes me wonder if the Republican party even exists, except on paper. Its leadership is completely bankrupt of intelligence, competence and purpose (except winning at all costs). This campaign was a replay of the last eight years. This is why the term "wrecking crew" is used do describe how they act when they govern. Now that they haved wrecked the U.S.A. they have wrecked themselves as well.

Dear Board:

Let's treat any topic regarding Sarah Palin as non-gratis. Any topic about Sarah will be considered troll-topics and we'll just ignore the topic and her. The sooner we ignore her the sooner she will go back to Alaska and stop talking. My ears have had enough of non-English, English speaking people.

She is an insult to our beautiful language because she butchers it, just as she butchers moose.

Send her packing.

Palin went back to Alaska right after the convention to send Track off to Iraq. She could have packed up her own clothes and those of her family members and brought them back with her. There is no excuse for spending $150,000 on clothes.

Thank God they won't get the chance to run the country in this fashion. The left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Poor judgment, poor management, poor leadership = the GOP.

Not a Palin fan, but this subject is getting ridiculous. There were more pressing issues than the cost of Sarah Palin's wardrobe. I don't know why we're even still talking about this.

Donna asked, Why are we focusing on $150K spent by the RNC when the Obama campaign spent $600M?

Because Obama didn't use my campaign donations or matching taxpayer dollars to buy Michelle clothes!

It's called "ethics".

There were many mistakes with Palin, the first is selecting her as VP when she knows NOTHING. Talking about Obama being a celeb, Sarah far is the biggest CELEB.

Stinking liberals are like dead corpse – Obamanation is at hand! I'm for the environment – I'm for the animals – but when it comes to your own baby... just use sex as a moral pleasure don’t worry about the consequences. Abortion is the answer- WOW!

enough already

The clothes are the least of it. What concerns me the most is the brain power, or lack thereof, of Palin, and the GOP's insistence on crediting her with intelligence (or, are they just pretending...?). Amazing. Not only does she need some serious lessons in history and economics and foreign affairs, she needs how to speak English in a way that doesn't make people cringe. And this God thing of hers...I really wish she'd drop that talk when she's speaking in public.

From a Republican:
Sorry governor Palin, but you definately helped lose this election. I don't know why the Republicans think you are the future of the party. No way. And McCain definately didn't help. All of those weird expressions at the debates, not very political. Too much slander, the list goes on and on.

I voted for McCain because I think Obama is too inexperienced. But, I was happy when he won. Hopefully the "change" will help motivate everyone and his speeches will inspire us to get moving.

How utterly ridiculous. At issue here was never the candidate's clothes, but rather the campaaign's AND McCain's failure to properly vet Palin. Had she not been the shallow and uninformed bimbo she turned out to be, and had instead had a more thorough understanding of her own government and foreign affairs, the public would have accepted her even had she been dressed in burlap. Typical Republican mindset: All image and no substance. That party is in real trouble with people like Rick Davis and Sarah Palin in positions of authority! This country deserves far better!!!

Al Dodson wrote, " 'We got her a gal from New York. . . ' Well, at least the republicans are consistent. They are still racially insensitive sexists!"

Lighten up, Al. The word "gal" is not sexist. I personally love my gal. It's like "guy" or "pal" or "buddy." It expresses no contempt for the woman.

nice of you to admit your failures. luckily the american people saw that would be the way McCain would run this country too the same way the republicans have crashed and burned it for 8 years. We voted to make sure you idiots did not get a chance to screw it up more.

Donna, the $600M that was spent on the Obama campaign was spent on the campaign as it should have been. I doubt that McCain contributors had an inkling that $150K of their campaign contributions would be used to clothe Palin.

At any rate, it's a mistake for Davis to come out now and claim mismanagement. The more the republicans refuse to let this sleeping moose lie, the more it will be scrutinized.

Dumb-o-crats,

Can't you see that this 'dear woman" keeps jumping if front of the cameras and injecting herself into the limelight. if she didn't want the conversations to continue she would granting interviews. That would please me too.

Just as most of us have known all along, minimal if any vetting, because you did not want the press to pick up on it?

So, you were willing to endanger the lives of every man, woman and child in the U.S. all 350 million citizens, because, you did not want the press to find out Palin may have been a candidate?

Republiancs are beneath contempt. No, wonder only the Southern reds and religious fascists vote for a party that calls this "rational" thinking and decision making.

Speaking of clothing the entire family- why did they ALL need to be there???

I watched the Matt Lauer interview and why is it that those kids needed to be taken out of school the entire time and dragged around like luggage.

Poor Piper missed school and told Matt it was so hard for her to catch up because she is very far behind.

Why couldn't the first Dud, um Dude, stay home and keep those kids in school. God knows just listening to the mother, they NEED to stay in school just to learn proper English and grammer. They sure ain't gettin' it at home!!

Failures all around

I really don't care anymore about her clothing. RNC spent hard earned taxpayer money to dress her up like a multi-millionaire. Although I voted for Obama she should be commended for the way she handled herself during the campaign. It was a poorly ran campaign and it had no wheels to begin with. The truth is that idiots like the dum-o-crats post don't realize that in this election people actually had some substance with their rhetoric. Get over it. I am a moderate thinking independent who listen to the views of both candidates and the fact that McCain had no substance in his campaign is the reason that they lost. NOT THE CLOTHES NOT BUSH BUT MCCAIN LOST.

If the former McCain campaign is going to talk about a failure of management, it shouldn't focus on Gov. Palin's wardrobe, but on important matters. I can't believe this is still being discussed. Yes, $150,000 is a lot of money, but this just doesn't merit attention. Who would launch a little-known female VP candidate without making sure she looked as polished as possible? No one. Come on...let's zero in on the real problems.

Yes, yes, this is all very lovely. Go and write a memoir or something. Now, can we move on?!

Abby said, She didnt see the price tags? Please.

Let's give her the benefit of the doubt: Palin accidentally spent four times the average American's annual salary on clothes for four months.

Republican campaign donations and your matching tax dollars, hard at work.

SOOO...Are they admitting now that they DID NOT vet Palin as they so vehemently claimed? What do you know....lies, lies and more lies.
I'm glad we made the right choice for our country.

Pitbull in a lipstick gone wild in New York City. Gotta love that....NOT!

a transparent attempt to make the moose look better. PLease go back to Alaska and never come back!

Donna.....
lol, yep, if the Obama campaign had spent that 600M on CLOTHES, that would be an issue, they spent it on an incredible ground game, targeted advertising, network airtime, and get out the vote campaigns.

The Republicans? Smear, fear, clothes and robo-calls.

Grow up and admit your party is a failure. You are welcome to join the majority and work for a better tomorrow, or you can spend your next 8 or 16 years trying to make excuses.

I'm sorry, but that just doesn't logically follow. I can see, with this explanation, a shopping spree getting out of hand and running up a bill of, say, $10,000-15,000 for the family for the convention, but even ad Nieman Marcus and Fifth Avenue I can't see this explanation accounting for over $150,000 in clothes.

Rick Davis quotes, "It was a failure of management not to get better control and track of that. The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing, what it was worth or where it was going."

Kind of like how the Repubs have managed our country during the past 8 years....

At least now that the campaign is over they can start the straight talk again.

Speaking of clothes, that designer dress michelle obama was wearing on the night of the election looked like a left over dress from a night of trick or treating. Talk about expensive and tasteless. Governor Palin did not buy the clothes but had to wear what was provided. Most of the clothes were nor worn and were returned. The used ones were given away to charity. Something liberals do not understand unless they are giving other peoples money away. biben made millions last year and gave 3,600.00 to charity.

She looked nice I will give her that. But lets just face it, that was a seriously poor judgement call. That was just as bad as McCain not knowing how many houses he owns.

Who cares about thing dumb woman. May the republicans have all of her . If she is the future of her party well very good them dem will have power for a long while.

This loser, davis should be held accountable, wasn't he the manager of the campaign? He was so busy spreading all his nasty rumors and lies about obama he wasn't doing what he should have been doing to run an efficent campaing. Now he trys to defend palin. I'm just glad they are both out of the picture and I mean that so please keep that winney voice woman off the new channels, please.

Donna,

Like Michele Obama said "we buy our own clothes". That's not what political contributions are for.

Wow! Sounds like the inmates were running the asylum.

She was his idea/choice for VP, of course he's going to defend her.

I only thank God that they didn't get into office. Can you imagine what would have happened? They should be put on trial for lying to the American people about Palin being fit to be a VP candidate.

I'd love to know the average IQ of the Democrats – use to be our good Farmer Party and now it's turned into a group of "don't care, don't work, pickup homeless and pay them to vote, illegal voting (of course that is what got JFKennedy in vis a vis Chicago).
So sad.
James Jones
Milwaukee WI

I can manage her wardrobe with a tenth of the $ spent on their clothes.
Give me a break. and this has nothing to do with whether any of us posting here are BO voters.
it has to do with Management !!!!!
Jeez.... and I believe her when she says she bought clothes in a high end consignment shop. I live in Sarasota, FL and believe me it CAN be done. this was just an example of a campaign in total disarray.
I may not like Sarah Palin but I would never blame her for that clothing debacle.

Oh come on! Really what a lie. If this is all they can come up with then we are safe from the GOP for many many years. As to Sarah Palin, immature ego maniac crying for attention diva train wreck I'll stamp my little feet till I get my own way while holding my breath till I turn blue VP candidate I have a solution.

Give her what she wants. Let's have her on CNN all the time. We could start with Wolf Blitzer then the next night it could be Lou Dobbs then Larry King and Campbell Brown. She should get her own cooking show so we can learn what to do with left over Moose meat. Along with that she should get the chief advisory post for OPEC so that she can tell those foreigners what to do. Then she could guest in the next James Bond flick. Anyway you get the idea.

Point is that no matter how the GOP dresses this up, (no pun intended) she's still the Democrats secret weapon...

@ Dumb-o-crats

"Dear woman"?? You mean the woman who lied, encouraged racism, xenophobia and hateful outbursts during her stumping, and spewed virulent, vicious vitriol during the entire campaign?

I'm all for giving sympathy to simpletons, but they lose the right to it once they get nasty.

Rick Davis is as dishonest as the day is long. He took a man who at one time was seen as an American hero and turned him into a petty, whining, race-baiting fear monger. He forced him to select the most unqualified running mate I have ever seen. He left the campaign in tatters and now he wants to spin the story to soften the blow.
Not going to work this time.

And to the right wingers still foaming at the mouth (ie Dumb-o-crats). Get a life....we want to move this country forward from the disaster your people put on us. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

The most interesting part of this "Mea Culpa" by McCain`s top aide is the point that it was all done with very little thought or foresight. It reinforces the notion that picking Palin in the first place was a "fly by the seat of your pants" mentality, that may work very well for a fighter pilot; but is really dumb in politics. It becomes clearer every day what an unmitigated disaster America averted in giving the Republicans the boot!!

Yes, we noticed! And thank McCain for picking Palin who despite denials deserves lots of credit for that as do the Republican wing(s) that urged McCain to retailor himself to fit the "Base." He went in with a great reputation as a national hero, but the base as well as Bush brought him down very low...he really sold himself out and which is almost a tragedy..except he went along with it.

Please be fair, Obama spent 3 M for half hour TV time? She had to be ready to be a candidate in one week not 2 years.

Dude,

Basically, you just shot your whole campaign in the foot. This just PROVES that you were not prepared to pick her. No plans for that. It was a last minute, lame a*s pick. A hail mary, shot in the dark. No vetting, nothing.

Once again- country first my eye.

The whole Republican campaign including the pick of Palin was "failure of management".

I wonder how the right wing Republicans feel about the McCain/Graham meeting with president elect Obama. Any reconciliation between these two will further marginalize them!!

the choice was so freekin' hap-hazzard they didn't even know if she would make it out of her Arizona meeting with McCain.... thank heavens he was not elected.

I think the worst part of all of this is not Palin or McCain. It's all of the hateful and nasty so called Americans in this blog and I am a Obama supporter. I do believe he was the best for all of us, but to criticize the woman and man for everything you feel is wrong. What a pity. I have had enough of all of you. Americans my butt.

Davis just doesn't get it...it wasn't a filure of management...it was a failure of veracity.

On one hand they were selling Palin as the average American, but Republicans don't really believe in average Americans (they only use them by appealing to their fears) so they have to dress her up like a Colorfom Barbie-something their REAL constituents would approve of.

Doesn't he get that no one would have cared about the price tag if they were not constructing yet another lie to sell to the American Public...they are so lost they blame it on management? No wonder they lost in a landslide.

Ameicans have lost thier ability to see that there is an enemy now in our midst that we better stop.
No Sarah Palin either – she's quality.
Jack CArlson
Seattle. Wa

Sounds like yet another republican excuse. Maybe she needed clothes, but why so many and why so expensive? You can get nice stuff for less than 150K!

OK, your off the hook, now go away!!!

What? She showed up in blue jeans and a second hand blouse to interview for the Vice-Presidency? And there was no one left in Alaska that could bring her clothes down to her? Just another sign that she wasn't prepared to run for national office.

I hope this shows the GOP that they really do need diversity in their camp. Any sane person who really works hard for a living would have vetoed those clothes. But no, the GOP is driven by money and power and the leader was a man who doesn't know how many homes he owns. No wonder they lost.

A friend of mine told me that the GOP has two elements. Those with money and the Evangelicals (the base). Most of the fat cats with money have made enough, and they just want the White House to make more and keep what they have. In order to do that they need the foot soldiers (the Evangelicals) to do their dirty work and convince others that they are for the people.

This in my opinion is a sick, sick party who thinks nothing of most Americans and hates the government until Wall Street fumbles and they need a bail out. Wake up America, the GOP should be regulated to a small insignificant party, where they belong.

and the republicans are still lying, you would think that they would have learned their lesson by now. i love our new president.

I knew we couldn't go one day without something about the Snow Princess. I hope it's almost over. She really is not worth the time.

Wonder who from the MCShame camp said this famous quote:
"Wasilla Hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast"?
She saw what was going on and not once said anything to the contrary. PLEAZZZE – if she can't be responsible for something so simple, how can she be trusted with really important decisions – ethical or otherwise? WE SEE THROUGH YOU MS PALIN, and it's not a pretty view. Wink -wink.

John McCain won the Republican nomination 3months before Obama, had close to 6months to choose a VP. That his final choice was made in haste forgoing vetting and "forcing" the campaign to buy new wardrobe for the VP nominee, says much about his leadership skills.

Seems like the one's with the most negative responses are those who claim to have WON! While my candidate wasn't elected I still feel like I've won, I still live in the best country in this world and the way we go about electing our leaders is far better than anywhere else. If I were to take personally all that's said against the GOP, I guess I should be feeling like a loser...I don't and I won't. God Bless America!

The scariest part of this articles was "She didn’t think ‘dress for the convention’, because it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn’t click with John." Oh, and I thought she was "vetted" extensively.
Argh.

There is an E mail out that shows a Tombstone that says USA Julye= 4, 1979, Suicide Nov 4, 2008....the above comments show the ignorance.
Sarah Palin had nothing to do w/the Clothes, or anything except to do the job as she does in Alaska:
81% Approval Rating
PUt crooks from her own party and Oil Compnay people in jail
dropped property taxes
3200.00 check to families because of budget overage
HEY GUYS NO BUDGET DEFICIT.
How dumb can people be? She's a cross between Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Joanne Buck
Mn

The Democrats on this blog and their hypocrisy never fail to amaze!

After all the endless, digusting ageism that was thrown at McCain (senile, doddering, drooling), they have the b*lls to criticize a Republican for saying "gal"!

Look in the mirror, Democrats. You've won a battle, but lost your soul in the process.

A lot of people on thes blogs are asking why
Barack Obama is praised before he is actualy
started. Well this is the answer:

Because he has already gave so many, yes millions and
millions of people over the whole world, HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR US ALL!

We never have seen something like that in history.
I live in the Netherlands and so many off us realy love that man, is 'nt
that a miracle?.

Thats why!

Sorry, but I don't think it was just about the clothes. Please, even if they had come from Wal Mart, it does not change the facts and reality that the choice of Sarah Palin was a mistake from the start, and her conduct since her loss – elbowing aside the entire Republican Party – is even further proof of it. The woman simply was not qualified all the way around, and clothes were not going to make any difference. This hoopla about it is just another distraction from the real problem: Sarah Palin, herself, and the McCain people for choosing her. Watch out for this "rogue" "Diva", she is on a mission, and it is all about her. Keep her in the public eye and she will delude herself she is good at what she does.

His explanation tells me that she was not properly vetted and they only chose her for McCain's political gains. Country First? I think not!

They just need to quit talking about the campaign and Palin. The more they talk, the more they sound like bafoons.

Yawn. I sure hope this is an attempt to make her look better so she can lead the Republican party. The blind leading the blind....100% the best thing they could possibly do for the Democrats.

Failure of management just about sums up the Bush Administration.

Glad there's better "Management" in the WH now... hopefully for 8 yrs!

And GOP, please stop the constant division efforts, it's the UNITED States of America... I've already heard one of your groups call themselves "The Resistance"

They got her a gal from New York!!!?? But that's not REAL America!!! Outrageous!

Hey, more important that "How did McCain goof up" or stories about how Bush and Cheney shoudl be imprisoned, why don't you look at what's happening:

1) Putin clears the way fro him to become President of Russia again.
2) The current President of Russia is going to visit Cuba and Venezuela.
3) The leader of China is going to visit Cuba.

Gee, do ya think somebody's planning something? You think maybe these countries see that the US is gonna have a weak, inexperienced leader, and that now's the time for action? Why do you think 'the world' wanted Obama? So that they wouldn't have to worry about a strong leader who wouldn't be afraid to kick a little butt.

And to you who say I'm fear-mongering, no, you and your "Bush is Big-Brother" baloney, that's fear-mongering. What I've said is a lot closer to the truth.

First serious female VP contender and she's outted for wearing expensive clothes. So typical of the GOP.

can't even manage a campaign, let alone the country

This story confirms that Sen. McCain's selection of Gov. Palin was a snap choice, poorly thought out, hastily executed and sloppily managed.

Sen. Obama throughout his campaign demonstrated strong managerial skills. The nation is grateful we don't have to experience repeated "failures of management" under a McCain presidency!

She needed clothes, okay, well why at those extremely expensive stores?

What's with all the neg. comments here? Hasn't this dear woman been through enough? Your comments smell like BO!

they couldn't run a campaign but they wanted to run the country! So glad they lost.....

We already knew the McCain campaign staff was disorganized and incompetent

Perhaps millions of Americans being disgusted, and shamed over the corruption of Bush/Cheney/McCain had something to do with your loss. It's not the clothes stupid. Republicans cannot admit their total failure.

The incompetence of this staff clearly illustrates that in no way should we have elected the Republican ticket to the Presidency.

They couldn't execute on simple things like this. Can you imagine this group in charge of the country? Be Afraid ... Very Afraid.

Hardly ... Country First

American's should be as mad about these GOPer's running for the Presidency as Democrats should be about John Edwards running for the nomination while having an affair that could have blown up in the general election.

It was McCain's fault for playing politics. Instead of standing up and choosing a VP, he was waited for Barack to make a decision. Then he chose Sarah late in the game, just to take the wind out of Barack's fantastic acceptance speech. So McCain deserved everything he got. He wasn't thinking about the country, his party or the future. All he thought about was his goal to be president.

Sarah brought in more people and more excitement alright. But when she went off script everyone realized she didn't have a brain. Too bad, so sad, it's over.

Hold the phone. "...No one knew how much that stuff was worth. It was more our responsibility than hers.” That dog don't hunt dude. She knew full well as a politician that she wasn't paying the bill and you don't go around blowing tens of thousands of dollars on clothes at the taxpayer's expense. At anyone's expense. Especially when the Presidential candidate is John McCain who brought campaign spending reform! Dude, are you from Alaska? I mean you sound just like Stevens' defense and Palin's hollow excuses. If all else fails claim ignorance. Blech.

I live for the day when Palin's name is not mentioned in the news!

They could not manage wardrobe issues but they thought they could run the country? Wow.

It's about time the campaign staff took responsibility for the failures of both Sen McCain and Gov Palin. I would like the candidates to take some of it as well. All of them share the blame and NONE of them smart enough to lead.
The new face of the GOP should be Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindahl and those like them – moderate. If not, the Democrats will be more than happy to lead, which to this Democrat, is the better plan.
Now can we please move on and quit covering Sarah Palin!

What she had no money of her own? Where did Todd leave his wallet?? Please.....enough of the excuses! She is and was a horrible pick to play to their "base" which in GOP speak, is the religous fanatic. Poor planning, poor judgement. That is what the GOP would give us!

This explaination basically confirms what I've always believed: that the selection of Palin for the VP slot on the ticket was a hasty and ill-planned decision. The GOP has a lot of soul-searching to do over these next few years.

Candidates' wardrobes are part of the expenses of campaigns. The candidates are highly visible and then scrutinized especially the females. Therefore, they must look good. Why are we focusing on $150K spent by the RNC when the Obama campaign spent $600M??

The entire campaign was a colossal disaster. Showed at the polls.

Give me a break. If she was a nicer person, I really wouldn't care how much the clothes cost .

I am sure she knew she wasn't coming here for a camping or rodeo convention and should have dressed accordingly. She knew exactly what she was doing.

There is nothing wrong with working hard and getting ahead but you have to be tactful. Sarah Palin is dumb as a fox. Don't let her fool you....

I suppose much like Palin has trouble forming complete and coherent sentences, she also has a problem reading price tags.

Sarah "Jaws" Palin is a complete fool!!

Get Jaws OFF OF MY NEWS CYCLE!!!

The repugs make me dizzy from thier endless spin.

NOBAMA
PALIN / ANY DIE HARD REPUB 2012 – 2020
after the future failed nobama/biden/clinton admin. all you nobama democraps can go stick your heads where the sun dont shine, sorry, forgot that all of you already did.

BBBWWWWWAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
C'mon LIP, griff, GARY, all you rightwing nutcases.... Let's hear how the big bad Democrats are picking on the poor defenseless Republicans....
HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Want some cheese with that whine?

missmangement my butt, out dated ideas from a lifeless corpse and a babling idiot, the best management on earth couldn't have helped that ticket.

Yada yada yada....does this really matter now. The McCain campaign lost. Why are we still talking about this CNN? It was a mistake for the camp not to think about the taxpayers money. Yes, our tax dollars paid for Palin's clothes. What else is new, the public is accustomed to getting rolled over.

So glad Obama will be our next president.

YOU ARE NOT GOOD IN ORGINAZING RICKY.GO ASK DAVID AND AXELROD FOR CLUE NEXT TIME.

If they could not manage the budget for a shopping spree how could they manage the budget for the country? I would think that any real hockey mom would know better than spend that kind of money on clothing a her family. It looked like Sara had on one of the $5000.00 leather jackets at yesterdays press conference. She said she no longer had any of the clothes. There is still alot more about this we have not heard.

Davis & hook-nose,square chin Palin should just disappear for the next 8 years or longer.

It should have never come up in the press. It is to bad that in todays world all the press can think of are negative things. I wish they would go away.

Who cares about some designer rags, or Palin for that matter? Let her have them. And oh, Rick, by the way, you both lost, so game over- pack your bags and hit the road. Don't look back and don't come back. Not even the Republicans want you anymore, I can tell....

Whatever, but why was it necessary to dress her entire family with expensive clothes, and what happened to those clothes and accessories that were supposed to be given to charity? No one is commenting or even reporting on that. The entire campaign was not managed properly so this particular aspect is in keeping with the failure of the whole effort. If she had been properly vetted, it could have been handled smoothly and not everything being done on the fly at the last minute. Another point for the Obama campaign being totally organized and the McCain advisers being inept.

This sounds suspicious to me. If Sarah Palin is so intelligent like the GOP claims, how is it that she allowed herself to innocently be duped by the McCain aids? I believe the first story was true: Wasilla hillbillies raiding Nieman Marcus.

"We got her a gal from New York. . . "

Well, at least the republicans are consistent. They are still racially insensitive sexists!

This news article feels like it belongs in Entertainment Weekly. How about moving on?!

Oh for heaven's sake, the clothes all had price tags, and she knew what stores she was in! She wanted to be VP and she couldn't keep a tally in her head of what she was spending??? Now that it scary, as is the thought that the campaign couldn't MANAGE to buy clothes on a budget.

BOY AM I GLAD THESE JOKERS AREN'T RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT! Oh, wait, they are, and have been for 8 years! That explains so much "the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing!"

"A gal"...from New York...and they wonder why we could not take them seriously about picking palin...Wow

Quit spinning it all around. The Republican ideology is what failed. GOP ideas are stale, obsolete, and irrelevant.

Enough is Enough. NO more PALIN Talk

"We flew her out from Alaska to Arizona to Ohio to introduce her to the world and take control of her life."
Ok... see maybe it was the insane aides (which I always blamed) that destroyed his campaign. Yes Palin is one of the most idiotic politicians of all time, but I blame the campaign staff entirely. I bet the completely forced john to do most of the things that went wrong. He's an old, very impressionable, easily persuaded man.

"forced"? btw – she appears to be wearing the fancy clothes, still, take a look at her RGA speech. Silly mistake, there, but it keeps on giving, too, also.

"She didn't think" Yeah, that's Sarah!

I can see purchasing an outfit or two for the convention. But, she sported the new digs after the convention and throughout the remainder of the campaign.

It is not easy to spend $150,000 and the magnitude of this number shows a serious disconnect of the main points of the article and reality. If she spent $15, then everything stated in the article would be reasonable. But the facts are that $150,000 is a huge abount of money and the “hill Billy gone nuts in a fancy store” description by her ex-aid just simply resonates with reality.

Maybe, God does have a plan for Palin, but the window of opportunity was missed when, in February, she failed to prepare her self for this important role as VP candidate that she knew she was being considered for. Maybe the world does not revolve around Palin as she seems to believe. Maybe God does have a plan for her, maybe it was to insure that Obama would be in the white house to save American from its self.

Whatever! This is nothing more then an attempt to relieve pressure from Sarah Palin the new leader of the GOP. Good Luck with that!

There's plenty of blame to go around here, starting with the top of the ticket. Just a bad campaign. One of the worst in American history.

Maybe you should have chosen a VP candidate sooner that was your right person for the job rather than waiting to pick one as a reaction to the Democratic choice. Just further proof of a knee-jerk organization more interested in "effect" than substance. Thank God (and the American people who saw through you) you lost.

SPIN,SPIN,SPIN She could have refused the clothes. And why did the family need clothes? Accessories?Silk boxer shorts? come on give us a break.

Lo....oooo....ssss...eeee...rrrr....ssss!!!

I truly hope this clueless patholgical liar runs in 2012 so we can guarentee a second Barack term.

I read the GOP spent $13,000.00 on perfume and cosmetic accessories for Palin.
They also spent thousands on clothes for the 'first dude'. You have to take a step back and laugh. You betcha.

Oh yeah right, I'm sure the folks at the McCain campaign said "Sarah, you WILL wear Neiman Marcus, Gucci, and Prada or else!"

I'm certain that her being a former beauty pageant contestant, she isn't going to just let someone put her in clothes that she doesn't okay, nor her family. Just because Davis didn't 'regulate' her spending doesn't mean she's not to blame for the outrageous amount spent.

I thought Sarah's 15 minutes were up....PLEASE!!!!

rick davis: your management,your lobbyist ties, mccain's age and lack of policies all contributed to your loss. palin was just the icing on the cake. you lost because of your constant negative campaigning and outright lies. go back to lobbying for freddie and fannie!

Pretty much the story of the whole Republican Party not just this one
campaign–failure.

Thank you, Mr. Davis, for accepting at least some responsibility for this disaster. Your explanation sounds very plausible.

I'm so glad these people aren't running our country.
Can't even run a campaign, much less the United States....and all the hate spewing from McCain and Palin more than proves my point.
They left a trail of slime and lies from coast to coast. They are a complete disgrace to our country.

In the "failure of management," Rick Davis' name would have to be at the top of the list. What a loser.

Why stop there, Rick? The whole McCain campaign was a failure. You and your whole team are/were incompetent. And the American people thank you for it. We now have a great President in the making.

OKay... You need clothes for the family for the convention. That explains the first 1-2,000 dollars maybe. 148,000 dollars more? That doesn't include the cost of transporting the whole family all over the country, feeding them, housing them in hotels. I wouldn't be surprised that the total cost of the Palin clan to the McCain campaign approaching a half million dollars. ...talk about fiscal responsibility!

The Palins were having an all-expense-paid family vacation for a few months.

Now see that is my problem Repubs!!

You were asking America to vote for the Republican Ticket with you being unorgranized, you did not vet Palin, "The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing..", are you serious??

The GOP continues to remind how they insult the intelligence of the American people. Ree-Dayum-Diculous!!!

Wait, but didn't she make a couple of trips back to Alaska during the campaign? Couldn't she have picked up her clothes then? If they wanted her to represent the common folk, why dress her in designer duds-to compete with Cindy? Yes, Rick Davis, this was a huge miscalculation on your part. Maybe you should have used the many weeks between when McCain was named to when you named a VP, to actually CHOOSE someone i.e., find out about this person and get them prepared for the spotlight? No, you picked her only because Obama did not choose Hillary, and then you were stuck. Nice of you to take some blame off Palin after your staff have made her out to be even more of a liar than she shows herself to be anyway. And you guys wanted to run the country???

Palin and her clan looted the GOP. I sooooo love her. She should be the new face of the GOP.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS!!!!

Run Sarah Run!!! Palin 2012!

This had to be the dumbest topic of issue throughout the whole campaign. I had a lot of other reasons to not want her than how much money was spent on her clothes!

lol why are we still talking about all this? we can tell... the entire campaign was mismanaged.

Uh, huh... Hilarious. And they wanted to lead the free world?

Whatever. Does anyone really care? Get over it.

All this says to me is: i'm worried about my future. please hire me in your 2012 campaign. all is forgiven.

but she sure liked wearing them.

He says "the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing". That's a very telling statement that just about makes a summary description of the whole Republican Party.

She didnt see the price tags? Please.