[Vision2020] Politico RNC shells out $150K for Palin fashion

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Wednesday 22 October 2008 05:39:43 Kenneth Marcy wrote:
> Jeanne Cummings  –  Tue Oct 21, 8:47 pm ET
>
> The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe
> and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family
> since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

The notion that has pegged my irony meter's Vu gauges on their right posts is 
that Palin's fashion finery is a clear, specific, literal, itemized violation 
of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, also known as the 
McCain-Feingold Act. Title III -- Miscellaneous, Section 313, Use of 
Contributed Amounts for Certain Purposes (2 USC 439a), (b) Prohibited Use. --
(1) In General. -- A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) 
shall not be converted by any person to personal use.
(2) Conversion. -- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or 
donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the 
contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation or 
expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election 
campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including --
"(A) a home mortgage, rent or utility payment;
"(B) a clothing purchase;
and items (C) through (I) follow here.

Given the multiple trillions of dollars of damage done to the federal treasury 
via this administration's military actions and regulatory inactions, the 
legalities of which are here undiscussed, it is tempting to dismiss Palin's 
campaign couture as immaterial chump change. Yet McCain's name remains on the 
legislation. Will he have the decency and the honor to respect the law he 
fought to enact? Will he recognize his own campaign's actions under it?


Ken