Arkansas Blog: Joe the Plumber doesn't wear Manolos

The Sarah Palin fashion saga puts pricey haircuts in the shade. Deservedly. What a phony.

Here's a slide show and fashion rundown, though no mention of the reported Louis Vuitton for one of her tykes.

UPDATE: On the jump, some questions about Sarah Palin's smelly finances.

FROM NIEMAN REPORTS

Ten questions to ask Sarah Palin

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal finances, and those of the city and state that she has run, have received little scrutiny from reporters, writes David Cay Johnston. Obvious issues have not been examined, including two items on her 2006 and 2007 tax returns that suggest the Palins cheated on their federal income taxes.

By David Cay Johnston
davidcay@mac.com

1. What are the reasons that you only released your tax returns for 2006 and 2007 -- and not from your years as the paid mayor of Wasilla?

2. How did your family build up more than $1 million in assets, given that as mayor you made $64,000 and your 2006 and 2007 income tax returns show that you and your husband together earned $128,000 in 2006 and $166,000 in 2007?

3. How did you finance the construction of your home, which you value at a half million dollars?

4. Will you show us the invoices from the contractors who built your home and copies of the front and back of the checks with which you paid them?

5. While you were running for state-wide office, your husband told Fox News, he "built" the home with his "contractor buddies." Will you make available your husband's travel records during the campaign?

6. How many hours between the start and completion of construction did your husband spend in physical labor such as pounding nails and fitting pipes while he "built" your home?

7. As governor you charged taxpayers for travel by your children, so as vice president would you also expect their travel expenses to be paid by taxpayers and, if so, what is your rationale?

8. Since you did not report these travel funds on your tax return as income, which a number of tax experts say is required, what is your rationale for this? And have you checked, since the release of your tax returns revealed this, whether you made the proper decision and, if so, with whom did you check? If you did check with a tax advisor will you authorize them to speak about this matter?

9. When elected Wasilla's mayor you announced you were taking a pay cut, from $68,000 to $64,000, and then hired the city's first professional city administrator at $50,000; what are the reasons that you hired a professional to do the work that previous mayors had done?

10. During your term as mayor a Wasilla sales tax was begun and the city went from being nearly debt-free to owing more than $22 million; please explain how this squares with your describing yourself as a fiscal conservative.

Governor Sarah Palin's personal finances, and those of the city and state that she has run, have received little scrutiny from reporters. Obvious issues have not been examined, including two items on her 2006 and 2007 tax returns that suggest the Pains cheated on their federal income taxes.

By merely picking up the telephone, reporter Wayne Barrett discovered that some of the contractors who worked on the Palin home were the same ones who built the City of Wasilla's hockey rink, the biggest municipal building project in that small city's history and one loaded down with at least $1.3 million in legal expenses because construction began before the city had title to the land underneath it. The responses some contractors gave Barrett suggested that they do not have records of invoices and payment, raising the question of whether they built the home so that they would get the hockey rink contracts.

How the Palins handled their income taxes, and how she made use of public funds, are legitimate questions of public interest and have been raised with candidates since before the founding of the republic, yet journalists covering this year's campaign have not filed reports indicating that they examined these issues beyond regurgitating official statements by the Palins and the McCain campaign.

Comments

Hmm...I don't give a damn about Sarah's clothes; and I'm prone to defend her on this one. I imagine most of us would need a few different 'frocks' if we had her schedule. As long as tax payers aren't footing the bill I don't care about McSame's houses or her clothes. She's a religious nut who's unqualified to be VP or president...regardless of what's she's wearing.

(I really like the red number with the boots...one day women are going to evolve enough to stick those high heels up the rears of the men who love them so.)

Posted by: zelda | October 23, 2008 09:56 AM

Call me old, but I hate the short tight skirts -- yeah, pretty much what I said about Michelle Obama's suits earlier.
Seems Michelle has taken to wearing 50s? early 60s? style dresses lately. All you ladies of somewhat advanced years probably recognize the look. You know, the dress with all the hard stuff, including fitting but minus a collar, we had to master in home ec sewing back in the dark ages.
Anyway, we'll see what style she adopts as it gets colder.
And as she goes on to the White House. Hope, wish, pray, anything you think might cinch the deal.
Memo to all: lose the pointy toed stiletto heels unless you want foot problems that have me calculating whether or not I can wait until I get Medicare and a supplement -- no out-of-pocket, y'know -- to have them fixed. Before yesterday, I figured I could. But then I put on a pair of panty hose (d'ya know you forget how to put those damned things on without twisting them?) and dress shoes. Oh. Oh. Ow. Ow. Ow.
Hubby was curious what I had in the plastic grocery bag when I walked out the door. (The pair of clunky,WIDE toed mules I slip on to take the dog out on a wet morning. Boy, did they feel good as I drove home.)

Posted by: Doigotta | October 23, 2008 11:54 AM

In all honesty.. he doesn't even go by the name Joe, is not a licensed plumber and will not earn 40k this year nor will he be buying a plumbing business anytime soon (if ever) in which he could possibly earn a quarter million bucks a year... which would only then put him in the tax bracket in question.

So with that many lies under his belt.... it is highly unlike;y he can afford Manolos but it's anyones guess as to whether or not he enjoys wearing women's shoes.

It's time to consider ending a perpetuation of this incredibly dishonest meme.

The dude is a plant... At least call him - Not Joe, not even a plumber

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | October 23, 2008 12:14 PM

'Honey, I could have dressed you for a lot less than that,' "

So goes the Republicans. Almost anyone can do things for
less than Republicans.

Fight wars
Restore an unregulated market
Rescue a drowned city.

Medicare part D, drug plan.

ANYONE! ANYTHING!

Why have they become such extravagant wasteful people?
The likes of John McCain. Since leaving the military never had to work.
George W. Bush, never had to work, squandered and wasted family money
(see the film "W", bush was 40 his dad inquired when was he going to find something to do)

They have no plans for anyone's future. Spending Spree Republicans!

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 12:48 PM

Doigotta, last time I tried to get into panty hose....in middle of bed on my back, Frenchie

and I working up a sweat, first legs down then up in the air, then hanging off the bed with

French on his knees.........I finally said, FK this shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Along came thigh highs....best invention ever!!!! No more panty hose for this kid!!

Posted by: jazzy | October 23, 2008 01:59 PM

I know what you mean jazzy. I have to shave twice before I can get the damn things on.

However, I was once the most skilled guy around at getting them off.

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 02:23 PM

Then why elwood is Hawaii dumping their socialized healthcare system? And why since a D-governor took over is the socialized healthcare in Mass. bankrupt? And why in the past two years since democratic take over of congress has the economy tanked.
Democrats don't do any thing any cheaper they just don't count it as spending when it's other people's money.

And the clothing issue???????????????????????????/ REALLY??????????????????????????/ That's what we are talking about? Not Obama's friendship with a communist/self-proclaimed sexual deviant, not his connections to folks who should be in prison....but Palin's outfits? Well the Brook's Brothers that Obama wears IS NOT cheap, but I guess that does not matter when in the TANKING ECONOMY he manages to bring in a mear what seventy million bucks? IF we are going to talk money let's talk the money funneled to Obama from Fannie, Freddie and Acorn! How much she is spending on her clothes is irrelevant. NO ONE was bitching about Hillary spending tax dollars on Oscar de la Renta!!!

Posted by: MAK | October 23, 2008 02:30 PM

"And why in the past two years since democratic take over of congress has the economy tanked."
by: MAK

Thanks for the laugh! Mary Ann!

Posted by: bejeeus | October 23, 2008 03:34 PM

"...And why in the past two years since democratic take over of congress has the economy tanked."--MAK

Seriously, MAK...ya gotta turn Rush off now/then.

I know that facts tend to roll off you like water off a duck, but the Democrats didn't take over Congress two years ago. They have to have Republicans to pass anything in the House and the Senate...and then it was up to a Republican President, Monkeyboy, to either veto it or let it pass. So, you see, they couldn't have 'tanked' the economy...without a LOT of help from Republicans.

Do you know the truth and pretend otherwise?

Posted by: zelda | October 23, 2008 03:35 PM

IF we are going to talk money let's talk the money funneled to Obama from Fannie, Freddie and Acorn!<<

Those two giants are responsible for TWENTY PER CENT of Sub Prime Loans. Sorry but that's one has been discredited so many times...well for normal people. The rest was pure and simple
FREE MARKETs.....UNregulated Free Markets in CDSs...those are DERIVATIVES...big word

buy hang on to it Mz Kelly..cause they are not stabilized yet.

Why you ask Mz Kelley?

Because they were ALL ISSUED by Private Investment Banks, like

Bear Stearns
Lehman Bros
Goldman Sachs and
AIG

Now they need bailing out...Bigger than you can Fathom ....and

The Largest Ever Bank Failure in American History ...was what?

Washington Mutal......bailed out of course and did Acorn or Freddie-Fannie

have anything to do with WASHINGTON MUTUAL?

Of Course not...that's why illogical noise makers like M-A-Kelley cannot fathom them...

other than you're as stupid as a knob on the door.

and did M-A-Kelley learn a thing from this little history-econ lesson?

Absolutely Nothing.

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 03:43 PM

>>Then why elwood is Hawaii dumping their socialized healthcare system?<<

"State officials said Thursday they will stop giving health coverage to the 2,000 children enrolled by Nov. 1, but private partner Hawaii Medical Service Association will pay to extend their coverage through the end of the year without government support.

Hawaii lawmakers approved the health plan in 2007 as a way to ensure every child can get basic medical help. The Keiki (child) Care program aimed to cover every child from birth to 18 years old who didn't already have health insurance - mostly immigrants and members of lower-income families."

So 2,000 children is SOCIALIZE HEALTH CARE ????????

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 04:00 PM

>>why since a D-governor took over is the socialized healthcare in Mass. bankrupt? <<

Here's Why it's having trouble:

"In November 2004, political leaders began advocating for major reforms of the Massachusetts health care system to expand coverage. A few days later, the Governor, Mitt Romney, announced that he would propose a plan to cover virtually all of the uninsured."

And he did.

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 04:08 PM

>>>Well the Brook's Brothers that Obama wears IS NOT cheap,...<<<

No Kidding. Would you vote for him if he wore Off-the-Rack WalMart suits?

Glad it's not the clothes that's an issue Mz M-A-Kelley.

Just the fact that he is NEGRO scares you real good eh.

I would bet my last Gold shares that if one rummaged the entire Obama Household you could not find $150,000 worth of clothing.

Yes, Mz Kelley, it is the clothes. Just like it was the $400 hair cut for months upon end.

And yes, it's leaving your crippled wife for a younger, very wealthy woman so you don't have
to go to work or just live off a military disability pension.

Yes, it's being caught on film and tape taking gratuities from the largest thief who ever stole
Americans' savings, Charles Keating. It's in U.S. Congress testimony too. All of them should have gone to prison, McCain and the 4 Dems.

And YES, like Rush dopehead Limbaugh, it's about getting drugs, illegally, stealing them from
a charity . Yes McCain's Wife, Cindy, did that.

Posted by: eLwood | October 23, 2008 04:17 PM

Granted, women's clothes are more expensive than men's clothes. But Godalmighty, I have some really nice suits and I have some stuff from Brooks Brothers even and I wouldn't think my wardrobe cost 15k.

Amazing. And the "little guy" is supposed to relate to HER?

Posted by: bopbamboom | October 23, 2008 05:03 PM

GUESS THE FLEECE AND SWEATS SHE CAMPAIGNED IN, IN ALASKA WOULD BE MORE TO YOU MORONS LIKING. SHE DOESNT OWN THE CLOTHES, THEY WILL BE DONATED AFTER THE ELECTION. AND THE KID'S PURSE IS A SWEET FAKE. SHE IS DAMNED IF SHE DOES AND DAMNED IF SHE DOESNT. I THINK ALL YOU FAT DEMOCRATIC WIMMMIN ARE JEALOUS YOU DIDNT GET PICKED BY ANYBODY.. NEVER SAW SUCH JEALOUSY.. CANT STAND THE FACT THAT SHE CAN DO ALL THAT SHE DOES, AND SHE STILL LOOKS LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS.. SEEMS THATS ALL YOU BOZOS TALK ABOUT. SHE IS A PRETTY SHARP COOKIE AND YOU JUST CANT STAND IT. WHAT'S JUMPIN JACK JOE SMOKIN THESE DAYS. NEVER KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO SAY... COURSE IT'LL BE ALRIGHT. ACORN WILL COVER FOR HIM.. STAGE, LIGHTING. YOU KNOW, WHAT BARRY GIVES EM MONEY FOR. YOU MUST THINK THE WHOLE USOFA IS STUPID. OR JUST PLAIN OLE IGNORANT. OVER HALF A BILLION BUCKS AND HE WANTS MORE.. ANOTHER PLEA. THIS TIME FROM MEECHELLE. SHE WANTS 5 BUCKS.. HE WANTS 10 MORE FROM EACH PERSON . NOT ENOUGH JACK TO CARRY THEM THRU... LORD GIVE US ALL A BREAK.
EVEN DUBI COULDNT SPEND THAT MUCH ON NORMAN'S OUTFITS. GIT HER SUMTHING TO WEAR. PLEASE.

Posted by: LargeAss | October 24, 2008 03:36 AM

Arkansas Blog

Joe the Plumber doesn't wear Manolos

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