Sarah Palin’s makeup artist made $22,000 in 2 weeks, was top paid McCain staffer

Many people were incredibly upset and shocked to hear that the Republican National Committee used official campaign funds to outfit Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin and her family to the tune of $150,000 in designer clothing and accessories. A minority of people argued that the charges were somewhat justified and that Palin did need to look the part, but whether she needed over six figures worth of clothing when the economy is in the tubes is up to question. Tens of millions are being spent on ad campaigns for the candidates, but somehow the expensive high-end fashion seemed excessive.

It turns out that the campaign costs for Palin’s makeover didn’t end with shopping sprees at Saks and Neiman Marcus. Her makeup artist costs $22,000 for just the first two weeks of October and was the highest paid McCain staffer during that time. She wasn’t just an average makeup artist, and had won an Emmy for her work on the reality show “So You Think You Can Dance.” What’s more is that Palin’s hairdresser was paid $10,000 for that same time period.

Who was the highest paid individual in Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign during the first half of October as it headed down the homestretch?

Not Randy Scheunemann, Mr. McCain’s chief foreign policy adviser; not Nicolle Wallace, his senior communications staffer. It was Amy Strozzi, who was identified by the Washington Post this week as Gov. Sarah Palin’s traveling makeup artist, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night.

Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?”, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi’s payment as “Personnel Svc/Equipment.”

In addition, Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting” in the first half of October. Ms. Lew’s address listed in F.E.C. records traces to an Angela M. Lew in Thousands Oaks, Calif., which matches with a license issued by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board said Ms. Lew works at a salon called Hair Grove in Westlake Village, Calif.

W Magazine’s blog reported earlier this month that “the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove,” and that she was directed to the salon by none other than Cindy McCain, whose own hair stylist, Piper, works at the Hair Grove as well.

[NY Times via Huffington Post]

$32,000 for a hairdresser and makeup artist for two weeks!? Sure they traveled with her, but that’s outrageous! Palin could have hired a decent makeup artist and hairdresser for just a fraction of that amount. Instead, she spent more than the average family in the US makes in a half year in just two weeks for her hair and face. Palin needed a celebrity makeup artist slathering on that mascara as she winked at us and bragged about her down-home image. She said “It’s time that normal Joe six-pack American is finally represented in the position of Vice Presidency.” Joe six-pack would be paying off his mortgage if he came into $30k, not spending the money on hair and makeup.

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