Dominicana_1965
25th October 2008, 01:25
Washington, Oct 23, (RHC (http://www.rhc.cu/ingles/portada.htm)).- A newly released report says that the cost of this year's U.S. presidential and congressional campaigns will hit a record 5.3 billion dollars.
The Center for Responsive Politics' estimate includes spending from candidates, political parties and political action groups. The $5.3 billion figure marks a one billion dollar increase over 2004.
In what has become the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history, The New York Times reported earlier this week that Democratic candidate Barack Obama is breaking the advertising spending record set by President George W. Bush four years ago.
According to the newspaper, Obama has spent nearly $188 million on advertising in the general election. At the same time, it is being reported that Republican John McCain has spent $91 million.
On Sunday, Obama's campaign announced it had raised a record-shattering $150 million in donations in September. The previous monthly record was $66 million, which Obama raised in August.
Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Spends Thousands on Clothes
The John McCain campaign has been forced to admit it has spent more than $150,000 on vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's clothes and accessories since she became McCain's running mate in August.
The figure is substantially more than Palin's $108,000 annual salary as Alaska's governor -- and news of it has brought a firestorm of criticism from Democrats who say it exposes Palin as a fraud and Republicans who wonder why their campaign contributions went for fashion.
Republican officials say they've always intended to donate the clothes to charity after the elections. But critics say the spending reinforces the perception Republicans have falsely constructed an image of Palin as being in touch with average Americans.
According to financial disclosure forms, the Republican National Committee spent $75,000 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, $49,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and smaller amounts at others upscale department stores.
This isn't the first time eyebrows have been raised over the price of McCain-Palin fashion. In July, the Huffington Post reported that John McCain wore $520 Ferragamo loafers. And in September, Vanity Fair said that Cindy McCain had worn about $300,000 to the Republican convention -- $3,000 for an Oscar de la Renta dress and hundreds of thousands more for the diamonds and pearls that went with it.
On the Democratic side, it is estimated that Michelle Obama's usual campaign outfits are worth about $2,000 each. Barack Obama reportedly accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in a custom-made Hartmarx suit, and the Chicago Sun-Times says he's bought five more of them since. Retail price: about $1,500 each.
http://www.periodico26.cu/english/news_world/october2008/us-elections102308.html
The Center for Responsive Politics' estimate includes spending from candidates, political parties and political action groups. The $5.3 billion figure marks a one billion dollar increase over 2004.
In what has become the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history, The New York Times reported earlier this week that Democratic candidate Barack Obama is breaking the advertising spending record set by President George W. Bush four years ago.
According to the newspaper, Obama has spent nearly $188 million on advertising in the general election. At the same time, it is being reported that Republican John McCain has spent $91 million.
On Sunday, Obama's campaign announced it had raised a record-shattering $150 million in donations in September. The previous monthly record was $66 million, which Obama raised in August.
Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Spends Thousands on Clothes
The John McCain campaign has been forced to admit it has spent more than $150,000 on vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's clothes and accessories since she became McCain's running mate in August.
The figure is substantially more than Palin's $108,000 annual salary as Alaska's governor -- and news of it has brought a firestorm of criticism from Democrats who say it exposes Palin as a fraud and Republicans who wonder why their campaign contributions went for fashion.
Republican officials say they've always intended to donate the clothes to charity after the elections. But critics say the spending reinforces the perception Republicans have falsely constructed an image of Palin as being in touch with average Americans.
According to financial disclosure forms, the Republican National Committee spent $75,000 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, $49,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and smaller amounts at others upscale department stores.
This isn't the first time eyebrows have been raised over the price of McCain-Palin fashion. In July, the Huffington Post reported that John McCain wore $520 Ferragamo loafers. And in September, Vanity Fair said that Cindy McCain had worn about $300,000 to the Republican convention -- $3,000 for an Oscar de la Renta dress and hundreds of thousands more for the diamonds and pearls that went with it.
On the Democratic side, it is estimated that Michelle Obama's usual campaign outfits are worth about $2,000 each. Barack Obama reportedly accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in a custom-made Hartmarx suit, and the Chicago Sun-Times says he's bought five more of them since. Retail price: about $1,500 each.
http://www.periodico26.cu/english/news_world/october2008/us-elections102308.html