国际英语新闻：McCain's campaign defends Palin's fashion expenses

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign defended vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's fashion expenses that has grabbed public and media attention with only days before the election day.

    The wardrobe controversy was expanded with a report saying Palin's stylist, Amy Strozzi, was paid 22,800 U.S. dollars for the first two weeks in October, while McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid only 12,500 dollars during the same period.

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks at a campaign rally in Sarasota, Florida October 23, 2008.

An earlier report disclosed that the Republican National Committee has spent 150,000 dollars of political donation to cover Palin's expense on clothing, makeup and other fashion needs.

    Despite the repeated clarification that the purchased clothes would go to charity after campaign, the news stories still incited public furor as the country was caught in a worst economic crisis since 1930s.

    The McCain campaign broke its silence on the matter and provided some details to media on Friday, saying Palin "did not ask for or want any new clothes."

    "About a third of them have been returned, a third of them sit in the belly of the plane and are available to her and her family for special campaign events, TV appearances and ad filming," said McCain's senior adviser Nicolle Wallace. "Another third was made available to her family for the public events during convention week."

U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her husband Todd attend at a rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia Oct. 13, 2008

Wallace also criticized the media storm about the wardrobe controversy as a terrible disservice to her and involved a "double-standard for women in politics."

    "That any aspect of her shoes, clothes or appearance has become a distraction is a terrible commentary on the state of the media and politics," she said. "Let's get on with our great debate about the best direction for the country in these challenging times for our economy and our nation's security."

    Palin, the Alaska governor, also defended herself in a Thursday night TV interview, saying "those clothes are not my property."

    She also noted that her family usually shop frugally, and "it's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there and are not reported."