How many sixpacks can $150,000 buy?

I've got a new piece up at The Guardian's Comment is free America about the McCain-Palin campaign's $150,000 spending spree, which Pet mentioned earlier:

The McCain-Palin campaign's governing principle is easily and succinctly précised as "What would Joe Sixpack do?" One guesses he wouldn't spend a cool $150k at Bloomie's. Even if Joe Sixpack had that kind of money to spend these days, the small towns in "Real America" populated by Clans Sixpack and Plumber, about which Palin gushingly enthuses on the campaign trail, generally trend less toward Saks and more toward Marts: Wal and K to be precise.

And so, predictably, the scheme has failed miserably with their base. Marc Ambinder reports, "Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures."

Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt tried valiantly to spin the complaints: "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses." The point, you have missed it. It's remarkable that with all the important issues facing the country right now – economic morass, homelessness increasing, the majority of states now in recession – you're spending three times the US median household income on pantsuits and blouses, and didn't have the foresight to consider the average American might find that objectionable.

Read the whole thing here. (And if you're tempted to argue that spending money on clothes is a campaign necessity, make sure you read the whole piece first.)