Palin stylist draws higher pay than policy adviser
By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press
Writer 56 mins ago

WASHINGTON – An acclaimed celebrity makeup artist for Republican vice
presidential candidate Sarah Palin collected more money from John
McCain's campaign than his foreign policy adviser. Amy Strozzi, who
works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been
Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign
finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast,
McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500,
the report showed.

McCain's campaign said the payment covered a portion of her work in
September and a portion of October. An earlier campaign finance report
showed Strozzi was paid $13,200 for a portion of September.

In recent days, McCain and his running mate have tried to douse a furor
over how their side spent their money. The Republican National Committee
came under scrutiny after the party committee reported earlier this week
that it had spent about $150,000 in September on wardrobe and cosmetics
after Palin joined the GOP ticket.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune and Fox News on Thursday, Palin
said the clothes bought for the Republican National Convention were not
worth $150,000 and said most have not left her campaign plane. She also
said the family shops frugally.

"Those clothes are not my property. We had three days of using clothes
that the RNC purchased," Palin told Fox News in an interview that aired
Thursday night.

There was no evidence of additional clothing purchases in the most
recent reports.

The Obama campaign has said it paid for hair and makeup costs associated
with interviews or events, but neither the campaign nor the Democratic
National Committee has paid for clothing.

The reports showed that Barack Obama and McCain enter the final days of
the presidential campaign amid dwindling reserves, with Obama hindered
by a sudden drop in fundraising and McCain restrained by spending limits.

Obama, the Democratic nominee, spent more than $105 million during the
first two weeks of October, according to campaign finance reports. He
reported raising only $36 million for his campaign during that period,
about half the fundraising pace he enjoyed in September.

The Illinois senator shattered records and dumbfounded Republicans and
Democrats by raising $150 million in September. Obama could still do
better in October. His more recent report showed he had taken no share
from a joint Obama-Democratic Party victory fund that raised about $27
million during the same October period.

But with the election 11 days away, both Obama and McCain, the
Republican nominee, are operating with diminishing funds.

Obama had nearly $66 million in the bank at the end of the two-week
period and debts of about $2.3 million. The Democratic National
Committee and the joint victory fund reported combined cash on hand of
$31 million.

McCain and the Republican National Committee reported having a combined
$84 million as of last week to spend before Election Day.

The reports illustrated Obama's superior financial position going into
October. He spent more than $80 million on media advertising. McCain,
using his resources and the Republican National Committee's, spent a
combined $38 million on ads.

McCain, who has accepted public financing for his campaign, is
restricted in his spending. As of Oct. 15 he had more than $25 million
in hand and more than $1 million in debts. The RNC, which has been
helping his candidacy, had more than $59 million in the bank.

At McCain's spending rate of $1.5 million a day, the Arizona senator
likely has only $12 million to spend in the next 11 days before the Nov.
4 election. He began the fall campaign in September with $84 million in
public funds.

Obama is not participating in the public finance system, a strategy he
used to advantage in September with a remarkable surge of donations. His
October fundraising slowed, even though Democrats had hoped that
presidential and vice presidential debates held during that period would
have spurred additional giving.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, issued e-mail fundraising appeals on
Thursday. The candidate warned supporters that "the margins of victory
in crucial battleground states will be small."

Added his wife: "It all comes down to Friday morning when we make the
last, tough choices about where we can fight — and how hard."

McCain's major expense was advertising — he spent more than $19 million
from Oct. 1-15 on ads. The RNC contributed an extra $10 million to help
with those media buys. It also spent $8.5 million on ads on behalf of
McCain that were placed independently of his campaign.

McCain still has $21 million left over from the primary elections that
he cannot use in the general but can distribute to Republican Party
committees. In October, he doled out $8.5 million from that account to
party committees in the battleground states of Missouri, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Wisconsin, Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida.

Obama contributed $14 million to Democratic committees in those states
and more.