“NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin’s shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain’s top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family–clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent “tens of thousands” more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,” and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.”

Norm Coleman and Al Franken brought in Millions of dollars from outside the state. We have to stop this influx of money from outside sources. All campaign money should be accountable to a person who actually lives in Minnesota.

We should get rid of PACs which funnel in millions to campaigns with no way to determine where it came from.

527 committees can bombard our TVs with lies from unknown sources.

We must develop a system to rate commercials for truth. We have truth in lending how about truth in campaign commercials. How about a rating system? We need to fix these issues or just let the corporations drive our elections and economy through the mud.