How to Spend $1.5bn on Elections - First Lavish $150,000 on Sarah Palin's Clothes

There is, it turns out, another difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom, when the hockey mom in question is Sarah Palin: more than $150,000 (£92,000) in clothing and accessories from some of America's most upmarket department stores, including $4,716 on hair and makeup, all in the space of a couple of months.

While others merely speak of the need to stimulate the US economy, the Republican party seems to have been trying singlehandedly to revive the designer couture sector, it emerged yesterday.

Since late August, it has spent more than $125,000 in shopping sprees on behalf of John McCain's running-mate and her family at Saks Fifth Avenue and Nieman Marcus, along with smaller sums at Bloomingdale's, Barney's and Macy's.

Details of Palin's shopping trips - including a single outing costing $75,000 - emerged as a new report into campaign finances revealed the cost of the presidential election would easily exceed $1bn, shattering records for fundraising and spending.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which monitors political fundraising, the overall cost of the 2008 presidential and congressional elections combined will total $5.3bn, which would buy a lot of tailored suits and wrap shirts from Nieman Marcus.

A McCain campaign spokeswoman said it had always been the plan to donate Palin's clothes to charity after the election.

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now," said Tracey Schmitt, "it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses."

But since the average US household spends around $1,800 on clothes in the course of a whole year, the news did little for Palin's self-promoted image as an anti-elitist American.