Palin and Hasselbeck on the "Clothes Thing"

At a rally in Tampa, Florida, yesterday Sarah Palin addressed the RNC's purchase of expensive clothes and accessories for her:

"Those clothes, they are not my property. Just like the lighting and the staging and everything else that the RNC purchased, I'm not taking them with me. I am back to wearing my own clothes from my favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska. You'd think - not that I would even have to address the issue because, as Elisabeth is suggesting, the double standard here it's - gosh, we don't even want to waste our time."

During her introduction of Palin, Elisabeth Hasselbeck noted the irony that the media largely ignored Palin's speech on women's rights which was delivered just before the story about Palin's clothes broke: "She talked about equal pay for equal work, putting an end to honor killings, aiding women who are being exploited in the sex trade, and ending policies that sanction abortion of a country's unborn daughters." (You can read excerpt's of Palin's speech on women's rights after the jump.) Hasselbeck said that the media were sexist for fixating on Palin's clothes: "Instead of the issues, they are focused, fixated, on her wardrobe. Now, with everything going on in the world it seems a bit odd. But let me tell you, this is deliberately sexist."

(Hat tip:
Jonathan Martin.)Women start as many new small businesses as men. They're entrepreneurs trying to make a better life for themselves and their families … and trying to make payroll for their employees. They're women just like Irma Aguirre, who for years dreamed of owning her own restaurant. And she made it just a year ago - Irma owns the La Madonna Mexican restaurant right here in Las Vegas, employing 20 people. Irma is exactly the kind of small business owner whose taxes would go way up under the Obama tax plan. And the healthcare fines and mandates that our opponent would impose aren't going to help much either. They could force Irma to let employees go, and even put her out of business. If our opponent thinks he's got problems with Joe the Plumber, he should talk to Irma the Restaurant Owner - because she's voting for John McCain too. The working women of this country - those who work inside and outside the home - are overlooked by politicians in Washington. And Barack Obama hasn't given us a single reason to believe he would be any better. A company's balance sheet tallies up just the same whether it's a man who owns the business or a woman. Women want the same opportunities as men … and are entitled to the same rewards. And they would suffer just as much from the massive tax increase Senator Obama proposes. And, you know, there are a lot of families in this country with no father present. And when we make laws in Washington, those laws need to serve mothers taking care of their families. I'm lucky to have a husband who's supported me along the way, a great dad who doesn't disappear at bath time or run from a dirty diaper. But a lot of women have it much harder. They need childcare, which today can cost some families a third of their household budget. They need reforms in labor laws that allow greater flexibility in the workplace, including more telecommuting … and a tax code that doesn't penalize working families. They need health care the family can take with them when they move or change jobs … and better choices in retirement plans … and worker retraining when things get tough. Women also need "equal pay for equal work" to be a reality and not just a talking point. It's that simple - it's a matter of fundamental fairness! To make all this happen, working mothers need an advocate - and they will have one when this working mother is working in the White House! You know, when I was a girl, Congress passed a law that's come to be known as Title Nine. That law allowed millions of girls like me to play sports. And over time, it opened more than the doors to the gym. Along with other reforms, Title Nine helped us to see ourselves and our futures a different way. Women of my generation were allowed, finally, to make more of our own choices. And I have never forgotten that we owed that opportunity to the feminists who came before us. We were allowed to be participants, instead of just spectators on the achievements of others. And I was lucky to have a lot of support at home, too. Among the many things I owe my parents is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity. That belief in equal opportunity is not just the cause of feminists - it is the creed of our country. And if I am given the honor of serving in the White House, I intend to advance that creed in our own nation and beyond. Across the world, there are still places where women are subjugated and persecuted, as they were in Afghanistan … places where they are bullied and brutalized and murdered in honor killings. Places where women are sold like commodities, in the nightmare world of the sex trade … places where baby girls are unwelcome as a matter of state policy, and their mothers are forced to have abortions. No one person or leader can bring an end to all of these evils … to all the injustices inflicted on women. But I can promise you this. If I am elected, these women will have an advocate and defender in the 47th vice president of the United States. ... John and I have talked about the missions he'd like me to focus on should I become vice president, and energy independence is one of them. But there is another that's especially close to my heart, and that is to help families with children with special needs. It was Mother Teresa who once said, "God has created each one of us, every human being, for greater things - to love and to be loved." And no matter what our party, our background, our faith, or our gender, there is a voice of humanity in Mother Teresa's words that speaks to all of us. John and I have a vision of an America where every innocent life counts, everyone has a chance to contribute, and every child is cherished. And that is the spirit I want to bring to Washington. As governor, I've secured more funding and assistance for students with special needs. As Vice President, I'm going to make sure these children and all our families have a friend and an advocate in the White House.... Nevada, on November fourth, it's going to come down to what we believe in. What John McCain and I believe in is what Ronald Reagan believed in! We believe in the forward movement of freedom, not the constant expansion of government. We believe it is time to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling!