McCain´s campaign defends Palin´s fashion expenses

U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her husband Todd attend at a rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia Oct. 13,  2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"About a third of them have been returned, a third of them sit in the belly of the plane and are available to her and her family for special campaign events, TV appearances and ad filming," said McCain's senior adviser Nicolle Wallace. "Another third was made available to her family for the public events during convention week."

Wallace also criticized the media storm about the wardrobe controversy as a terrible disservice to her and involved a "double-standard for women in politics."

"That any aspect of her shoes, clothes or appearance has become a distraction is a terrible commentary on the state of the media and politics," she said. "Let's get on with our great debate about the best direction for the country in these challenging times for our economy and our nation's security."

Palin, the Alaska governor, also defended herself in a Thursday night TV interview, saying "those clothes are not my property."

She also noted that her family usually shop frugally, and "it's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the facts are not out there and are not reported."

Editor:Zhang Pengfei