Edwards reimburses campaign for haircuts

[karyn]

from usa today

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat John Edwards is trying to get out of a hairy situation, reimbursing his presidential campaign $800 for two visits with a Beverly Hills stylist.

Two $400 cuts by stylist Joseph Torrenueva, who told the Associated Press that the former North Carolina senator is a longtime client, showed up on Edwards' campaign spending reports filed this weekend. Edwards spokesman Eric Schultz said it never should have been there.

USA TODAY ON POLITICS: Were there other expenses?

"The bill was sent to the campaign. It was inadvertently paid," Schultz said. "John Edwards will be reimbursing the campaign."

Edwards is also the subject of a popular YouTube spoof poking fun at his youthful good looks. The video shows the candidate combing his tresses to the dubbed-in tune of I Feel Pretty.
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Federal Election Commission records show Edwards' campaign also spent $250 in services from Designworks Salon in Dubuque, Iowa, and $225 in services from the Pink Sapphire in Manchester, N.H.

Schultz said those services were legitimate campaign expenditures to prepare Edwards for media appearances.

Political candidates often have hair and makeup done before media appearances. Edwards rival Hillary Rodham Clinton got some attention last year when her campaign paid $2,500 for two hairstyling sessions that the campaign classified as media production expenses.

[VoltaireBlue]

what a fucking idiot.

[ForrestBlack]

Aren't Laura Bush's haircuts $700 each? And that's probably taxpayer money. I think Clinton's $2,500 for hair is a media production expense. If I gave money to a candidate, I would expect them to spend it on making the best presentation. Media matters when running for high office and a bad haircut could really have an effect.

[Bondage Clown]

Wow... I want that job

[ForrestBlack]

Wow... I want that job

Cutting hair or begging various political interest groups for money?

[Lady Alias]

You see, I could understand someone paying that much it it was some hardcore angling, dying, the whole sha-bang. But, for that. It's just depressing.

[Amelia G]

You see, I could understand someone paying that much it it was some hardcore angling, dying, the whole sha-bang. But, for that. It's just depressing.

It is not my aesthetic, but that honestly is really not that high for on-site service for a haircut which has to look literally picture-perfect just about every minute of the day. A general guy's haircut of slightly longer than average length is not that big a deal. A perfect one is.

I think the hair stylist deserves to be compensated for that level of expertise, training, time, and care, not to mention coming to the man's door.

By all accounts, Edwards can afford the haircut privately just fine, but, if you accept that political contributions for campaigning are acceptable at all, then expenses for presenting the right image during the campaign are, not only reasonable, but vital.