The RNC has shelled out $150,000 for Sarah Palin's wardrobe (fashion slideshow here) according to Politico. Many righty blogs have leapt to Palin's defense: Mother, May I Sleep With Treacher says, "the press is desperately trying to make Sarah Palin look bad;" RedState says, "the anti-Palin media critiques are wearing thin;" and NewsBusters is unhappy with "the snide comments of WaPo editorialist Jonathan Capehart." However, Marc Ambinder says many Republicans off-the-record are "disgusted" by the news of Palin's shopping spree. The Weekly Standard wants to know how much Hillary's wardrobe is worth, and points to the $140,000 spent on Obama's Greek-columned stage at the DNC convention. All Michelle Malkin can manage to say is: "Heckuva job, RNC" and posts some pre-RNC makeover photos.

Meanwhile, Al Qaeda has filled out its absentee ballot for John McCain (via RawStory), sending the McCain campaign into crisis mode. Over a conference call, McCain advisers read praiseworthy quotes about Obama from Hamas, Qaddafi and Ahmedinejad (via WashingtonIndependent), and then insisted Al Qaeda was playing reverse psychology by backing McCain. When asked if the same reverse psychology arguement could be applied to the quotes from Hamas, Libya and Iran, McCain surrogate and former CIA director Jim Woosely pulled "a homina homina homina and dodge[d] the question" (via TPM). The right-leaning JawaReport discounts the whole story, noting that "online terrorists are for the most part morons." To continue the Star Wars theme, TheToot says, "Help me Obin Laden, you're my only hope."

Elsewhere in the blogosphere: Politico also says there will be "no calvary coming for McCain;" polls showing McCain tied with Obama greeted with some skepticism at TheCorner; NationalJournal adds up the metrics for Obama; Ellen takes on Palin over gay rights (via ThinkProgress); and HotAir offers a "comprehensive argument against Barack Obama," who will likely appear on SNL on Nov 1 (via Defamer).