<i>Newsweek</i> Takes a Look Behind the Campaign '08 Curtain: Wasilla Hillbillies and Russian Hackers, Oh My!

Inevitably the next few weeks will result in many-behind-the-scenes, this is was really happened accounts, or book deals. Particularly, one imagines, from the McCain camp where, despite John McCain's gracious speech last night the finger-pointing must have already begun (Sarah Palin watch your back!). Newsweek appears to be getting a head start in their 2008 Special Election Issue and wow there's some juicy stuff! From the report: Sometime during the summer the Obama computer system was hacked into by a "sophisticated, unknown "foreign entity" (apparently from Russia or China). The Obama camp was unaware of how serious it was until the FBI and White House contacted them the next day to alert them: "FBI and White House officials told the Obama campaign that they believed that a foreign entity or organization sought to gather information on the evolution of both camps' policy issues information that might be useful in negotiations with a future administration." The Obama campaign quickly secured the system. The speculation is that the hackers were Chinese or Russian. Now back to Palin, who apparently spent WAY more than $150,000 (and you know this is only going to be the beginning of the Palin shopping-gate). Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist but instead she began buying for herself and her familyâ€”clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill...One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla Hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican party audits its books....McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. There's more! Obama needed to be convinced more than once that Hillary wasn't the best choice for VP. McCain was thrilled with Biden and terrified by Clinton and apparently Schmidt and Salter tanked a "celebrity" ad of Obama dancing with Ellen DeGeneres because the "sight of a black man dancing with a lesbian was deemed too provocative." Also? Palin wanted to speak last night (we saw some twitters before 11pm suggesting that she might) but the idea was nixed by Schmidt.

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Newsweek Takes a Look Behind the Campaign '08 Curtain: Wasilla Hillbillies and Russian Hackers, Oh My!

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