Presidential candidate John Edwards is certainly taking a beating in the press for employing the services of high-priced hair and make up stylists. But Edwards is hardly the only straight male presidential candidate to spend some money on his looks and bill his campaign for it.
A few years ago, I wrote this story about George W. Bush's presidential campaign, which was apparently (and illegally) using money Bush had raised for his gubernatorial races in Texas to finance parts of his 2000 run for the White House. Among other interesting things, Texas campaign finance records showed that the governor's campaign committee had paid $275 to Glenda Facemire, the head make-up artist for the TV show Austin City Limits. When I called her in 2003, she told me she made up both George and Laura throughout the 2000 campaign.
Facemire's rates are comparable to what Edwards reportedly paid for his pre-TV primping in Iowa and New Hampshire, but maybe it's just more manly to have someone from Austin City Limits blushing your cheeks than the gals at the Pink Sapphire...
"Facemire" is probably the best name ever for a makeup artist.
Posted by: Shem | April 26, 2007 at 08:44 PM