Palin's favorite store forced to change its name

[Yoink 7]

Closet consignment store stands by the door of the shop and talks …

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's favorite consignment shop has been forced to change its name after she brought the trendy, upscale Anchorage boutique unintended legal problems during last year's presidential campaign.

Out of the Closet owner Ellen Arvold said she was served a cease-and-desist letter by a Los Angeles-based chain of thrift stores with the same name — same trademarked name, it turned out — after Palin mentioned her store in an interview.

Rather than fight, Arvold agreed to change the name to Second Run. The change is effective Saturday, the store's fifth anniversary.

"We don't have the resources to fight," Arvold said. "We just decided to change the name. We really had no choice legally."

Palin came under heat as John McCain's running mate when it was disclosed the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 to outfit the Alaska governor and her family during the presidential campaign.

Palin told reporters at the time the clothes were neither her idea, nor her property. In an interview with Fox News in October, she said she was a frugal shopper and her favorite shop was "a consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska, called Out of the Closet."

Ged Kenslea, spokesman for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the owner and operator of the Out of the Closet thrift store chain, said if it weren't for Palin, the duplicative name "wouldn't have landed on the radar."

"We've invested a lot of time, energy and money or resources branding Out of the Closet, tied specifically to our HIV/AIDS mission to provide care and advocacy regardless of a patient's ability to pay," Kenslea said. "She was very gracious and agreed to change the name of her store."

Arvold said Palin was last in the store a few days before McCain made her his surprise pick for vice president in late August, and sent a note Arvold a photograph from the campaign trail, showing her wearing a pink Dolce & Gabbana jacket she bought at the store.

Included was a note that "thanked us for the clothes, and apologized for all the flak we took, so that was really thoughtful of her," Arvold said.

As for Palin's high priced wardrobe, the Republican National Committee has said it would be donated to charity. Neither Palin nor RNC officials immediately responded to interview requests on Friday.

If the campaign duds haven't been distributed yet, Kenslea said the charity would be happy to take them.

[Jasman0717 9]

What was McCain thinking

[Yoink 7]

Walmart is "golf' clapping

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

What was McCain thinking

It was a ballsy move, after Obama didn't pick Clinton for the number two. Remember, McCain's campaign was flatlining until then.

[Jasman0717 9]

What was McCain thinking

It was a ballsy move, after Obama didn't pick Clinton for the number two. Remember, McCain's campaign was flatlining until then.

It was ballsy until people heard her speak. Geeze, you would have thought someone would have seen her abilities, or lack of, before the nomination. Of course we did have Dan Quail and Spiro Agnew as vice-presidents

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

What was McCain thinking

It was a ballsy move, after Obama didn't pick Clinton for the number two. Remember, McCain's campaign was flatlining until then.

It was ballsy until people heard her speak. Geeze, you would have thought someone would have seen her abilities, or lack of, before the nomination. Of course we did have Dan Quail and Spiro Agnew as vice-presidents

It was a "Hail Mary" for sure!

And there are ####### Cheney, and Joe Biden. Come to think of it, most V.P.'s have been flops.

[luckytxn 2,264]

What was McCain thinking

It was a ballsy move, after Obama didn't pick Clinton for the number two. Remember, McCain's campaign was flatlining until then.

True. It was not Palin that lost that election. During the campaign there were a couple of websites that showed McCains rallies and they were subdued and boring and lacked any zest.

Then they showed Palins rallies and everyone of them was well attended and energetic and just plain had zest.

After the Neocons screwed it up so much that even Hitler running on the Socialistic ticket could have won then Palin or anyone was a non factor.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

What was McCain thinking

It was a ballsy move, after Obama didn't pick Clinton for the number two. Remember, McCain's campaign was flatlining until then.

It was ballsy until people heard her speak. Geeze, you would have thought someone would have seen her abilities, or lack of, before the nomination. Of course we did have Dan Quail and Spiro Agnew as vice-presidents

And George W as President.

[alienlovechild 75]

And there are ####### Cheney, and Joe Biden. Come to think of it, most V.P.'s have been flops.

How soon we forgot Sen. John Edwards when he ran for VP. Spent the next few years cheating on his cancer ridden wife, hiding in restrooms, pimping his son's death and talking about two Americas.

Edited February 15, 2009 by alienlovechild

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Thanks for The Onion-juice of the day, Grandoner!

Edited February 15, 2009 by CherryXS

[MichelleN 0]

Actually when I first heard her mention this store during the elections, I thought to myself "Aren't those a chain of stores in California?" and assumed it was just part of that chain.