Andrew Cuomo Spent Over $1,000 on Hair Stylist for Campaign

In today's paper, the New York Times reports that Governer Andrew Cuomo's campaign paid $1,383.86 to the Chicago-based stylist Alx Galasinao in January, as revealed in a recent campaign finance filing. More surprising than the amount Cuomo spent is the Times' decision to cover this non-story. After John Edwards' $1,250 haircuts, Cuomo spending $1,300 on styling for an entire campaign is not quite shocking. The Times even notes how normal Cuomo's expenses are: "In the age of high-definition broadcasting, hiring a stylist to prepare a politician for a campaign advertisement is a common practice. Last fall, the campaign of Mr. Cuomo's Republican opponent, Carl P. Paladino, spent $272.18 at a hair salon on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As with Mr. Cuomo's expense, that payment was listed as relating to television ads." [NYT]