Sunday, October 12, 2008

Buy every man a Nieman Marcus suit, like the ones Norm Coleman denies receiving


For the price of the Iraq War, we could've bought every man on Earth a Nieman Marcus suit.

Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman is accused of receiving improper free gifts, including a Nieman Marcus suit, from contributor Nasser Kazeminy.  The above video shows Coleman's campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan, repeatedly refusing to answer reporters' questions about whether Coleman received the free suits.  Senators are required to disclose gifts they receive with a value over $250.  

The cheapest of the 24 suits advertised on Nieman Marcus' front suit page costs $830 (considering a suit to include only the jacket and pants).  Buying such a suit for the 3.36 billion men on earth would cost a total of $2.79 trillion, which is $210 billion less than Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes' estimate of $3 trillion for the total cost of the Iraq War.