The Republican National Committee apparently shelled out an eye-popping $150,000 to keep running mate Sarah Palin looking stylish in the short time since she was picked for the ticket, it was reported last night.

Among the expenses to keep the Alaska governor looking sharp were $49,425 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in New York and St. Louis, Politico.com reported.

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And there were also high-end shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis – a few miles from where the GOP National Convention was held – early last month, including one that produced a bill of $75,062, the Web site reported.

Palin spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt released a statement saying it was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign.

No expense was spared on hair and makeup either, according to the RNC’s federal filings, with $4,716 going to those costs in Sep tember.

Disclosure reports prior to Palin’s pick as John McCain‘s running mate don’t include any similar expenses, Politico said.

Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella told the Web site only, “The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent.”

Palin’s high-end designer clothes and her signature coif have landed her photos in several fashion magazines.

Meanwhile, Palin yesterday mocked Joe Biden for telling voters that America’s enemies will immediately test Barack Obama if he’s elected president.

“He guaranteed that if Barack Obama is elected, we’ll face an international crisis within the first six months of their administration,” she said.

“He told Democrat donors to mark his words – that there were ‘at least four or five scenarios’ that would place our country at risk in an Obama administration,” Palin said on the stump in Reno, Nev.

“I guess we gotta say, ‘Well, thanks for the warning, Joe!’ ”

Palin said foreign dictators and terrorists will be less inclined to challenge McCain.

Palin also blasted Obama’s positions on negotiating with Iran, the Iraq war, the Russian invasion of Georgia and invading Pakistan without the support of that country’s government.

“But I guess the looming crisis that most worries the Obama campaign right now is Joe Biden’s next speaking engagement. Let’s call that crisis scenario number five,” she quipped.

Also yesterday, Palin ripped Obama in her strongest language ever for not putting Hillary Rodham Clinton on his ticket.

“When the time came to make a decision, Barack Obama couldn’t bring himself to pick the woman who got 18 million votes in the primary,” she said in Henderson, Nev.

“The qualifications are there, but for some reason, the promotion never comes.”

She then slammed Obama for paying women on his Senate staff only 83 cents for every dollar men earn.

An Obama spokesman said the men held more senior posts, and added that the Democratic candidate is stronger on the issue of equal pay for equal work.

Additional reporting by Carl Campanile and Geoff Earle