Merriam Webster's definition:

characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure : lavish

Can you think of a word that better describes this piece by J. Patrick Coolican and Alex Richards that appeared on Saturday in the Las Vegas Sun?

The presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton racked up big bills at some of the Strip's finest hotels, according to recent campaign finance disclosure reports.

The tabs at such hotels as the Bellagio and the Four Seasons aren't meaningless: Clinton faces an emerging financial disadvantage against her rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, in the run-up to must-win contests in Ohio and Texas.

The gap came to bear in Wisconsin, where Obama outspent Clinton by a ratio of 5-to-1 on TV advertising in Tuesday's primary and won by 17 percentage points.

The Clinton campaign spent at least $264,133 in Nevada during January, 47 percent of which went for travel and lodging.

Among Clinton's bigger Strip tabs:

> Planet Hollywood: $45,387, plus $9,963 for "Internet service" at the hotel.

> Bellagio: $25,479;

> New York-New York: $12,240;

> Circus Circus: $10,503;

> Tropicana: $8,685;

> Four Seasons: $5,183.

Ten grand for Internet at Planet Hollywood? Clinton contributors must be seething with rage over the way her campaign blew through more than $100 million during this campaign. At least she won Nevada.

In contrast, the Sun article adds:

David Cohen, Obama's Nevada state director, said out-of-state volunteers and staff stayed with Nevada supporters, who were asked early last year if they had spare bedrooms and would be willing to house staff and volunteers.

If Obama's campaign wasn't so flush with cash I'd use the old saying about being "penny wise and pound foolish." Instead, I guess the words "frugal" and "smart" will have to suffice.