Palin power-play

TENSIONS have emerged on whether vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is fighting for John McCain or preparing her own bid for the White House in four years.

Twice recently Palin has criticised aspects of McCain’s campaign including her outspoken comments on the “irritating” use of robotic telephone calls.

Recently she has broken from tight constraints placed on her media interviews to give spontaneous press conferences after rallies. She has dodged questions in TV interviews on whether she will run in 2012 if McCain loses.

This weekend unidentified aides to Palin told Politico.com the Alaskan governor is concerned the decisions of McCain’s backroom staff will tarnish her image.

“Her strategy was to be trustworthy and a team player during the convention and thereafter, but she felt completely mismanaged and mishandled and ill advised,” the website attributed to a close ally.

In response, a McCain aide yesterday told CNN Palin had become a liability to the ticket. “She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone. She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.”