Obama tactical in approach to Palin

St Paul: Barack Obama's campaign used a carefully calibrated two-track approach to respond to the sharp attacks from Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Obama brushed aside questions about Palin, saying he preferred to focus on Republican nominee John McCain, while some of his surrogates portrayed the Alaska governor as a "frightening" fringe politician.

Obama deflected a question about whether Palin had transformed the race with her prime-time speech Wednesday night and self-described role as a campaign "pit bull."

"I've been called worse on the basketball court," the Illinois senator told reporters in York, Pennsylvania. "I think ultimately this race is going to be about myself and John McCain, and who is in a better position to lead the country."

Obama also dismissed Republicans' complaints that Palin, who was formally nominated last night to be the second woman on a major party's ticket, was being treated unfairly because of her gender.

"I assume she wants to be treated the same way guys are treated, which means their records are under scrutiny. I've been through this for 19 months. She's been through this for, what, four days so far?"

Vietor denied that the Obama campaign was reluctant to go after Palin on grounds that an argument about her inexperience could backfire on Obama, who has been a US senator for less than four years.

'Bridge to nowhere'

Vietor said the campaign would continue to point out what it believes to be false statements by Palin, such as her assertion that she was against the infamous "bridge to nowhere." Palin originally supported the federal earmark but later opposed it.

Despite the efforts of Obama and Biden to avoid any vitriol about Palin, Obama's campaign arranged for a conference call on which two prominent Democratic women attacked her as a fringe politician who is unprepared for the White House.