Sarah Palin replaced at Republican event

Is Sarah Palin’s star on the wane? The Republican Party have just announced they are replacing the Alaskan Governor and self-styled ‘pit bull in lipstick’ as the main attraction at their spring fundraising dinner, at which she had been slated to give the key address.

The move comes after Palin, who was John McCain’s presidential running-mate in the 2008 US election, allegedly vacillated about agreeing to address the annual Senate-House Dinner in Washington DC on June 8. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, is to take her place.

However, confusion surrounds how this came to pass. A Republican Party spokesman says her withdrawal was due to responsibilities to the Alaska legislative session. But a spokeswoman for Palin denies her boss ever confirmed her role as a speaker, even though a joint press release issued from her office and organisers two weeks ago trumpeted her appearance at the bash.

Palin’s people now say that her initial enthusiasm was misinterpreted as a confirmation of attendance. “That’s nonsense,” said an unnamed Republican Party official. "She was a disaster," the source said. "We had confirmation." ·