Rally drops Palin to guard message

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Organizers of an anti-Iran rally at the United Nations say they withdrew an invitation to Sarah Palin to keep Monday's event from becoming too political.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., pulled out after learning Palin, the Republican Party vice presidential nominee, also had been invited. Her staff cited the same concern as rally officials who voiced concern over their message possibly being obscured.

Organizers said in a statement that the event was put together to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at the United Nations and to oppose Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

"In order to keep the focus on Iranian threats and to ensure that this critical message not be obscured, the organizers of the rally have decided not to have any American political personalities appear," rally officials said.

However, pulling Palin's invitation set off a political battle of words when John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee, blamed "Democratic partisans" for pressuring the organizers to drop her, The Washington Post said. McCain also criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for failing to take part in the event.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor, who said the campaign had planned to send someone to the rally, called the blast "another dishonorable lie" from McCain in an attempt to politicize the event.

The Monday rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza is being sponsored by a coalition of American Jewish Organizations. Ahmadinejad addresses the U.N. General Assembly the next day.