NEW YORK: Senator Hillary Clinton is avoiding a public face-off with Republican Sarah Palin, the new female star of the campaign, while still raising money and votes for the Democrat who wrested the presidential nomination from her.

Advisers to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and to Mrs Clinton say she will resist pressure to speak out against the Republican vice-presidential candidate, believing it will diminish her stature while distracting voters from the contest at the top of the ticket.

Any mention Mrs Clinton makes of Mrs Palin will only be in the context of her partnership with Republican nominee John McCain, aides said.

The New York senator abruptly cancelled an appearance at a rally protesting against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after learning that Mrs Palin had also been invited to the event next week. Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines said: 'Her attendance was news to us and this was never billed to us as a partisan political event. Senator Clinton will, therefore, not be attending.'

A spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign swiftly retorted: 'Governor Palin believes that the danger of a nuclear Iran is greater than party or politics. She hopes that all parties can rally together in opposition to this grave threat.'

When Mr McCain chose Mrs Palin as his running mate, a new chapter began in Mrs Clinton's complicated political saga.

Besides her own sore feelings at losing the nomination to Mr Obama, Mrs Clinton has had to deal with the disappointment of many supporters angry at what they perceived as sexist treatment by the Obama campaign and the media.

An Associated Press-Yahoo News poll conducted from Sept 5 to 15 found that 26 per cent of voters who supported her are now backing Mr McCain and Mrs Palin.

Mrs Clinton took a light approach this week on ABC's Good Morning America, saying: 'You know, I think the point is not the vice-presidential candidate on the other side, with all due respect. It is the presidential candidate. Senator McCain is not offering much of a change from what has already been the policies of the Republicans and of this administration.'

Clinton supporter Susie Tompkins Buell agreed that Mrs Clinton should avoid being an 'attack dog' against Mrs Palin. But she said Mr Obama should showcase Mrs Clinton more prominently if he hoped to win in November.

Mrs Clinton has campaigned for Mr Obama in Ohio, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. She has also raised more than US$5 million (S$7 million) for him.

Mrs Palin rejoined Mr McCain on the stump this week but her candidacy also hit some bumps on the campaign trail.

Hackers broke into the Alaska governor's personal Yahoo e-mail account and posted a number of her messages and two family photos on the Internet, the McCain campaign said on Wednesday.

This comes at a time when Mrs Palin is suspected of using her personal e-mail account for official purposes in Alaska. According to the law, all messages relating to the governor's official functions must be archived and not destroyed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NEW YORK TIMES