Washington, Sept. 3: Republican presidential nominee John McCain has reportedly sent out a “political hit squad” to defend his running mate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin against various controversial claims, including the fact that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant for the last five months.

According to The Telegraph, a team of press officers has been put in place to handle the worldwide media frenzy surrounding the selection of only the second woman ever on a U. S. presidential ticket.

The objective of this exercise appears to be to neutralize Democratic Party claims of panic in the McCain camp, amid growing claims that Palin''s personal history was not properly vetted before McCain announced his pick on Friday.

The Washington Post reported that Palin, who has portrayed herself as a fighter against corruption and a dogged opponent of wasteful spending, secured 27 million dollars in federal funding for the small town of Wasilla, where she was mayor until two years ago.

News that she hired a lobbying firm to secure the cash could undermine McCain''s claims that Palin is a kindred spirit in opposing so-called congressional "earmarks" of public cash for pet projects.

Palin and her husband Todd have also had to issue a statement revealing that their daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant and ready to marry her boyfriend, Levi Johnston.

It also emerged that Todd Palin was arrested for drunk driving in 1986 and that Mrs. Palin has now hired a personal lawyer to fight her corner in a sleaze probe investigating whether she abused her position as governor of Alaska.

She is being investigated by Alaska''s legislature over claims that she called for the sacking of the state''s public safety commissioner because he would not fire a state trooper, who happened to be her estranged brother-in-law, claims she describes as "outrageous" and "false".

McCain''s team have so far kept Palin out of the media''s way in the hope that the controversy blows over. But she may soon have to respond to the drip drip of stories or risk losing control of her image.(ANI)