Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) went to bat for Christine O’Donnell Sunday after the Delaware GOP Senate candidate canceled her appearances on two Sunday morning shows.

“C[hristine] O’Donnell strategy: time’s limited;use it 2 connect w/local voters
whom you’ll be serving vs appeasing nat’l media seeking ur destruction,” Palin tweeted.

O’Donnell’s cancellation prompted criticism that she was unprepared to defend the string of
controversial statements from her past — like that she had “dabbled into” witchcraft — which has emerged throughout the week.

Some wondered upon host Bob Schieffer’s initial Saturday announcement that she wouldn’t appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” whether she was following Palin’s advice — given during an appearance on “The O’Reilly Factor” last week — to “speak through Fox News” instead of other networks. 

O’Donnell then canceled on “Fox News Sunday” Friday night saying that she wanted to rest and focus on her state campaign.

Schieffer addressed O’Donnell’s cancellation Sunday morning on “Face the Nation,” questioning whether she canceled via e-mail because of the witchcraft remarks which surfaced in a video released by Bill Maher on Friday night.

“After we became aware of this, we e-mailed the campaign again and
asked them if, in fact, was that the reason that she decided to cancel
the appearance?” Schieffer said. “We got back an e-mail that said, ‘No, that is
not the reason. We weren’t aware that he had released this tape until
yesterday afternoon.'”

“As for dabbling in witchcraft, whatever
that is, her campaign spokesman said ‘Campaigns about what she did as a
teen is hardly a worry to her or the people of Delaware,'” he added.

Palin’s choice Sunday to advise O’Donnell via Twitter, in full view of her 256,000 followers, suggests the same lack of hesitation that prompted her to cut radio ads and a robocall for the political novice in the days leading up to last Tuesday’s primary.

Many credit Palin for O’Donnell’s surprise upset over centrist Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), but also note that her involvement may be a liability to O’Donnell — now branded as heavily conservative — in the general election.

The Democrat in the race, Chris Coons, currently leads by 11 points.