Florida’s two top elected Republicans, Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez, are flying on Sarah Palin’s campaign plane for at least part of her tour of the state, but the campaign couldn’t find room onboard the slightly smaller-than-usual plane for state GOP Chairman Jim Greer.

Insiders deny it’s because of a comment Greer made recently in the New York Times suggesting Palin has yet to prove her qualifications to be vice president, but don’t deny there’s been tension between Greer and the campaign.

After the Katie Couric interview, in which Palin gave stumbling and confused answers, but before her improved performance in the debate with Joe Biden Thursday, Greer told the NYT, “I think the Katie Couric interview shows that she needs to be briefed more on certain aspects. She continues to be viewed very positively by the base of the party, but she needs to demonstrate that she’s got the knowledge and ability to be president should the need arise.”

As one of the warmup speakers for Palin in Clearwater this morning, Greer tried to make amends.

He said Palin as a governor “makes more decision in one hour than Barack Obama and Joe Biden do in a year.”

A Greer spokeswoman responded by noting that Greer will be at all the Palin events. travelling on his own, and added, “What is important is that the chairman will be on hand to welcome Governor Palin along with thousands of Floridians – so many that we had to move two of the four locations to accommodate a larger crowd.”

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