Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said the media sometimes “censors” what she says.
Palin, in the midst of preparations for her Thursday night debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, called into conservative talk radio host Sean Hannity’s show late Wednesday.
In a back-and-forth with Hannity about recent media portrayals of her, Palin said she feels the press "censors" her comments. Palin has given few media interviews and critics have panned most of them.
The Republican vice presidential nominee also said debate moderator Gwen Ifill is “not a concern.” The PBS host became a target for conservatives Wednesday after online reports revealed Ifill plans to release a book on the historic nature of Barack Obama's candidacy. Conservatives charged that it damages Ifill’s objectivity.
"It's motivating even to me to hear Gwen's comments because, again, it's going to motivate me to work that much harder," Palin told Hannity.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain also defended Ifill’s journalistic credentials.
“I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional, and I think she will do a totally objective job because she is a highly-respected professional. Does this help that if she has written a book that's favorable to Senator Obama? Probably not. But I have confidence that Gwen Ifill will do a professional job,” McCain told Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron.
In the roughly 15-minute interview with Hannity, Palin indicated that American consumer habits were at least partially to blame for the recent credit crisis that has engulfed Wall Street and Capitol Hill.
"Americans, as individuals, we have to start changing our habits also, and start incurring less debt," Palin said, adding that Americans should take more personal responsibility in managing their own finances.
And Democratic nominee Barack Obama was irresponsible, though, to not get involved in bailout negotiations, Palin said. "John McCain was leading this charge toward a bipartisan effort that could help support Wall Street," the Republican vice presidential candidate said, "but Barack Obama was phoning it in."
Anticipating Thursday's matchup, Palin also threw jabs toward Biden, telling Hannity that debate preparations helped her realize how "extremely liberal" the Democratic ticket is.
Palin reiterated claims that Obama had voted against funding for troops in Iraq, calling him reckless and irresponsible. "It's beyond naive, it's downright dangerous to think that those were Obama's positions," Palin said.
The Alaska Governor also said that 85 percent of small businesses would be adversely affected by Obama's tax plans, and added it is "scary that Sen. Biden has not grasped" the need for a comprehensive energy policy, which Palin said should include offshore drilling.
The interview with Hannity came during his show's "Newsmaker" segment. Palin didn’t answer any questions from listeners.
