AP Hits Palin for Not Taking Questions

Since being picked by Sen John McCain and nominated by the republican party, Gov Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) has had little interaction with journalists. None of the candidates in this race has been so shielded from the media, so protected from any spontaneous situation, and Palin's unvarying remarks give the impression that she and her message are being tightly controlled. As before her convention speech, McCain's campaign is briefing Gov Palin for her first TV interview. Her only interaction with the media was a brief conversation with a small group of reporters on her plane Monday -- off the record at her handlers' insistence. Associated Press reporters were not on the plane, but an aide told the journalists on board that all Palin flights would be off the record unless the media were told otherwise. At least one reporter objected. Two people on the flight said the Palins greeted the media and they chatted about who had been to Alaska, but little else was said. By comparison, her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden, has been campaigning on his own for weeks, at times taking questions from audiences. He was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday. His campaign appearances have touched on a range of issues.