WASHINGTON: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in her third interview since joining the Republican presidential ticket, licked her finger and stuck it in the air, saying that Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama might wait and “see what way the political wind’s blowing” on the Wall Street rescue package.
She also told CBS’s Katie Couric that the US has achieved “victory” in Iraq.
Palin’s TV encounters have drawn tremendous interest because she has largely allowed herself to be walled off from journalists amid growing criticism that a vice presidential nominee should be more accessible.
Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, announced at the last minute that he will appear in a scheduled presidential debate with Sen. Obama yesterday night.
As for Palin, the decision to deny her access to the press has had its consequences. In a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 57 percent of those surveyed agreed that “Palin does not have enough experience and understanding of foreign and military issues to be president.” And 49 percent say Palin is unqualified to be president if needed. By comparison, 64 percent say Joe Biden is qualified.
The Republican vice presidential nominee told Couric on Thursday evening that Sen. John McCain would take the lead in reforming Wall Street — or “we’re going to find ourselves in another Great Depression.” But Palin seemed stumped when pressed to cite examples of McCain trying to reform the banking industry, beyond urging greater restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “I’ll try to find some and I’ll bring them to you,” Palin said.
Palin rebuked Obama for his expressed willingness to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling the decision “beyond naïve” and “beyond bad judgment.” But she had trouble defending an earlier statement she made that the US should not “second guess” Israel if it attacks Iran to protect itself.
The interview came amid increasingly vocal complaints from journalists that the campaign is walling off its vice presidential nominee. Palin has been interviewed by Charles Gibson of ABC News and Sean Hannity of Fox News, but has held no news conferences and has responded to exactly one question from the reporters who follow her around the country.
Since Palin’s selection was announced Aug. 29, Sen. Joseph Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has held four news conferences and granted 89 interviews.
CNN anchor Campbell Brown called the situation “unprecedented,” saying in an interview that “as a journalist, my job is to get the truth, understand who this woman is, what she’s about, whether she’s qualified to be vice president. . . . If she were a man, would we be putting up with this? Would the campaign be treating her like this? Would she be coddled this way, cloistered this way? I don’t think so.” Also on Thursday, Palin received an extension of the deadline for disclosing her personal finances and now won’t have to report until the day after her only debate with Democrat Joe Biden.
Palin received a four-day extension from the US Federal Election Commission.
The federal financial disclosure report was initially due next Monday. Now, Palin has until Oct. 3, the day after her debate in St. Louis, Missouri with Biden.
Earlier this month, Mr. Biden released a decade of personal financial records that showed the veteran US senator from Delaware earned less than many of his congressional colleagues. Biden and his wife, Jill, earned $319,853 in 2007.
