Sarah Palin chances another interview with Katie Couric

Despite the critical pummeling that she received for her last interview, Gov. Sarah Palin is risking another sit-down with CBS anchor Katie Couric.

Couric spent today with Palin on the campaign trail in Ohio, speaking to the GOP vice presidential nominee for the second time in less than a week. She also scored a joint sit-down with Palin and Sen. John McCain.

Excerpts will air on the "CBS Evening News" tonight and Tuesday.

Today's interview was promised to Couric two weeks ago by the McCain-Palin campaign, which has rigorously guarded the Alaska governor's media appearances. (Her only other major interviews have been with ABC's Charles Gibson and Fox News' Sean Hannity.) Last week, amid a mounting backlash from reporters about their lack of access to Palin, Couric was offered the chance to interview the Republican running mate while she was in New York to meet with leaders at the United Nations.

The 35-minute interview, broadcast by CBS over two days, prompted mockery by liberals and drew winces from conservatives. In it, Palin offered rambling and often disjointed explanations to Couric's questions about McCain's credentials as a Wall Street reformer and why Russia's proximity to Alaska gave her foreign policy experience. ("As Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go?" she said. "It's Alaska.") "Saturday Night Live"  even brought back Tina Fey this weekend to portray Palin in a send-up of the interview.

Palin's father doesn't think she's been ruffled by the poor reviews. "She's a very, very strong person, a thick skin," he told Fox News' Neil Cavuto today. "Throughout her career, she's held up on a lot of criticism. I know she's holding up here real well.... She knows honestly always prevails. So she's hanging in there."

It remains to be seen whether the Alaska governor will fare better tonight. Coming just three days before her debate with Sen. Joe Biden, the pressure is on. We'll have the excerpts here, as soon as they're released.

UPDATE: CBS News just released one early excerpt from today's interview.

Katie Couric: Over the weekend, Gov. Palin, you said the U.S. should absolutely launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan to, quote, "stop the terrorists from coming any further in." Now, that's almost the exact position that Barack Obama has taken and that you, Sen. McCain, have criticized as something you do not say out loud.  So, Gov. Palin, are you two on the same page on this? 

Sarah Palin: We had a great discussion with President Zardari as we talked about what it is that America can and should be doing together to make sure that the terrorists do not cross borders and do not ultimately put themselves in a position of attacking America again or her allies.  And we will do what we have to do to secure the United States of America and her allies. 

More Couric-Palin interview excerpts after the jump...

Couric: Is that something you shouldn't say out loud, Sen. McCain? 

John McCain: Of course not.  But, look, I understand this day and age "gotcha" journalism.  Is that a pizza place?  In a conversation with someone who you didn't hear … the question very well, you don't know the context of the conversation. Grab a phrase.  Gov. Palin and I agree that you don't announce that you're going to attack another country.

Couric: Are you sorry you said it …

McCain: …And the fact …

Couric: Governor? 

McCain: Wait a minute.  Before you say, "is she sorry she said it," this was a "gotcha" sound bite that, look …

Couric: It wasn't a "gotcha."  She was talking to a voter. 

McCain: No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth.  And …I'll let Gov. Palin speak for herself.

Palin: Well, it … in fact, you're absolutely right on.  In the context, this was a voter, a constituent, hollering out a question from across an area asking, "What are you gonna do about Pakistan?  You better have an answer to Pakistan."  I said we're gonna do what we have to do to protect the United States of America. 

Couric: But you were pretty specific about what you wanted to do, cross-border …

Palin: Well, as Sen. McCain is suggesting here, also, never would our administration get out there and show our cards to terrorists, in this case, to enemies and let them know what the game plan was, not when that could ultimately adversely affect a plan to keep America secure. 

Couric: What did you learn from that experience? 

Palin: That this is all about "gotcha" journalism.  A lot of it is. But that's okay, too. 

Couric: Gov. Palin, since our last interview, you've gotten a lot of flak. Some Republicans have said you're not prepared; you're not ready for prime time. People have questioned your readiness since that interview.  And I'm curious ...

Palin: Yeah. 

Couric: ... to hear your reaction. 

Palin: Well, not only am I ready but willing and able to serve as vice president with Sen. McCain if Americans so bless us and privilege us with the opportunity of serving them, ready with my executive experience as a city mayor and manager, as a governor, as a commissioner, a regulator of oil and gas.

-- Matea Gold

Photo: CBS

Comments

[Jerry/Orlando]

Palin is a disaster. I seriously wonder whether the Alaskans will impeach her after she goes home?

They have an awful lot of dirt on her now that she has gone for weeks without the ability to intimidate them.

[Kevin]

This is good stuff, keep it coming. On a serious note, I can't believe that SP spokesperson laments that she has military experience because she is the governor of Alaska. I've been in the military for 23 years, 13 active duty Navy and the last 10 Army Reserves; when the Reserves or National Guard are mobilized under Title X, the state governor has no control of that group, they answer to the federal government. I couldn't believe he said it with a straight face. I also wonder if she has some great disdain for Sen. Obama, since she really doesn't know him, nor Sen. McCain for that matter. I have yet to hear her refer to Sen. Obama as that, senator; all I've heard is "our opponent" and some wise-crack zinger and a silly grin. Please say something substantive besides your little side jokes. The American people deserve that at least.

[gerrrg]

The coming VP debate will force Palin to either state her own opinion or repeat verbatim that of McCain's. She really is in a no-win situation, as she is clearly no technocrat. She governs from emotional connection to a limited set of issues as opposed to a widely interconnected, knowledge-based process.

She risks being exposed to be too similar to George Bush during the debate, which is what I fully expect will happen. And when I say, "too similar", I mean in terms of substantive knowledge and reasoning on the spot.

[Pblaze]

Who needs SNL? Palin's already hilarious

[Valerie]

My imaginary friends think Sarah Palin is the bomb-diggity. The McCain-Palin ticket has their full endorsement. However, it's too bad they can't vote...

[Pblaze]

Who needs SNL? Palin's already hilarious

[jay zee]

Any American that cast's a vote for these two is an idiot

[Scy]

Wait wait wait . .. so McCain was with her on this interview? She had a chaperone??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[gajo]

Sarah Palin has been put in the uncomfortable position of confronting her glaring inadequacies and now attempts to repair the huge gaff. Sorry, I don't think she'll make it to the white house, despite the blessing she received from the Kenyan pentacostal minister that prayed for her to be protected from witches like Katie Couric.

[Steve]

Cannot we recognize that we've seen this all before? The C student who didn't properly study and tries to bluff his way through the exam? George W. Bush...for the last 8 years...am I the only one seeing the similarity?

[Wily Trax]

Sarah 'The Glass Doctor' Palin is bound and determined to fix that glass ceiling with all the cracks in it.

http://www.wilytrax.com

[Carrie]

It's very obvious that CBS wants Obama/Biden in the White House and they (along with most of the other national news sources) are "out to get" McCain/Palin. That is exactly why the McCain campaign is limiting media contact and doubling up on communicating their viewpoints. They have to, in order to get some correct information out to the public and to limit how many words they give the biased media to twist!

[Aussie Henry]

You think your worried about Palin and McCain. What do you reckon we think here in Australia.

We have troops in Afganistan under severe danger, and all we need is these two crazy morons to take control. Got experience, yea right, Alaska and Russia...God give me a break.

[Tee]

What college degrees does Gov Palin have? Did she graduate from college with honors?

[SaveAmerica]

Sarah Palin is a PRIME example why we must DEMAND a constitutional amendment preventing a single person EVER again be left with the charge of selecting a VP.

Talk about National Security threat! This woman is dangerous! Her intellect reflects that of a High School Senior...on a C scale!

As humorous as it is...this is serious adult business. This clearly demonstrates McCain bizarre reasoning in making decisions. He pick Sarah Palin as VP...now do you want THAT man as President of the United States?

HELL NO!!!!!

[Rachel]

I want Sarah to know my family loves her as well. We love the fact that she's so under prepared, inexperienced and such a gift to the Democratic party. OBAMA!!!!!!!!!

[NDK]

Palin would be a great VP. She can push any button she likes while I eat doughnuts at work! mmmmmm DOooUGHNUTS. -H. SIMPSON

[Simon]

Never, ever, underestimate the stupidity of the American electorate. Palin still has over a 50% approval rating and conservatives appear to love her. Since the average American voter has the brain capacity of a backward walrus, we can expect the McCain-Palin ticket to continue to garner 45% of the vote in polls. And since most pollsters agree that Obama needs to have at least a 6-8% lead to counteract the effect of those racists who say they will vote for him but won't because he's balck, we should be very, very afraid. At 72, McCain could not only die in office, but he could contract dementia or become debilitated in some other way. And then the Executive role would pass to someone who should not even be allowed near a PTA.

In addition to which, understand that if this ticket gets in, the Supreme Court will be set for the next 20 years and Roe v. Wade will almost certainly be overturned. Women's rights will be set back for at least a quarter of a century and we will return to the era of backstreet abortions. Do you think that America gets this? Nooooo! If she cracks the glass ceiling, everyone else will see their own worlds cracked too. Scary stuff and not at all humorous.

Be afraid, America - be very afraid.

[Raul Cervantes]

I do not understimate Mrs. Palin. She is emotional and aggressive. Many of the comments I've read on this blog come from educated inviduals who use their frontal lobes. The average American though is subject to be manipulated by the politics of fear ("terrorism"). In order to America to fulfilled its mission of uniting religion and politics, the Republican Party must win. I expect a Republican to win; they are ready to create the circumstances for this to happen. Read their lips: "WHATEVER it takes `to protect america´".

[Christine]

Forget Sarah Palin. This is about John McCain. This is his pick as the most qualified human being in America to be VP. This is the person he will work most closely with. This is the person he will go to for advice when we are in a jam. How comforting. We can all tuck our children in at night knowing full well that all is under control and in good hands. Thanks, John McCain for your thoughtful vetting and your undying love of America