Palin offers first television interview to ABC

updated 4:45 p.m. ET Sept. 7, 2008

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin plans to sit down later this week for her first television interview since John McCain chose her as his running mate more than a week ago.

The first-term Alaska governor has given speeches, alongside McCain and at the Republican National Convention, since McCain introduced her as his surprise vice presidential pick on Aug. 29.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said Sunday that Palin would be made available "when we think it's time and when she feels comfortable doing it."

Later, a McCain-Palin adviser said an interview was offered several days ago to Charles Gibson of ABC News. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made.

Palin heading back to Alaska
The adviser said the interview was expected to take place later in the week in Alaska. Palin is expected to return to her state at midweek after more joint appearances with McCain.

An ABC News spokeswoman said the network had no comment.

McCain, who appeared on CBS television's "Face the Nation," said he expected Palin to start doing interviews "in the next few days."

Davis complained that the media has focused too much on the 44-year-old Palin's personal life. Many of those stories came after McCain's campaign announced that Palin's 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. News reports also have questioned her record as a reformer in Alaska.

"She's not scared to answer questions," Davis said on "Fox News Sunday." "But you know what? We run our campaign, not the news media. And we'll do things on our timetable."

'Cycle of piranhas'
Palin won over Republican loyalists with her speech last week at the party's national convention in St. Paul, Minn. But Democrats and even some Republicans have questioned whether she is ready to answer unscripted questions about national and international issues.

Video Biden: Palin a ‘smart, tough politician’ Sept. 7: Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden discusses Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin with NBC’s Tom Brokaw on “Meet the Press." Meet the Press

"Why would we want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media that have nothing better to ask questions about than her personal life and her children?" Davis said. "So until at which point in time we feel like the news media is going to treat her with some level of respect and deference, I think it would be foolhardy to put her out into that kind of environment."

Palin's Democratic counterpart, Sen. Joe Biden, a veteran of the Sunday talk show circuit, challenged Palin to sit for interviews.

"Eventually she's going to have to sit in front of you like I'm doing and have done," Biden said on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "Eventually she's going to have to answer questions and not be sequestered. Eventually she's going to have to answer questions about her record."

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