Palin with Couric, a reprise

Though Republican partisans are railing about Gwen Ifill moderating tonight's vice presidential debate, it could be worse for Sarah Palin.

The referee could be Katie Couric instead.

Conservative bloggers and other critics are questioning Ifill's objectivity because she is writing a book featuring Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama that is to be published on inauguration day in January. If Obama doesn't win, they say, Ifill's book is far less likely to be a lucrative best-seller.

But it has been Couric who has elicited from Palin a series of non-answers that have raised questions about the Alaska governor's readiness for prime time. Voters' confidence in Palin has been plummeting in concert with the series of interviews that started last week.

Last Thursday, Palin had a difficult time explaining why Alaska's proximity to Russia made her qualified on foreign policy.

Asked by Couric what she meant, Palin replied, "That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundary that we have with Canada....Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of."

Pressed by Couric, Palin said, "We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state."

Then in an interview aired Tuesday evening, Palin could not name a newspaper or magazine she had read regularly before McCain picked her as his running mate.

"I've read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media," Palin said.

Pressed by Couric for a specific example, Palin said, "I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news, too. Alaska isn't a foreign country, where it's kind of suggested, 'Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C., may be thinking when you live up there in Alaska?' Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America."

And then Wednesday night, Palin could not name a Supreme Court decision she opposed, other than Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.

"Well, let’s see. There’s, of course, in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but...."

"Can you think of any?" Couric interjected.

"Well, I could think of... of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level, maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I’m so privileged to serve, wouldn’t be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today," Palin answered.

UPDATE: Asked today about those apparent flubs, a spokeswoman said Palin knows the specifics but is "always jumping ahead" anticipating the next question while she is answering the current question.

"This is a governor who is a great communicator," spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said on MSNBC.