“Speaking Wednesday night to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, the former Alaska governor shrugged off what she contends is a double standard in the way conservative women are treated.

“‘I’m through whining about a liberal press that holds conservative women to a different standard, because it doesn’t do any good to whine about it,’ Palin said. ‘When a shot is taken at me, it is water off a duck’s back because I know the important things we need to concentrate on in life — especially the national and international issues that are so important in our country.'”

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“I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I’d like to share my thoughts on the never-ending issue of media bias.

“When it comes to responding to the media, the standard warning is: Don’t pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel because calling out the media and holding them accountable is a risky endeavor. Too often the first instinct is to ignore blatant media bias, crudeness, and outright lies, and just hope the media instigator will grow up and provide fairer coverage if you bite your tongue and not challenge the false reporting of an openly hostile press. But I’ve never bought into that. That’s waving the white flag. I just can’t do it because I have too much respect for the importance of a free press as a cornerstone of our democracy, and I have great respect for the men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to defend that First Amendment right. Media, with freedom comes responsibility…

“But two decades in politics have taught me that when it comes to picking battles, often it’s best to ignore the truly petty, ugly personal media shots because engaging in a counter argument with disreputable, intolerant people doesn’t vindicate me; it merely gives those people the attention they seek. It wastes my time and it distracts from what we should focus on…

“I’ll keep correcting false reporting, and I’ll defend others to the hilt; but I won’t spend any more precious, limited time responding to personal, vulgar, sexist venom spewed my way.”

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