Is anyone allowed to ask Palin a question?

For nearly two years I've covered numerous Barack Obama and Joe Biden events. They've been accessible to the media and voters -- and in Iowa answered hundreds if not thousands of questions in open formats in which questions on Iraq and the economy were common. But they also had to be quick on their feet as I heard members of the audiences ask about Net neutrality and past drug use issues.

In just minutes Obama and Biden would move from talking about what books they are reading to an assessment of Syria in the Middle East mix.

Why can't Palin do the same thing? Why does she need a spring-training or honeymoon before she deals with these questions?

Here is The Associated Press:

An aide told the journalists on board (Monday) that all Palin flights would be off the record unless the media were told otherwise. At least one reporter objected. Two people on the flight said the Palins greeted the media and they chatted about who had been to Alaska, but little else was said.

By comparison, her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden, has been campaigning on his own, at times taking questions from audiences. He split off to campaign separately from Barack Obama the day after Obama announced his selection. They reunited at their party's convention and spent the following weekend campaigning together.

Biden's appearances have touched on a range of issues — in Florida he talked about U.S. support for Israel, in Pennsylvania it was economics and tax policy. He was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday