by Evie Stone

NPR's Martin Kaste sent us this recording of Gov. Sarah Palin talking to reporters after her return to Anchorage late last night. She says she and John McCain "have a great relationship"; backtracks on her earlier call for Ted Stevens to resign; and says when she supposedly "went rogue" she was just trying to make contact with reporters.

Martin tells us the staff from Palin's gubernatorial office set up the presser, which mostly included reporters for Alaskan news outlets. The Governor's staff have a big job to do repairing relationships with the local media, who have bristled at their lack of access to the Governor while she campaigned for the Vice Presidency. But the McCain campaign staff that flew in with Palin just wanted to get her home and tried to kibosh the press conference. After a spirited discussion between the two forces, the Governor's own press staff prevailed. You can hear the McCain handlers in the background repeatedly trying to cut off the avail ("thank you everybody! thank you!") as Palin continues to take questions.