Cleveland (Ohio). Sept. 18: Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has claimed that the country’s voters are coping with a “do-nothing Senate” when it comes to energy.

Answering questions during her second interview with FOX News in Cleveland, Ohio, Palin said she would spearhead efforts to achieve energy independence if McCain is elected in November.

“Energy is inherently linked to security and prosperity. We sort of have a ‘do-nothing Senate’ right now where nobody’s wanting to really pick up the ball and run with it and take the steps that we have to take to become more energy independent. And it’s going to take a whole change in leadership in order to really crush that gridlock and get going on this,” FOX News quoted her, as saying.

Palin was giving her reaction to a House of Representatives decision not to allow expansion of offshore oil drilling 50 miles or more off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Both Palin and McCain support offshore oil drilling, but they are split over whether to pursue drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

Palin supports opening up ANWR to drilling, and told FOX News she’s pushing McCain to change his mind.

“McCain knows, more so than any other leader in our nation today, that for national security reasons we must be an energy-independent nation. We must start taking the steps to get there. That’s why he has embraced offshore drilling. … And I’ll keep working on him with ANWR,” she said.

Palin also reacted to the developing turmoil on Wall Street, declaring the economy a “mess” while defending McCain against charges that he believes the markets merely are experiencing a hiccup.

The federal government announced it was bailing out American International Group, or AIG, on Tuesday with an 85 billion dollar loan. The move comes on the heels of Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, Bank of America’s buyout of Merrill Lynch and a federal rescue of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Asked about AIG, Palin did not take a definitive stance, though she told reporters Wednesday morning she was “disappointed” by the move.

Palin said McCain wants to reform Wall Street by “stopping the abuses and that violation of the pubic trust.”

She kept criticism of Obama to a minimum during the interview and said the campaign must get back to issues. (ANI)