def _request(self, url, method='GET', params=None, api_call=None, json_encoded=False):
        """Internal request method"""
        method = method.lower()
        params = params or {}

        func = getattr(self.client, method)
        if isinstance(params, dict) and json_encoded is False:
            params, files = _transparent_params(params)
        else:
            params = params
            files = list()

        requests_args = {}
        for k, v in self.client_args.items():
            # Maybe this should be set as a class variable and only done once?
            if k in ('timeout', 'allow_redirects', 'stream', 'verify'):
                requests_args[k] = v

        if method == 'get' or method == 'delete':
            requests_args['params'] = params
        else:
            # Check for json_encoded so we will sent params as "data" or "json"
            if json_encoded:
                data_key = 'json'
            else:
                data_key = 'data'
            requests_args.update({
                data_key: params,
                'files': files,
            })
        try:
            response = func(url, **requests_args)
        except requests.RequestException as e:
            raise TwythonError(str(e))

        # create stash for last function intel
        self._last_call = {
            'api_call': api_call,
            'api_error': None,
            'cookies': response.cookies,
            'headers': response.headers,
            'status_code': response.status_code,
            'url': response.url,
            'content': response.text,
        }

        # greater than 304 (not modified) is an error
        if response.status_code > 304:
            error_message = self._get_error_message(response)
            self._last_call['api_error'] = error_message

            ExceptionType = TwythonError
            if response.status_code == 429:
                # Twitter API 1.1, always return 429 when
                # rate limit is exceeded
                ExceptionType = TwythonRateLimitError
            elif response.status_code == 401 or 'Bad Authentication data' \
                    in error_message:
                # Twitter API 1.1, returns a 401 Unauthorized or
                # a 400 "Bad Authentication data" for invalid/expired
                # app keys/user tokens
                ExceptionType = TwythonAuthError

            raise ExceptionType(
                error_message,
                error_code=response.status_code,
                retry_after=response.headers.get('X-Rate-Limit-Reset'))
        content = ''
        try:
            if response.status_code == 204:
                content = response.content
            else:
                content = response.json()
        except ValueError:
            if response.content != '':
                raise TwythonError('Response was not valid JSON. \
                                   Unable to decode.')

        return content