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Are you ready for a BIASED debate?! (McCain not told of Ifill’s conflict of interest!)

By Matthew Weaver on October 1, 2008 at 8:54 AM in Barack Obama, Current Affairs, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin

From GateWayPunditDid you know that Gwen Ifill, who is currently slated to moderate Thursday’s vice-presidential debate, has written a pro-Obama book that is to be published on January 20, 2009? Yes, Inauguration Day!

In THE BREAKTHROUGH, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.

Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama, and also covers up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on interviews with power brokers like Senator Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict and the “black enough” conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history.

THE BREAKTHROUGH is a remarkable look at contemporary politics and an essential foundation for understanding the future of American democracy.–Editorial Review on Amazon and as advertised by publisher Random House.

How in the world did Gwen Ifill get picked to moderate Thursday’s vice-presidential debate?! It is simply outrageous that she, now hawking her upcoming pro-Obama, is to moderate the debate between his VP partner and Governor Palin. This is a mockery of fairness.

I wonder if the debate commission and both parties knew Ifill was writing an adoring book about Obama? Did she disclose this? And when? Will Gwen Ifill offer a disclaimer about this Thursday at the start of the debate?

Why would anyone think Gwen Ifill can be unbiased in questioning the two VP candidates as she has a clear personal, professional, and financial stake in seeing that Biden does well and that Obama wins in November?

As Michelle Malkin observes:

Ifill and her publisher are banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales. The moderator expected to treat both sides fairly has grandiosely declared this the “Age of Obama.” Can you imagine a right-leaning journalist writing a book about the “stunning” McCain campaign and its “bold” path to reform timed for release on Inauguration Day – and then expecting a slot as a moderator for the nation’s sole vice presidential debate?—Michelle Malkin

Malkin points out Ifill’s clear bias over the past several months:

Despite the protestations of her colleagues that she will be fair, Ifill has appeared on numerous radio and TV talk shows over the past several months to cash in on her access to the Obama campaign. She recently penned a fawning cover story on the Obamas for Essence magazine that earned much buzz. The title? “The Obamas: Portrait of an American Family.”

Gwen Ifill wrote in Time on August 21, 2008:

The Obama generation is just beginning its run.

Questioned recently about her biases, Ifill is quoted by the Washington Post saying, “no one’s ever assumed a white reporter can’t cover a white candidate.” But what about a “reporter” who has a personal, professional, and financial stake?!

I found only a couple early mentions of Ifill’s book. In fact, it is a bit surprising that her upcoming book was noted in the September 3rd Washington Post article, yet no further question or connection was given between this and her planned moderation of the October 2nd debate. Ifill disingeniously observed when asked about the debate, that “I’m not running for anything.” Yet, she is selling a book! The Washington Post barely mentions her book, as a footnote: “Ifill is working on a book called “Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.” She focuses on the Democratic nominee…”

And regarding Governor Palin, Ifill was accused by many of showing bias against the governor during the Republican Convention. PBS ombusdman Michael Getler defended Ifill against these complaints but did share without comment or dispute a selection of the complaints.

Additionally, it should also come as no surprise that Gwen Ifill is apparently friend and colleague of fellow Obama-supporter Oprah. Indeed, Ifill has a long history with Oprah, including writing in O, The Oprah Magazine.

And checking the headlines, even though Ifill apparently made no secret of her upcoming book, noneof the recent articles on the debate disclose Ifill’s clear conflict of interest in writing a pro-Obama book that will conveniently publish Inauguration Day. To be honest, there are few original articles on Ifill and the upcoming debate, though I suspect this will now change as Ifill’s conflict of interest becomes more widely known.

However late the date, Gwen Ifill’s unmistakeable conflict of interest should disqualify her from moderating the vice-presidential debate. It is to the discredit of the Commission for Presidential Debates that, despite her conflict of interest and rather clear support of Obama, Ifill was chosen to moderate the debate. It is also disappointing to see that the MSM is either ignoring the conflict of interest or not inquisitive enough to put two-and-two together when the information is right in front of them.

Greta Van Susteren now reports at Fox News that “the McCain campaign did NOT know about Gwen Ifill’s book.”

Action Item for Everyone: Call the Commission on Presidential Debates at (202) 872-1020 to demand full disclosure of Ifill’s bias and demand she be replaced as moderator of the debate. No email addresses found for the Commission or its leadership: Janet H. Brown, Executive Director; Frank Fahrenkopf, Co-Chairman; Paul Kirk, Co-Chairman.