Gwen Ifill "In the Tank" for Obama?

Gwen Ifill of PBS is moderating the VP debate tomorrow night.

We now have a revelation that she is penning a book that raises suspicions of bias favoring Barack Obama. 

It is hard to see how she can be permitted to continue tomorrow night under these circumstances.  If the stated theme of her new book is correct, it raises questions as to whether she can be objective.

Update: Sam Spagnola has more.

Comments

[Don Moore]

As you may be aware, she will be considered FAIR and BALANCED by the Left; because they believe they are in the Center or Mainstream.

I saw the YouTube Video of her announcement of the book. She acts as if there were no Black Politicians before now. She totally ignores Black Conservatives.

[Joe Guarino]

And Don, she could be writing a book about women ascending to the presidency or vice presidency, as part of an overall trend of women getting more political power. Of course, since the coinciding event would be Sarah Palin assuming the position, it is unlikely Ifill would be writing the book.

Of course, Ifill will maintain the book is being written out of professional interest. But in fact, she chose to highlight race (and implicitly ideology), instead of gender.

[Fred Gregory]

A black Republican

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxhYampIl7A

[Beau D. Jackson]

What in the world is going on here, good grief if Sean Hannity were to host the debate the Dems would be going nuts decrying foul! If this doesn't prove a double standard in the media nothing will.
Beau

[Joe Guarino]

McCain should have insisted on more objective moderators. Schieffer and Brokaw are also potential problems when the other presidential debates occur.

Lehrer was very objective during the first debate. We can only hope that the other three will even remotely approach his level of performance.

[Stormy]

Joe,

Who could McCain have gotten that would be more objective? Obama would never have agreed upon anyone from Fox News. And, anyone from the MSM is going to be in the bag for Obama. So, where do you go? Let's fact it. The Obama campaign started years ago, is financed to the tune of at least $1/2 billion, and the MSM is totally onboard. When you consider it, McCain is lucky to be still in the race.

And, the Democrats have been talking about an October Surprise, is this financial crisis it?

[Joe Guarino]

Stormy, I don't think this is the October Surprise, because it was precipitated by the proposal made by Paulson and President Bush. I can only speculate as to what their true motivations might have been with respect to advancing the proposal in the manner they did.

You are right that it would have been difficult for McCain to find folks sufficiently objective to moderate the debates well if Fox News is eliminated from the equation. But if Obama has a veto he would willingly use over moderators, why should not McCain be willing to use the same type of veto? Perhaps extending the search beyond TV journalists to other media, perhaps even to folks from other fields outside the media, should be considered. Or perhaps balanced panels.