McCain Campaign Insinuates Bias by Moderator of VP Debate

Stop playing dumb Jake. Ifill did a puff piece on Obama for Essence magazine.

Clearly, at the minimum there is an appearance that she has an investment in Sen. Obama winning the election, and it is certainly not a giant leap to say that it is in fact a conflict based on her financial interest.

“she wondered why anyone would assume the book will be favorable to Obama.”
If we are to buy her argument then anyone that stupid has no business moderating a debate. What debate did Lou Cannon moderate?

Hopefully she won’t play the “gotcha” game everyone else is playing. Everyone knows Palin does not have experience. Obama was in the same spot just 18 months ago. They should have picked someone more neutral.

ABC writes: Asked by Sean Hannity if she was worried about Ifill, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said, “I am not going to let it be a concern,” adding “that just makes us work harder. It makes us want to communicate even clearer and more profoundly with the electorate, letting them know what the contrasts are between these two tickets.”
__________________________________________________
Is she planning on completing any actual sentences which are the essence of clear communication?

Gawd, no wonder the media is so ridicious.
Jake, read your own writing. You say that Carl Cameron asked, “Does it help that the book…is favorable to Obama?”
Then you go on to say, “It’s unknown how McCain would know it is favorable to Obama.”
Anyone there have a brain?

There is NO DOUBT that there is bias with Ms Ifill. I mean, come on, of all the moderators avaialble, they had to choose one who is writing a book, that will include Obama? And how many moderators out there are NOT writing a book that will include Obama, that they could have chosen? REgardless of whether or not the book will be positive about Obama, there is still a financial stake in it; her book will sell better if Obama is president, plain and simple.
Plus, it was very welll reported on how horribly Ifill commented on Palin after her gop speech.
Jake Tapper would make a horrible moderator because of his known bias to Obama. Gwen Ifill will also make a horrible moderator as well. This is our ONE chance to get a perfect debate with these candidates, why raise any doubt at all? Why take the chance, why won’t they change moderators?
Oh yeah, someone will undoubtably call it racist.

After Barack Obama’s speech today in Wisconsin, the McCain campaign sent out a press release, whining that:
As Americans teeter on the edge of economic crisis, Barack Obama continued attacking John McCain today…
And here is the “attack” by Obama:
Let me lay this out, because I want everybody to know the differences between myself and Senator McCain in this campaign.
Yes, that was it. The only time McCain was mentioned in the entire speech. The Obama campaign’s response?
Given the fact that Barack Obama did not attack John McCain today, it is a telling admission that the McCain campaign saw Barack Obama’s attack on eight years of greed and irresponsibility in Washington as a personal attack on John McCain. We’ll leave it up to the McCain campaign to explain why they get so offended and defensive when George Bush’s record is attacked.
Indeed.

repubs want someone on the level of palin——-maybe paris hilton—–no paris is too smart.

what would they talk about—–moose cookies—-hope they stay off the bridge to nowhere

Are you kidding?
There is no way that Gwen Ifill should be moderating the debate.
She is obviously biased towards Obama.

ha ha ha ha making excuses even before one is needed—future planing—wow the goes another russian plane.wave everybody

It has been known for many months Ifill is writing a book, the topic and the subject matter. Anyone complaining about anticipated bias, should ask the Mccain camp why they didn’t know about the book? Any slights or surprise on their part is a direct result of their own incompetence.

So mccain’s groupies have their panties in a bunch because the moderator might not be exactly moderate. Get over it! Somebody should remind folks how Reverend Warren gave mccain his questions ahead of time for the religious debate- oh, how it hurts to draw the short straw for a change!

Wah Wah Wah. What a bunch of cry babies.
You could have Rush Limbaugh moderate this debate and Biden would still win.

Palin will wipe the floor with Biden. Uncle Joe can’t speak sentences longer than 10 words without sticking his foot in his mouth.
This Ifill wench as moderator comes as no surprise. She has a vested financial interest in make sure the Osama team wins the election.
Of *course* she’ll be “fair and balanced”. PBS is totally a political agnostic organization that never favors Democrats over Republicans.
LOL! Ok, how many of you out there are stupid enough to believe that about PBS?

both campaigns had to agree to her being moderator! Too bad if the Republican party, with it’s outrageous amounts of corporate money, can’t do a little bit of research on who they are agreeing to be the moderator of their most important debate! It’s like whining about a jury being biased, when you had the right to help choose a fair jury. Too bad!!!

Pailin is a bimbo—-sentences 2 nowhere

1) Ifill’s citation of Lou Cannon is risable indeed. What debate did he ever moderate…
2) Ifill is not only writing a book about Obama, but wrote a predictably gushing piece about the Obamas in Essence magazine recently; one where she breathlessly went out of her way to portray him as an amalgam of Jack Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt.
3) While gushing over Michelle Obama at the DNC, “A lot of people have never seen anything that looks like a Michelle Obama before. She’s educated, she’s beautiful, she’s tall, she tells you what she thinks and they hope that she can tell a story about Barack Obama and about herself…”, and a rapturous commentary of Obama’s address-worthy of Kieth Olbermann, she delivered a laconic and dismissive commentary on Gov. Palin’s RNC address-all the while wearing a look of disgust and condescention.
4) She has already turnied in a biased performance during the 2004 VP debate. While fawning over John Edwards and taking a friendly tone, she was short, terse, and adversarial with Vice President Cheney.
5) She never told the commission, or the McCain campaign, about her in the works book.
Ms. Ifill is in the tank for Obama, just as are most of the MSM. And, not only is there an ideological basis for her disqualification, there is a financial one as well. The MSM, which treats the slightest appearance of impropriety breathlessly, beating dead horses for weeks on end sometimes-like G. Allen’s “macaca moment”, needs to be just as OUTRAGED! at Ifill; but sadly that is never the case for fellow liberals.
Although we may not see her recuse herself from this position, she should at least acknowledge, up front before beginning the questioning, her connection with, and unprecedented access to, the Obama campaign. To do any less would be a disservice to the candidates and the American people as a whole.
The question that has to be asked here is simple. If the situation were reversed, and a moderator that had written favorable articles as well as a book about politics in “the age of McCain”, would that person be forced to step down. Folks that are intellectually honest must admit that the answer would be yes; and it should be the same for Ms. Ifill…
Also; way to play that race card Ifill; doin’ it the Obama way…

Three words you won’t hear out of Ifill’s mouth:
“National Intelligence Estimate”
Ifill has been carrying water for the Bush administration for too many years.

anything to deflect the voters’ attention away from the real issue, which is that sarah palin cannot answer substantive questions. mccain has tried every trick in the book to keep us all distracted: “canceling” the first day of the republican convention so he could do photo ops after a hurricane; “suspending” his campaign in order to deal with the financial meltdown, and saying that he would not participate in the presidential debate until a deal was struck (still hasn’t happened); and now making vague (and baseless) insinuations about the moderator of the vice-presidential debate (who, if i’m not mistaken, he approved when the schedule was agreed to).
mccain: say and do anything to keep us from noticing that he has nothing new to say, and and that his running mate is completely ignorant of national affairs.
sad really. he has destroyed what had been a fine legacy.

absolutely the modertor issue is an absolute conflict of interest.
if obama/biden win the book makes money if he loses the book just becomes another publication.
so i guess biden gets the questions up front. it is no wonder he looks so relaxed lol.
this is shameful and disgraceful.
on the upside sarah appears as per her words confident and she stated that she will ‘just have to work harder’.
it is no wonder she is THE MOST POPULAR GOVERNOR in the U.S. you go girl!

I didn’t hear and Republicans complaining about Scheiffer who was a personal friend of Bush and whose brother is apparently a business partner of the Bush family!

Here is another example of why I (a longtime Democratic gay man) is actually considering the Republicans this year. I want to win too…truly I want people who represent my issues….but the way the Democrats and Obama are playing the game this year is just wrong (I’m also a UCC pastor and simply care about ethics and the “means justify the ends” playbook we’re using is not okay with me) It was bad enough watching sexism bring HRC down while the DNC stood by in utter silence. Its bad enough that even I can see how the mainstream media is simply in LOVE with Obama and is, therefore, biased on a daily basis. Now we’re going to have a moderator for the VP debate who says she’s intelligent and objective but when asked about her new book (which clearly includes the phrase in the “Age of OBAMA in its’ title) her reply was it’s okay…Obama is just a small part of my book! What!!!??? His name is in the title and she’s even named an Age after him!!! Who picked this moderator in the first place and what were they thinking??? Even the staunch Obama supporters (which I am not) are going to see this backfire! If Palin does poorly (as they expect her to do) they Reps. are just going to blame it on the moderator now. An abundandtly CLEAR even playing field is in everyone’s best interests. Unless, of course, you’re in one of these “do anything to win” groups! I’m not and I think this moderator choice is a HUGE mistake!

Let’s see then. Let’s schedule one more debate, and let Rush Limbaugh be the moderator. Duh!
It’s a professional conflict of interest. This has nothing to do with race, or being scared. You all know damn well you’d scoff if someone has a book due out in a few months, about McCain, and he/she were going to moderate a VP debate.
Let’s not forget the bigger picture here, Jake! If this is not such a big deal, then why did Ms. Ifill not disclose this to the Commission, if there is nothing to this? Hmmm?
The host of PBS’ “Washington Week” and senior correspondent on “The NewsHour” said she did not tell the Commission on Presidential Debates about the book. The commission had no immediate comment when contacted by The Associated Press. A spokeswoman for John McCain’s campaign did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages.
So the press is ok with being in the tank for a socialist eh? Some student today was gunned down in Venezuela for daring to speak out against Chavez’s changes to the Constitution.
I have a feeling, with all of Obama’s truth squads out there, and rex 84 being a go….we all better start watching what we say.
Need some chapstick Jake? Charlie? Katie?

We’ve seen the lack of civility and rudeness of McCain during the first Presidential debate, and we just saw more of that on the Senate floor. Report:
“WASHINGTON – It was Senator Barack Obama who crossed the aisle.
As the senators gathered to vote on the $700 billion financial rescue package on Wednesday evening, Mr. Obama walked over to the Republican side of the chamber to extend a greeting to Senator John McCain.
He got a chilly response.
While it took Mr. Obama several seconds to make his way over to see his rival, Mr. McCain barely pivoted his body as he took Mr. Obama’s hand for a handshake that lasted just a moment. The eye contact was just as brief.”
A man as rude as the nasty McCain should NEVER become President of this country. He should be deeply ashamed of himself, for giving such a bad example to millions of Americans.

This is not a book ABOUT Obama; it is a book about the culture since the age of civil rights and how that movement changed things. The very small piece about Obama within the book, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN WRITTEN, is simply a snapshot within the larger context of the civil rights movement. All these people condeming this respected journalist don’t even do their homework to KNOW what the book is about; they assume, from the title it is ENTIRELY about Obama and also that it will be all favorable. Sounds like pressure from the right to go completely soft on Palin or else they will spin this.

McCain cannot win here. He said that she will moderate professionally. The interviewer is the one who asked about the book which had the sub-title on it saying, “the era of Obama”. Secondly, she is known to be a supporter for Obama. This author is obviously a supporter for Obama, too. This author has never written a favorable blog for any republicans esp. during election. He sure spinned to his favor. McCain gave an honest answer. Plus, Gwen could make half million dollars or more, if Obama does win the election. So, she should be careful.

Here’s how the last debate went:
IFILL: Mr. Edwards, you were a trial lawyer. Doesn’t that make you part of the problem?
Really stupid.

CLEARLY UNFAIR, THE MODERATOR SHOULD AS A PROFESSIONAL OBVIOUSLY EXCUSED HERSELF WEEKS, MONTHS AGO. THE DEBATE COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION ALSO FAILED TO KEEP IT FAIR-they should still act before the debate and replace her!
Suggest improprity, that alone intimates such bias from something so important-Obama gets questions beforehand, the questions are “OBama” questions, –it is ridiculous!!
ps- Palin is a breath of fresh air versus Biden and dems
I am an independant, loved Robert Kennedy, but the choice here is between a man of strenth-McCain, and disastor.

ok. the moderator is not scoring the debate, nor selected the questions, but is ther to make sure the candidates follow the rules.

thanx for deleting my comment, who ever it was im giving u the finger right now. Truth is in the mind of the ppl and only rebels speak it. the gov. wouldnt kno that though cuz even though u might think its true….its just a cover up story for their mistake. why doesnt the gov. go under oath and tell the citizens what really happend on 911

I especially liked Ifills hardball questions for Cheney, like this one:
IFILL: Mr. Vice President, don’t you think it would be dangerous to have Mr. Kerry as President?
Clearly, she is a shill for the Democratic Party…

”
ok. the moderator is not scoring the debate, nor selected the questions, but is ther to make sure the candidates follow the rules.
Posted by: Danny ”
Excuse me, you need to research before you post,
Ifill IS selecting the questions. She’s MAKING the questions.
Palin handled it with class and confidence. She’s not whining about it. Nor is McCain. McCain AND Palin are in their rights to call for another moderator.
No matter how you want to spin it, There IS a conflict of interest in Ifill’s participation in this. If you take a journalism course (and Ifill has) in the first week you learn the Ethics of Journalism. And Ifill is breaking those ethics, period. Like it or not, she is.
And Mac and Palin are not pressing the issue, although the REST of us are. Why? Because the Libtards would be frothing out their panties if the situation were reversed.
What’s good for them, is good for us.
There WILL be a firestorm over this, even after the debate. Maybe even lawsuits and ethical hearings. This won’t happen next election cycle.
The Debate Commission is already getting a hearing. It’s part of the PBS Network, a NON PARTISAN organization that is funded as much with my taxes, as yours. Allowing Ifill to moderate this, and get paid with public funds, is like you paying for the bullet that killed you.
We aren’t going to let this one go.
And Ifill’s little Journal will be next.

and, what about george stephanopolis’ unbiased interview with obama? does he deserve the same scrutiny re ethics?

Tom Brokaw used outdated info on sunday’s meet the press and has yet to inform the audience of his bias. Bob Schieffer actually had to be pulled off a pro republican story at one time. And they will both be moderating with their candidate onstage just like charlie gibson. so spare me the whining about Gwen Ifill. I would just hope it doesn’t change how Ifill will handle the alaskan wondermop.
If mccain’s mulligan men didn’t know what a lot of others did, it proves they can’t multitask or properly manage a campaign. mccain himself has no issue with it.
Only sarah palin’s witch doctor would know what else they would destroy if they got to the white house.

To all the folks here who want to just write this off as “Republican noise” and “no big thing”, let’s flip the script…If it was discovered two days before the only VP debate that a white, female moderator was working on a book extolling the breakthroughs of women in politics, and that moderator stood to benefit financially from book royalties if the first female made it to the White House, WOULD YOUR TAKE BE THE SAME?

If I were McCain camp….I’d say , get another moderator or we’re not there. This woman has a vested interest in an Obama/Biden win, so she can make a bundle off her dumb book out in Jan. I can imagine the screaming from the Obama camp if the moderator had a Gov. Palin book coming out in Jan. Biden wouldn’t probably care but Obama/Axlerod would….and they would have to switch moderators.
My ticket is taking the high road as always….McCain needs to get tougher and drop the etiquette, take off the gloves and get into the ring. Something better drop (some bombshell) by mid Oct. Doesn’t matter…I’ll be voting McCain/Palin no matter the debate rehash.

John McCain stated tonight that he was unaware that Gwen was writing a book which includes Barack Obama… that is a lie because this information was divulged to him and he still agreed to have her as a moderator. The McCain camp has watered down this debate in favor of Palin so it doesn’t even matter. There will be no discussion between the candidates. The moderator can’t control the outcome or even referee. It will be quite boring actually. She asks Palin a question and she answers…. she asks Biden a question and he answers….. no discussion … move on.

Earth to republicans! Palin is the woman you selected to be a heartbeat from the presidency.
How is Eliza Doolittle, er, Sarah Palin going to show us she is ready to lead the free world if she cannot handle a simple debate moderated by a respected US newsperson?
Are you prepared to whine about EVERY question that will be put to her after McCain becomes incapacitated or dies?
You’ve REALLY gotta drop your sexist treatment of your own candidate. It is unbecoming.

Does anyone on the right have a clue? There was an AP article about Ifill that identified her as the writer of this book in July. There was a Time Magazine article about Ifill and the book in mid-Aug. Both articles quoted the title of the book. That makes it clear that Ifill wasn’t hiding anything. Palin was chosen by McCain in late Aug. AFTER all that occurred, the McCain campaign agreed to the terms of the debates, along with approving the moderators. It seems like the McCain campaign and the right-wingers are doing one of two things here – lying and pretending they didn’t know about the book (even though it was public knowledge) until yesterday to set up some excuse in case Palin goes in the tank, or being truthful that their literacy skills are so poor that they really did not know about the articles before agreeing to Ifill’s role in the debates. Either way, it looks far worse for the McCain campaign and the right-wingers like Limbaugh, Fox News, etc. than it does for Gwen Ifill. Becides, you would think Palin herself would have known about Ifill’s book given the Governor’s extensive reading list as outlined for Katie Couric…

Obama has successfully gamed the system unless someome stops him and that remains to be seen

There is no question of “insinuation” — this is OUTRIGHT CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Then, whey, pray is she releasing this book ON THE DAY OF TEH FREAKIN ANOINTMENT OF BARACK OBAMA? If Barack wins, she stands to make a lot of money. If Barack loses, then her book is relegated to the long list of losers. She stands to gain so much personally by Barack winning. This has got nothing to do with her skin color, as her pal Howie Kurtz is alleging in his media rounds today. It is NOT Ifill’s fault that she is the chosen affirmative action moderator for this year’s Presidential debate. The fault lies in with the goddamn Presidential Election Commission fr not doing their homework, in exploring/investigating any potential conflicts of interest. Did you notice how liberals are hiding under the shield of “racism” for allegations that are self-evident. They have been caught with their pants down and hate it. PBS is a liberal agenda machine, partially funded by a tax-base, half of which disgarees with PBS’ leftist hosts and programs.

This is unbelievable! I cannot beleive it is less than 24 hours before the VP Debate and Gwen Ifill is the chosen Moderator!??? WHAT? Who the heck is responsible for selection of the moderator? Obviously the left wing media…as usual! Like they didn’t know about the book? And of course she didn’t share that info with them either. Why would they choose a black woman,that has written a book about Obama, due out the very same day as the inauguration. Yeah, she has nothing to gain from this..? What a joke!
Let’s have Bill O’Reilly or Shawn Hannity moderate one of the the debates for McCain and Obama…yeah, sure…that would fly. I am so sick of this underhanded nonsense from the left winged liberals, it makes me ill!

Both campaigns signed off on all the moderators months ago.
_______________________________________
My point exactly! Did she divulge that information on the book she was writing,
“months ago”…I seriously doubt it! That was HER responsibility to let everyone know that upfront, not wait until two days before!

Obama as President…thanks, but no thanks. Even Hillary and Bill are voting McCain….Biden too….he loves his old friend of 33 years, John.
We’re all in agreement….OBAMA NOT READY, NO CRED….NO JUDGEMENT…LET’S RUN THOSE CLIPS AGAIN!

They keep making excuses to bail out Palin.
BOTH campaigns agreed with the moderator and now the Pubs want to whine about it. “Media bias”, gotcha questions”, “partial moderator”…..
Any other lame excuses for Palin?
Hope she doesn’t ask about newspapers again. Boy, that was a tough one!

5) She never told the commission, or the McCain campaign, about her in the works book.
———————
Sorry Bob,
The book was announced BEFORE she was chosen as moderator.
I’m amazed at how Republicans just can’t accept the fact that Palin is a disgrace. She is a laughing stock.
That’s not to say she isn’t ‘nice’, but she is in no way ready for national politics.
Johnny “Maverick” McCain BLEW IT!
He wanted Liberman, he was TOLD to take Palin. Some “maverick”. He didn’t even chose his own running mate. He let his party pick this joke.

Ifill’s book doesn’t come out until Jan 20 (innauguration), but how amusing…I searched Amazon for “Obama’s books”. What a long list (many written by the narciscist himself. I laugh. The messiah… conjured out of thin air.

“Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama”
“Obama’s story will be only a small part of the book … She has yet to write the chapter on Obama, Ifill said, and she wondered why anyone would assume the book will be favorable to Obama.”

“I remember her questions from 2004 – and I thought they were dull and predictable … “

Ya gotta love Republicans grasping for someone to blame for Palin’s debate performance before the woman even has a chance to open her mouth.
Ifill’s book deal was announced well in advance of both campaigns signing off on her as a debate moderator. If her purported “bias” was an issue, the McCain campaign should have objected at the time.
This is another stunt from a campaign comprised of stunts.

“How many, Tom?
Count co-authored.
You are ill-informed. Second chance.”
Well, then by that count, if Obama is a “messiah conjured out of thin air”, what does that make McCain? Methuselah conjured out of bald lies? McCain has written at least 5 books about HIMSELF.
Say what you want about bailouts and “warnings” from the Bush administration (because their track record on warnings is stellar), polling numbers on the economy show Americans just don’t trust McPalin on the money…
“The Issue Of Economics Is Not Something I’ve Understood As Well As I Should” – John McCain
That’s exactly who I want running the country right now. Unless he was just lying about that, too.
PS to Dare Nigeria, don’t break out Latin on this crowd, they’ll burn you at the stake for being an inside-the-beltway elitist.

Tom,
Change We Can Believe Obama
Dreams of My Father Obama
Audacity of Hope Obama
Barack Obama, In His Own Words (co-author)
The Essential Barack Obama: Grammy
Award Winning Recordings – Obama
The State of Black America 2007
(co-author)
Barack Obama vs John McCain: Side by Side Voting Record for Easy Comparison authored by both Obama and McCain
Barack Obama: What He Believes In – From His Own Works – Obama and Senate
To address the rest of your post, what does Bush or Cheney have to do with the worst crisis during the last 8 years?
The entire two terms of Bush’s presidency has been nothing more than constant putting out fires. You know, as Rev. Wright says, the chickens come home to roost.
Bin Laden, 9/11, Al Quada, N. Karea, Katrina, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Chavez, Putin and an almost nuclear Iran, and now the Wall Street pigs are bacon. And Bush inherited a bunch of bloated, unqualified and incompetent government bureaucracies to deal with it.
How many times has the Bush admin. warned of this impending financial crisis? Is there a bill with McCain’s name on it almost three years ago, that was tabled/ignored by the Dems?
Dodd, Frank, Pelosi, Raines…what party affiliation? If you think the Keating 5 was a scandal…you can bet your sweet patootie the Dems want Obama IN office before the details behind the bailout are unwound.
And that’s the RUSH behind the bailout.
If Obama wins in November…too late to save you. Socialism, fascism. You’re closer than you think.

“Bin Laden, 9/11, Al Quada, N. Karea, [sic] Katrina, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Chavez, Putin and an almost nuclear Iran, and now the Wall Street pigs”
I love how Republicans give Bush credit for putting out fires that he and his party started. Like McCain trumpeting the success of the surge, when he was leading us into the mess (Bush or McCain, take your pick.)
Under fascism, the corporation is the government. Who has done more to increase the size of government and integrate governmental and corporate spheres than the Bush White House and Republican Congress of 2000-2006?
Keep arguing about authorship tallies, while your party goes down in flames. And when Obama wins in November you can take some of the extra money you’ll have from his tax cuts for the middle class and buy some of his many books.
You probably will even have some left over to subscribe to some newspapers or magazines…
“Any one specifically?”
“All of ‘em!” (Thanks Sarah!)

“All of you pubs are whining about a “black woman” moderator and that Obama would complain if the moderator was a “white woman”. That argument is so stupid. Did you hear Obama whine when the moderator of the first debate was a ‘white man?’”

Belle Starr,
You will agree with me that Sarah Palin is an empty Suit.
After watching her interview with Kate Couric, my folks had to call me from Nigeria to ask whether therE is a dearth of Intelligent Politicians in the US that this Woman had to be put on a presidential ticket at this time when America needs its best brains to revamp its economic misfortune.
They wondered how she won the Gubernitorial seat of Alaska if she is this porous, intelligence wise.
They are looking forward to more comic reliefs from her during the thursday’s debate.
To think that America is being made a laughing stock on account of her being on the ticket while her supporters are crying of sexism, make me shudder.

“Obama’s white-woman problem is well known, from his own grandmother to Hillary Clinton”
Seriously? Well known?
“but that she’s stilted, unimaginative” Well if that’s the McCain campaign’s objection, that shouldn’t be news to them. Then again, neither should the book be, since it’s been available info for MONTHS.
“It IS perfectly true that Ifill were some OTHER color”
Wow. “Color” eh? As in “colored folks only”?
And I love the claim that if Ifill weren’t black she’d be out as moderator… Kinda like how if Palin didn’t have a uterus, she’d be… uh… off the ticket, I guess.
BTW, no one on Obama’s campaign is complaining about Brokaw (obvious pro-McCain bias) and Schieffer (obvious pro-Republican, friend of W) moderating debates 2 and 3. Is it because Obama is not worried even with a biased moderator, or because this is McCain’s shiny object distraction for this week.

“You will agree with me that Sarah Palin is an empty Suit.”

“And I love the claim that if Ifill weren’t black she’d be out as moderator…”

“If the tables were turned, the Democrats and MSM would demand [replacing Ifill as moderator].”

Its pathetically transparent that they are building the excuse for a Palin failure.
Do they really have this little faith in her?

“And I love the claim that if Ifill weren’t black she’d be out as moderator…”

“So the Jesse Jackson FDR Democrat thinks Gwen Ifill is an affirmative action hire.”

Dan made the first cogent, logical argument against Ifill I’ve seen. But I still doubt that the bias will affect 1.) the way the debate goes, and 2.) the election.
A Barack Obama presidency is probably better for Rush Limbaugh, ratings-wise and financially, but no one is calling him biased in favor of Obama.

Give us all a break, Jake. You’re inching farther and farther to the left. Unfortunately, you’re just one in a large herd of sheep(le). Let’s have a conservative journalist conduct the debate. Oh, wait, there isn’t one. Say hello to the next socialist republic, people.

“Let’s have a conservative journalist conduct the debate. Oh, wait, there isn’t on”
Exactly.
Journalists search for the truth and challenge power therefore “conservative journalist” is an oxymoron.

What did Ifill hide?

“Phil Tuckman McCain campaign worker based in Arlington training ghost writers for the campaign: “You can be whoever you want to be,” “You can be a beggar or a millionaire. A mom or a husband. Whatever. You decide!”
So Belle who else do you play on the board?

As to Palin:
“She is the most searched term on the New York Times Web site for the last 30 days. Her Wikipedia page drew 6 million visits last month, three times as many as McCain’s or Barack Obama’s.”

“Obama supporters are th rones who know about making excuses after a debate loss (it was George and Charlie’s fault, right?)”
Actually both Clinton and Obama supporters were outraged at that debate which spent more time on the horserace aspect and took 45 minutes before a policy question was asked.
As usual, the right wing revise history to suit their purpose for a given moment.

“Richland, Wash.: For your role as a journalist or debate anchorman, I am wondering about your impartiality with political figures. I read somewhere that your brother was a partner of George W. Bush in the Texas Rangers venture, and that you often were invited to participate in Gov. Bush’s hunting parties.
Bob Schieffer: The fact that my brother as a young man was a business partner of George Bush is no secret — I wrote about it in my book “This Just In” and I talked about it on television when I interviewed George Bush during the 2000 campaign. My brother, by the way, is a Democrat and remains so. I knew George Bush in those days, but I’ve never gone hunting with him. I did play golf with him a couple of times. But when he was sworn in as president I expected no favors and in truth got none. I have a cordial relationship with him, but it is a relationship that does not go beyond that. And obviously I’ve had very little contact with him as president and have interviewed him in a formal sit-down only once. “

Ray McGovern on Joe Biden:
“For my own penance, I made myself read again through your marathon, “in-depth” interview with the late Tim Russert on Apr. 29, 2007. Your comments are notable for two things: (1) periodic sentences that can be diagrammed only by a German philologist with the patience of Job in waiting for verbs and an empty quiver for dangling participles; and (2) lies.”

Since we’re quoting Ray McGovern
“In the process, you will have succeeded in drawing a stark contrast between the “lies to nowhere” that she continues to tell on the one hand, and your (hopefully) terse, disarming honesty, on the other. You will be free to go ahead and demonstrate that in John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin, no presidential candidate in the history of this country has made a more irresponsible selection for his running mate.”

“no presidential candidate in the history of this country has made a more irresponsible selection for his running mate.”

Some of these blogs here and in other places have brought to my mind some words written over 100 years ago about this great nation.
America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.

“With both McCain and Obama having voted yesterday to make the illegal gift of the US Treasury to private entities, why isn’t Nader’s running mate Matt Gonzalez included in this outrageously-fixed “debate”?”
Ralph Nader is running?
Being a Jesse Jackson FDR Democrat I would figure you would support McKinney.
Or did you decide she got the nomination based on her skin color?

“Being a Jesse Jackson FDR Democrat I would figure you would support McKinney.”

“Ralph Nader is the third-party candidate who’s most knowledgeable on the economy and corporate matters generally, as I’m sure McKinney would acknowledge.”
Which begs the question of why you so rarely invoke Nader but relish defending McCain and Palin.

“Voting for McCain/Palin is the most direct way to deny the presidency to a Chicago mobster backed by corporate bad boys.”
LOL!
Next you will tell us you voted for Bush over Gore to teach Clinton a lesson.
And how FoxNews is preferable to MSNBC because MSNBC is too liberal
All from a Jesse Jackson FDR Democrat!

“And how FoxNews is preferable to MSNBC because MSNBC is too liberal”

“If the moderator of this debate were someone who was writing a book that basically was ‘The Age of McCain,’ I have a feeling that a lot more of these publications would be saying that the person should not be doing it,” said Giuliani.

Have the wing nuts succeeded in completely lying to themselves that Palin is a serious candidate? She is a national farce! 25 years ago the republican conservatives were the MORAL majority, now it just seems that they are itnent on living in a fantasy world. Bush has destroyed the brand and it will take years for a leader to be found. But actually lying to yourselves and saying Palin is legitimate is very sad. Sometimes power corrupts and a good purging is needed to strengthen a party. The louder you scream the more pathetic you are. Breathe,accept , and try again in 4 years with a decent candidate.