Ifill On Race And Rightwing Attacks: "I Find It Curious"

NEW YORK — PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, moderator of the upcoming vice presidential debate, dismissed conservative questions about her impartiality because she is writing a book that includes material on Barack Obama.

Ifill said Wednesday that she hasn't even written her chapter on Obama for the book "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," which is to be published by Doubleday on Jan. 20, 2009, the day a new president is inaugurated.

"I've got a pretty long track record covering politics and news, so I'm not particularly worried that one-day blog chatter is going to destroy my reputation," Ifill said. "The proof is in the pudding. They can watch the debate tomorrow night and make their own decisions about whether or not I've done my job."

The day before the Joe Biden-Sarah Palin debate, columnist Michelle Malkin wrote in the New York Post about Ifill's book, saying, "She's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."

John McCain, though, spoke highly of the reporter in an interview with FOX News Channel. "I think Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think she will do a completely objective job because she is a highly respected professional," he said Wednesday.

In its online description of the book, Doubleday says that 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 said Obama's story, which she has yet to write, is only a small part of the book, which discusses how politics in the black community have changed since the civil rights era. Among those subjects is Colin Powell, secretary of state in the Bush administration.

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.

Ifill's resume includes jobs at The New York Times, the Washington Post and NBC News. She moderated the 2004 vice presidential debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards.

She said it was the publisher, not herself, who set the Inauguration Day release date. It will be released then whether Obama wins or loses.

Although Malkin raised the topic of Ifill's impartiality the day before the debate, the PBS journalist said that Time magazine noted she was writing a book in August, and that it has been available for pre-sale on Amazon.com. The book also is mentioned in a Sept. 4 interview she gave the Washington Post.

Ifill questions why people assume that her book will be favorable toward Obama.

"Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?" said Ifill, who is black. Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, "I don't know what it is. I find it curious."

Comments

[brimmy]

It's going to be hilarious to watch Palin wipe the floor with Biden tonight! :) I hope all of you will be watching so you don't miss a thing!

[fedupwithlies]

yeah...I'll be checking her for any strange looking boxes attached to her while she supposedly does that too..... whatEVER.... she already screwed the pooch on several occasions before the debate. all she has to do is score a C minus and pass the test! Give me a break!!!

[brimmy]

feupwithlies? Nice name. Lies... brings up a thought. What was said a while ago by Dems about Fannie and Fred? Oh, that's right, nothing to see hear! Under the exceptional leadership of Frank Raines!?!? Wow. Lies, huh? Oh wait, that's just called denial. Just make sure you are watching the wiping... lol :)

[albanaeon]

Hope you don't have money riding on that. It will probably go the way debates have been going. Biden will give good points, Palin will give good stories. Libs will say they won, cons will say they did. The Daily Show will do a segment on it like the "Generic Off," and SNL will have a skit. When alls said and done, nothing will change and Mc Cain can go back to shooting his own foot off.

[desertdweller]

Hopefully just his foot and not his "junk."

[brimmy]

Just make sure you are watching. :) I would hate for anybody on this post to get their info from the news instead of actually getting it from the source. It might actually show you some of the truth. ;)

[zenlikejen]

I would laugh, but something tells me you're actually serious.....

[brimmy]

I'm very serious. Are you not? I didn't realize that this was a comedy post? I think everyone that is serious about this election should make up their own mind and not be influenced by anything other than their own judgement. Please tell me that you can decide things for yourself?

[eddiebly]

It's Judgement Day for the McCain Campaign. If she tanks tonight, its OVER!!!!

[NatashaYahnee]

Let's see. Avoiding the debate didn't work. Rescheduling the debate didn't work. Attacking the moderator isn't working. What's next? The dog ate my homework?

[SHOPARAZZI]

ifill has always been completely objective. and, before the late great tim russert passed away, ifill was on mtp practically every week objectively scoring clinton and obama and objectively forecasting potential veep candidates including biden.

[sdskelton03]

Whether or not she has been objective in the past isn't the point.

The woman has a book due to be released on inaguration day. The book being about politics in the age of Obama surely will sell more copies if Mr. Obama is elected than Mr. McCain.

The moderator of the debate has a clear financial interest in Mr. Obama being elected. That should disqualify her from moderating the debate.

[SusanK1951]

What I think is odd is that the folks crying "foul" are pretending they didn't know this. The McCain camp accepted this moderator knowing who she was. They suddenly decided it was foul after Palin's awful interviews aired, apparently. It makes it appear as though they want a fall-back for blame if Palin falls on her face.

[MoeB]

Actually her history of objectiveness IS the point.

Second, her book is only partly about Obama. It is mostly about black politicians since the Civil Rights Era. THAT has nothing to do with the outcome of this presidential election.

[YenNguyen]

With regards to Gwen Ifill, I have every confidence in Ms. Ifill's objectivity.

As for the McCain-Palin campaign, first it was sexism, now it's racism. It's interesting that Republicans view these charges with mockery and disdain when Democrats claim these charges yet turn around and consider these claims legitimate when they are the ones in the hot seat.

The Economist had a great article on McCain's Nixonian character. Republican's used to have the trifecta of national security, economic prosperity, and the culture war on their side. Now, however, since they are incapable of ensuring our national security or our economic prosperity, the only tool they have is the culture war:
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12260881

[Mike169]

It's not the content of the book it is the book itself. Republican politicians can't write and dislike anyone who can. It's fairly obvious from from reading any of the trolls who attempt to post on this site that their talent is in listening to Rush Limbaugh or watching Sean Hannity not in picking up a book and reading it muchless writing one. With the bar set so low for a moderator the only acceptable choice would be George Bush.

[independent32955]

McCain's people are just laying the groundwork to make excuses about why Palin did so poorly tonight...what is sad is that they want to attack Gwen Ifill, who is about as solid an interviewer/news person as is available today. Does she have her own partisan views (of course), she's going to vote for one of the candidates this November, but by insinuating that she is in the tank for Obama, McCain and his people just prove how little they know and understand about black people.

It's strange that they would say these things about Ifill...almost like they expect her not to be fair to them, because they know they wouldn't be fair to her or any other black person.

After this election, I think it will be time for some serious introspection on the GOP's part...they've been the chay-white party for far too long, might be time to start diversifying a little.

[Dynamohum]

The really sad part is that she has only moderated Vice Presidential debates. She has never been offered a Presidential debate. Only the good ole' boys have gotten those.

[Roose]

They've tried everything in their power to avoid these debates, now it's come to attacking the moderator. Well I hope Ifill is hard on both of them, the difference is that Biden will be able to shine and Caribou Barbie will be at a disadvantage.

[ElizR]

There is a good page entirely focused on Gwen Ifill and her role in tonights debate on http://www.vicepresidentdebates.com/gwenifill

[cafelatte11]

Thanks for posting this link.

[MrsMAB]

This is a pathetic attempt for right-wingers to force Iffil to go soft on Palin. Newsflash: a 5th grader can moderate a Palin debate and ask Palin questions that she will gaffe on... Ifill will only need to be her usual classy and professional self. It's amazing that there are a lot of folks who would rather watch this woman screw up our country than vote for a dem. Time for some soul searching!

[ThoBro]

I find it interesting that the fact that she is a GYNO-AMERICAN(Woman)is not a mentioned as a reason she would be harder on Joe Biden. I guess all those conservatives who say race should not matter in any discussion, because America has progressed so far, can't see past the color of her skin.

[LouisN]

Michele Malkin is a HATER!! Plain and simple. She sees Gwen and wishes with all her might that she could be a REAL, RESPECTED journalist instead of the spewer of filth, hatred and discrimination that she does. Yes, I said "discrimination." She likes to say that she's a "woman of color." To that, I say "so what!?" That doesn't mean you're not an "Aunt Thomasina," which she certainly is. Michele is not only a hater of all things classy and good, she's a self-hater. That's why she sees fit to attack anything and anyone who reminds her of non-white existence!

[CourtneyReg]

let us all remember that malkin works for the new york post, who's owned by hummm, murdoch, who also owns fox news network. murdoch supports mccain and is a major contributor to his campaign.

enough said.

[Roose]

Michelle Malkin not only an Ann Coulter wannabe, she's also a self-hating "woman of color".

She wrote a book supporting the internment of Japanese- Americans during World War II, which was panned. She has tried to become the Asian-american Ann Coulter but so far has not suceeded.

[Roanoke3]

Ifill never informed the debate commission of er book.

Ifill is now Liefull.

[TheAntiSheep]

The book was announced weeks before the debate moderators were finalized.

Ever heard of "due diligence"? Oh, guess not, look how much research was done before choosing Palin as VP in the first place.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

The wing nuts are rattling around with more fake outrage, considering Ifill’s book was announced in July and the candidates approved her as moderator 2 weeks latter. A simple goggle search would be sufficient. The McCain campaign had plenty of time to change there minds, but guess what they didn’t. As for Michelle Malkin she is a twit with delusions of grandeur, she could not shine Ms Ifill’s lab top. As for the NY Post it’s a just another Murdock rag, which is heavily subsidized, like Moon’s Washington Times, which few smart people read. It’s beneath Gwen Ifill to comment on Malkin’s attack, the timing of this phony outrage is curious. The current crop of militant phony conservatives live so far out of the reality based world that they need their own media, a collection of twits like Malkin who have sold their souls to cash in the Rush success formula and they push increasingly mindless rhetoric to stay relevant. Flood Malkin with e-mails, call the twit out on this BS. Right-wing media is so much pornography.