Judy Woodruff Comes To Ifill's Defense

Colleagues of Gwen Ifill are coming to her defense after conservatives, including members of the McCain campaign, declared her a biased moderator for Thursday's vice presidential debate because of a book she is authoring on black politicians that includes Barack Obama's name in the headline.

"Of virtually all the reporters I know, Gwen is somebody I have no idea where she stands politically. I mean, I have no idea where she is," said Judy Woodruff, who has moderated a vice presidential debate herself and works alongside Ifill at PBS. Writing this book does not present a problem "at all," she added. "I haven't seen it because Gwen has been working on it. But Gwen Ifill is a reporter. She is not someone who delivers opinion and I know that that is not the type of book she is involved in."

A virtual political firestorm erupted on Wednesday morning after it was reported that Ifill was working on a book about "emerging young African American politicians," which Republicans - including aides to John McCain - proclaimed compromised her objectivity for the vice presidential debate.

"You know, I think the moderator will have some serious questions to answer themselves if they do go so heavily foreign policy," said aide Nancy Pfotenhauer on Fox News, suggesting Ifill would ask questions that played to Joe Biden's expertise.

McCain himself downplayed the revelation, perhaps rightfully so. His campaign approved of her selection and ostensibly knew about the book before hand (it had been in the news weeks prior).

"I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think she will do a totally objective job," said McCain, "because she is a highly respected professional. Does this help that if she has written a book that's favorable to Sen. Obama? Probably not. But I have confidence that Gwen Ifill will do a professional job."

Woodruff, likewise, touted Ifill's history of professionalism and objectivity, saying she'd brush off the criticism from conservatives.

"Of all the people I know who are unflappable she is not going to be influence in any way by this," said Woodruff. "The fact is in journalism today one has to have a thick skin anyway. And Gwen has a thick skin. And like all of us who work in this business you get accustomed to people telling you what they think, and they have that right, this is a free country and people can way in anyway they want to."

Comments

[maryjo146]

Because the Republicans are so afraid of Sara's performance at the debate, they have started a campaign against Ifill. So if Sara bombs, it will be Ifill's fault. Cowards, sneaks.

[Puddin]

As David Letterman said last week, "something smells". McCain & Co are full of that stinky stuff (and everybody knows it/including them).

[PresWatch]

If Sarah bombs? Is there doubt? We've already seen her lose whatever intellectual and verbal abilities she was purported to have, and Ms. Ifill had no hand in causing McPalin's previous public humiliation. When Sarah bombs, she will have only herself and McCain to blame, not Gwen Ifill.

[roshni]

When Sarah bombs, you mean......­.....

[rosal]

So they waited to the day before the debate to complain? How convenient! This serves two purposes: To excuse her performance, ignorance, and use of her sounding bites, and to intimidate Gwen and have her throw super soft balls to Miss Moose, otherwise she will appear "biased". They knew about the book a long time ago, but as always, the reps reach into their bag of dirt and tricks to excuse the incompetence of their candidates.

[Bitsko]

I think I've seen every debate Ms. Ifill's ever moderated, and she's always professional. Don't expect her to cave. I doubt the word is in her dictionary.

[BowlingForRevenge]

The Republicans are just covering all their bases should the Biden Palin debate go as we all feel it will.

It's obvious the Republican party has little faith in their choices.

Let the games continue..­.

[peacebypiece]

another instance of the "people"s ignorance.­...the book is about "emerging young African American politicians," .....maybe it includes REPUBLICAN "emerging young African American politicians," as well. Maybe it is informational and not political.

[deckbose]

The book includes Obama's name in THE TITLE. Not "the headline".

Books have titles. Newspaper articles have headlines.

[sdaflm]

This is just another grandstanding moment for this train wreck of a campaign. Ifill's book will not be out until after the innaguration. Which means, no one knows what's in it and no one has read it yet.

[rbrinega]

The McComplain camp is just working the refs like they've been doing all summer and fall.

[CaliTLC]

Correctomundo. This time it won't work. We all saw the Katie Couric interview. One white female (Katie) interviewed another white female (Sarah Palin) and one (not Katie) sounded like a complete IDIOT. Same thing happened when Charlie Gibson interviewed Sarah Palin. They are both white and she sounded like an IDIOT and looked like a moose caught in the headlights. McCain camp, shut the eff up. Your V.P. candidate is a mental lightweight. Don't blame Gwen Ifill when it happens a 3rd time.

[changeishere08]

DING DING DING!! WE have a winner!! Haven't you noticed that it's the McComplain campaign comlaining abput every doggone thing in the media? They are working the refs and the media is letting them. C0WARDS! Not even Reagan b1tched as much as McComplain has. HE.IS.NOT.­PRESIDENTI­AL. and it shows! I am so s1ck of the garbage tha MSM lets the McComplain get away with. If 0bama pulled petulant stunts like this, his campaign would be over. WE all know it!

[Matt7]

A right-winger calls the McCain campaign to verify their knowledge that tomorrow's moderator has written a book on emerging black leaders. The McCain campaign says they have no knowledge of such a book (although its existence had been publicized weeks before they agreed to the moderator). Outraged, the right-winger blogs that this is patently unfair to her candidate. This black reporter has written a book about emerging black politicians, which includes a black presidential candidate. So that MUST mean that she is supporting that candidate therefore she's not qualified to moderate. And oh yeah, by the way, she'll make money on the book should the black candidate win.

So fellow bloggers weigh in about how OBVIOUSLY inappropriate it all is, so "spread the word." So as the bloggers go forth and post links to this clarion call, the general media get wind of it, this makes "news" and puts pressure on the powers that be to make changes, or at least make the moderator lean a bit to the right to "even out" her OBVIOUS prejudices. Facts be damned.

Play ball MY way, or NOBODY plays. Incredible.

[KathyinCT]

OH COME ON:

DIrect from SE 30 NY Times, from Tom Brokaw the McCain camp's handpicked moderator: Ignore Brokaw's monumental ego.

"Less widely known is that Mr. Brokaw has also played a pivotal role out of public view, both within NBC and in its dealings with the campaign of John McCain in particular.

"Mr. Brokaw said he had also conducted some shuttle diplomacy in recent weeks between NBC and the McCain campaign. His mission, he said, was to assure the candidate’s aides that — despite some negative on-air commentary by Mr. Olbermann in particular — Mr. McCain could still get a fair shake from NBC News. Mr. Brokaw said he had been told by a senior McCain aide, whom he did not name, that the campaign had been reluctant to accept an NBC representative as one of the moderators of the three presidential debates — until his name was invoked.

“One of the things I was told by this person was that they were so irritated, they said, ‘If it’s an NBC moderator, for any of these debates, we won’t go,’ ” Mr. Brokaw said. “My name came up, and they said, ‘Oh, hell, we have to do it, because it’s going to be Brokaw.’ ”

Mr. Brokaw will moderate the second debate.

While Mr. Brokaw said he and the Republican nominee are not personal friends, he did say they are “friendly” and “always had a great relationsh­ip.”

Ifill wrote a book; Brokaw was hand picked.

[VetKor51]

I thought Palin did a wonderful job all week in her interviews. She was asked difficult questions, smiled, knew where Canada was, said she could still see Russia, disagreed with McCain about Pakistan, and... well, what else do you expect from a self-described "hockey mom"?

[roshni]

Plus, she has read all the journals in the world in her varied repertoire of reading material, even though she could not name a single one of them.

[stevorama]

It really doesn't matter who is moderating, P a l i n doesn't even know which newspapers she reads, can't define The Bush Doctrine, and can't recall any Supreme Court decisions besides Roe v. Wade. However, Rove, Rush, Hannity, etc. will continue to allege that Ifill is biased in their attempts to excuse P a l i n's disastrous performance tomorrow. I can't wait, should be as good or better than Bentson v. Quayle.

[Beachrunner]

Who cares if Ifill's book, "The Miracle of Barrack Obama," is set to be released on inaguration day?

What does that have to do with her moderating a debate between the VP candidates? Sheesh.

[Kyuzo]

That's not the title of the book. The book is called "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama"

[Roanoke3]

And let us look at the promtion for the book“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..­.

[dixieluke]

It's all a plan to stifle Ifill (rhyme not intended). They want to intimidate her BEFORE the debate so that she will go easy on Palin for fear of being called biased toward Obama. It's all a very well devised plan. I think Ifill should check for wires if Palin's hair is down, and perhaps check both just to be fair. I truly believe that George W. Bush was wired, and I've noticed Palin wearing a cap in all of her debate preps. Is she getting used to the wire again (from her short career as a sportscaster)? I want someone to reassure the public that neither candidate is wired.

[realdream]

More than that, they are saying this now to ensure that Palin's loss will be discounted "since obviously Ifill was biased and trapped poor Palin". So this is really being done for public's consumption. Basically they are scared and throwing everything at this debate. The irony is that in the best case the debate won't matter, in the worst case Palin will prove to be completely unsuitable. So they are wasting all their resources for a very questionable tiny advantage.

[rockyb26]

Trust me, Ifill's not backing down to anybody.

[supervoter]

They're beating up on Gwen Ifill? Are you KIDDING me? One of the very few reporters I trust, on pretty much the last news program where I can listen to rational, substantive discussion on the issues. This dog won't hunt.

[SDSL]

Gwen Ifill will do a superlative job. The R's and the Con's are just sweating it because Palin is so completely over her head.