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Action: Conflict of Interest for VP Debate Moderator, Gwen Ifill (Updated 2x)
PBS’s Gwen Ifill has a pro-Obama book scheduled for release on inauguration day, January 20, 2009. 
She has been openly in support of Obama and has an obvious financial interest in Biden doing well in the debate and Obama winning the election. The McCain campaign did not know about Ifill's book and bias toward Obama. (Is anyone surprised about the media bias toward Obama at this point?)
Matt Weaver at No Quarter has the story and suggests calling the Commission on Presidential Debates at (202) 872-1020 to demand that Ifill’s conflict of interest be disclosed and that she be replaced as moderator of Thursday’s debate. You can also email Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission: jb@debates.org. I just sent an email to Janet Brown. Please copy and use.
Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission
I am writing you to demand that Gwen Ifill’s conflict of interest be disclosed and that she be replaced as moderator of Thursday’s VP debate between Biden and Palin. Ms. Ifill has a pro-Obama book scheduled for release on inauguration day, January 20, 2009. She is openly in support of Obama and has an obvious financial interest in Biden doing well in the debate and Obama winning the election. It has been reported that the McCain campaign did not know about Ifill’s book or her bias toward Obama. This is an outrage and most certainly favors one candidate over another. You must remedy this situation immediately. Disclose Ifill’s conflict of interest and replace her as moderator.
Thank you in advance for swift attention and action in this matter.
- My Real Name
I’m still trying to call but the line is busy. People this is important. Call and email! The media bias has got to end!
Cross Posted from Red Hot & Blue Politics
[Update 1] At 3:50 PM EST, I was finally able to get through to the Commission by phone. No one answered and my call went into the Comission's voicemail. I was able to leave a message. If you haven't gotten through yet, KEEP calling.
[Update 2] It has been reported that Ifill did NOT disclose her book (The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama) to the Commission on Presidential Debates. Today (10/2), Matt Weaver has a very extensive update to this story with media reaction and video of Ifill in her own words.
- grlpatriot's blog
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I like Gwen and was looking forward to it.
We must do everything we can to not just change the moderator but to make sure the public knows how the Obama campaign works.
nh
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
I had the thought to post here just about the time you asked. Yes, we need to spread the word. I even emailed this news to pro-Obama folks just so they are aware of it even if they don't support doing anyting about it. Call and email the commission, people, then email your friends, family, co-workers about it. Blog about it.
The media does NOT get to select our president -- the people do!
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
We need to use every method to spread this far and wide. digg, share this etc.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Digg it people! The digg button is right above the rate stars.
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
and good news - Murphy of PUMA Pac has made this today's prowl.
Ifill will be out by the end of the day.
Ok, everybody - go digg it. Do it now! Ya dig?
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
Just did it. Wow, and I like Gwen's work.
for getting active on this. We have to push back on the media. The MSM and other more trusted names in news have got to get the message that the bias has to stop. Media as candidate surrogate is NOT acceptable.
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
My money says Ifill will withdraw by day's end wich will of course quiet the storm and stop people from asking about how the Obama campaign works.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Thanks so much for posting this here. I might not have seen it otherwise. Ms. Ifill has always been someone I've admired, but her moderating the debate is just flat wrong. Talk about your conflict of interest. Sheesh.
I am calling and e-mailing the Commission now!
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
What bums me out is the Newshour and Ifil herself represent the few remaining credible fair journalism organizations in our country. Guess PBS has decided to throw up their hands along with MSBNC.
Play Barack Shit
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Pushers, Barack Style
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
Our local PBS affiliate is in a fundraising drive maybe I'll call them too. Surround them from all angles I think ...
The more pressure, the better chance that they get the message that this sh!t has got to stop.
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
We're supposed to ignore him, and run around with our hands in the air asking "where is the leadership?" Barack? Where is it?
http://www.yahoo.com/
Moderator conflict?
But it's buried on the Poltics page http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/01/gwen.ifill/index.html
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/debate-moderators-objectivity-questioned/
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Update: Ifill will face one handicap at the debate. She broke her ankle Monday night, her birthday, after tripping while carrying some files up stairs at her home.
From whatisface at the trail
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
if she is replaced. "Due to an ankle injury, Gwen Ifill will be unable to moderate the debate" -- not a word about the conflict-of-interest. OR it's her karma working itself out in advance.
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
Makes you wonder about the Obama karma. He can't do wrong.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
...injury. So there's no way she's going to be able to moderate a debate while jacked up on pain pills.
The lord works in mysterious ways.
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
I've admired her for years. In the days when I still had a TV, she'd often struck me as a bit staid, but I would have bet houses on her journalistic integrity.
How in God's name could she have even thought of doing something with such a vast conflict of interest?
I really, really, really, hate this campaign season. Just about everybody and everything I thought I liked and admired turns out to be punk wood.
What a scourge TheOne has wrought upon Democrats. It's going to take a long time, if ever, for the party to recover from His Royal Peccancy. (Ok, yeah, so I made up a word. Sue me.) And I refuse to genuflect to HRP at the ballot box.
This is all a bad dream. Isn't it?
I want my blankie.
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
Gwen says she hasn't even written the chapter on Obama yet (and this means what, Gwen?) Ifill also questions why people assume that her book will be favorable toward Obama. Well, Gwen, your tanked statements about Obama and the title of your book gives it away -- The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. In the Age of Obama -- good grief Gwen, give us a break and get off the kool-aid. We aren't complete idiots.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26978194/
Red Hot & Blue Politics | Alice left me in Wonderland
Wattsamatta u? Do we look stupid or something?
We know identity politics when we smell it.
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
I cannot believe that nobody cares about the pretense of a conflict. We really are screwed.
My namesake runs a partisan lefty blog that kisses obinkies twinky and he'd have less invested than Ifill.
jeeeeeeeeeez
sadly you might be right.
any chance I could use that line? "kisses obinkies twinky" I'm cracking up.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
I bet Jim Lehrer is preparing just in case he is needed
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
to moderate this debate is outrageous. There were even full programs on talk radio early in the week asking if she could possibly be an unbiased moderator. The concensus was that she could not. I think she proved them right. She went after Palin more often and cut Biden more slack.
This should never have been.
GONE FISHING