Gwen Ifill Cannot Moderate Vice Presidential Debate Because She is Black

Gwen Ifill, the PBS anchor of "Washington Week" who will be moderating the debate between the vice presidential contenders, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, on October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri, seems to be all over the news. She broke her ankle. She's writing a book that is due out on Inauguration Day 2009. The first gets passing mention by many news organization, but the second is picking up even more impetus going into the debate. Why is the book gaining interest? Because, according to Matt Drudge and other conservatives, the book shows her blatant bias toward the Democratic side of the debate.

The McCain-Palin camp say they knew nothing of the book.

The Debate Over The Moderator Of The Palin-Biden Debate

World Net Daily ran an article by Bob Unruh, entitled "VP debate moderator Ifill releasing pro-Obama book," was picked up by the Drudge Report and is making its rounds of the internet, causing a stir. Unruh makes the assertion that the book is biased toward the Obama campaign and that makes a considerable argument against Ifill and her ability to conduct a nonpartisan debate. Unruh leans heavily on the Michelle Malkin blog, where that particular writer said of Ifill, "She's so far in the tank for the Democrat presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out." Unruh also cites as evidence Ifill's dismissiveness toward Sarah Palin when Ifill has reported on Palin's speeches. It is being posited that, since Ifill's booksales are dependant on an Obama victory, she can in no way moderate in an unbiased fashion.

On the other side of the debate, Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post says that Gwen Ifill's upcoming book has been no secret, that it is common knowledge that the PBS anchor was writing a book on the next generation of black politicians called Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Kurtz contends, "There is no evidence that the book will be favorable to the Democratic nominee."