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Commentators Accuse VP Moderator Gwen Ifill of Conflict of Interest
Thursday night's vice presidential debate is getting a dose of controversy as Gwen Ifill, the journalist who is moderating the event, has written an upcoming book on race politics in the U.S. in the context of presidential candidate Barack Obama's rise on the national stage.
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Ifill's book will focus on "emerging young African American politicians" and argues that the "Black political structure" formed during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s allowing them to benefit today, according to the book's description on Amazon.com.
The book, titled "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama" is set for release by Random House on the next U.S. president's inauguration day, January 20, 2009.
"I am stunned….the campaign (actually both) should have been told before the campaign agreed to have her moderate," wrote Fox News commentator Greta Van Susteren on her blog today. "It simply is not fair - in law, this would create a mistrial."
Van Susteren confirmed that the McCain campaign did not know about the upcoming book.
"The book has been a known factor for months, so I'm not sure what the big deal is," NewsHour spokeswoman Anne Bell told Fox News.
Jed Babbin, from conservative political web site Human Events says Ifill has a conflict of interest and should not moderate the event.
"Whether or not this may be the "Age of Obama," no one who has a financial interest in the outcome of the election -- as does PBS' Gwen Ifill -- should be permitted to moderate any debate in the campaign season," he writes.
Michelle Malking, a conservative columnist and political commentator says Ifill is biased.
"[T]here is nothing "moderate" about where Ifill stands on Barack Obama," she writes, stating that she stands to benefit from sales of the book if Obama is elected. "She's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."
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