McCain and Palin Sow Doubts About Ifill

Subscribe to this blog's feed

« Previous | Main | Next »

McCain and Palin Sow Doubts About Ifill

October 01, 2008 6:45 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Matt Jaffe, and Imtiyaz Delawala Report: On the eve of Thursday's vice-presidential debate in St. Louis, the McCain campaign is voicing confidence in moderator Gwen Ifill's professionalism while simultaneously sowing doubts about her ability to be fair after learning that she is working on a book about a new generation of black leaders called, "Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama."

The book, which is being published by RandomHouse, is set to be released on Jan. 20, 2009, the same day that the next president is sworn into office.

"Does this help that she has written a book that is favorable to Sen. Obama? Probably not," John McCain told Fox News' Carl Cameron on Wednesday.

McCain embedded his doubts about the VP debate moderator in a set of comments that otherwise voiced confidence in Ifill who is the anchor of WETA's "Washington Week" and a senior correspondent for PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

Sarah Palin took a similar tack, downplaying the book's significance while simultaneously suggesting that it would force her to work "that much harder."

"I am not going to let it be a concern," said Palin on Sean Hannity's radio program before implying that Ifill's book contains a pro-Obama bias that will force the G.O.P. ticket to "work that much harder."

"Its motivating to me even to hear Gwen's comments there," said Palin, referring to a clip of Ifill discussing her book, "because again, that will make us work that much harder and that provides even more fairness and objectivity and choices for the voters on November 4th, if we try that much harder."

Rudy Giuliani joined McCain and Palin in sowing doubts about Ifill without directly criticizing her.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign, the former New York mayor described Ifill as a "very honest, decent journalist," adding that he has "no question that she will be perfectly fair in the way she asks the questions."

But like McCain and Palin, Giuliani simultaneously raised doubts about her.

"If the moderator of this debate were someone who was writing a book that basically was 'The Age of McCain,' I have a feeling that a lot more of these publications would be saying that the person should not be doing it," said Giuliani. "Now it might be totally unfair to do that. Just as I think it's totally unfair to do this. But it's just one more indication of how there is a double-standard in the way this campaign is treated."

"But on the basic question," he continued, 'Should Gwen Ifill do the debate?' Yes, she should. But the question, 'If you put the shoe on the other foot what kind of outcry would there be?'"

Biden spokesman David Wade accused the McCain campaign of "working the refs" while simultaneously talking up Palin's debate skills by referring to the Alaska governor as an "undefeated Cicero of the Snow."

"The McCain campaign is acting in a manner befitting Washington insiders, working the refs, distracting for dear life from the issues at stake in this debate which unfortunately for them are what honest to goodness Americans actually care about," said Wade. "It's desperate enough the way they've talked down the debating skills of their own undefeated Cicero of the Snow, next I assume they'll turn their fire on the camera guy and the nice fella who fills the M and M tray in the Green Room."

McCain's talk-radio supporters were unsparing in their criticism of Ifill.

Rush Limbaugh described Ifill as "totally in the tank for Barack Obama" on his Wednesday radio program.

"This is a conflict of interest," Rush Limbaugh said Wednesday. "She has a financial stake in Obama winning the race in addition to whatever other stakes that she has invested in Obama winning the presidential race."

Ifill dismissed the criticism from conservatives in an interview with the Associated Press.

"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 told the A.P. "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."

Ifill said that it was her publisher, not herself, who set Inauguration Day as the release date for book. She 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.

Former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell is also a subject of the book.

ABC News' Rigel Anderson and Ferdous Al-Faruque contributed to this report.

October 1, 2008 in McCain, John, Palin, Sarah, Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (691)

User Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

if McCain is not fit to be president, the other 43 were not also.

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:26:43 PM

Palin's running for cover.. They might ask her if Alaska in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.. Blame the Media.. That's the true Republican way.. She is a joke, but she fit's right in with the bush Doctrine..even though she has no idea what it is. Someone should tell her the names of the News Papers in the cities of Alaska.. It wont help, but maybe she'll be able to name one.

Posted by: J.Murphy, CA. | Oct 1, 2008 7:27:11 PM

Republican Christians for Obama: You do not know your political history. McCain, after the Keating 5 scandal, has spent his life fighting corruption. Has Obama done that? Or will we have a Rezko slush fund (as pointed out on SNL) if Obama is president? Do you really want a guy who is so in love with his own story that he had to pen two books about himself before the age of 44? Do you really want a guy with NO experience and has spent his short tenure in office giving kickbacks to Rezko and taking money from Fannie and Freddie? Well, I'm a Dem voting McCain because it's clear who has integrity.

Posted by: katherine | Oct 1, 2008 7:27:36 PM

Republican Christians for Obama l am going to prove to you you don't have a clue..here is a question for you..is Plain qualified to be VP ? ) not experienced, but qualified)
Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:22:55 PM

No, she isn't. You have yet to explain how McCain's involvement in the Keating 5 can be defended. You have yet to debate me on this issue. You asked me to choose a topic. You said you'd debate me. You didn't hold up your end of the bargain. Just like a republican. And also just like a republican, when you don't hold up your end of the bargain, you try to change the subject. It's a waste of time talking to people like you. You're lost. Hopefully, there are more people in this country who do indeed put country first and who will vote for Obama. If you're still interested in debating, please get to defending McCain's involvement in the Keating 5.

Posted by: Republican Christians for Obama! | Oct 1, 2008 7:27:38 PM

Read up on the Keating 5.
Posted by: Republican Christians for Obama

ok...i read up on the Keating 5..what's your point?

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:27:47 PM

So everybody's concerned about Ifill moderating the lightweight Sarah Palin's debate (I assume they would prefer Hannity...)

Any concerns about TOM BROKAW moderating Obama's debate with McCain?

Because we can't all be Jim Lehrer, you know.

Posted by: mellowinman | Oct 1, 2008 7:29:16 PM

a republican christian for obama is akin to Ahmadinejad for Satan.

Posted by: obamayomama | Oct 1, 2008 7:29:32 PM

Katherine: Do your research on the Keating 5. McCain turned against his fellow conspirators, like a coward, when he realized his political career would be finished (and it should have been). McCain was a coward then, and he is a coward now. McCain was deemed then the worst of the Keating 5. McCain sold out America to protect a crook. He is unfit to serve.

Posted by: Republican Christians for Obama! | Oct 1, 2008 7:29:36 PM

ok...McCain did do just what you said he did..what's your point?...i can't debate you if i do not know what your point is

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:30:21 PM

The headline is really misleading - McCain very clearly said he believes the moderator will be professional and should not be replaced. Do the people need to know that the moderator has a financial interest in seeing Obama win the election? Absolutely. That's all that's going on here.

Posted by: Me Again | Oct 1, 2008 7:30:39 PM

uyou lose...Palin is qualified...i can prove it.

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:31:29 PM

You can put Lipstick on Gwen Ifill, but She is still very UGLY and very much a pinko-communist.

Posted by: Gwen_is_a_ZERO | Oct 1, 2008 7:31:48 PM

ok...i read up on the Keating 5..what's your point?
Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:27:47 PM

No, you didn't, or you'd know what the point is. You seemed so confidant when you challenged me to a debate. Now you have nothing to say, and never debated the issue. Goodbye.

Posted by: Republican Christians for Obama! | Oct 1, 2008 7:32:27 PM

i agree with you on the keating 5...you were wrong about Palin...i win..2 for me..1 for you

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:32:44 PM

uyou lose...Palin is qualified...i can prove it.
Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:31:29 PM

Uh huh. Tell it to Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, and the rest of the conservatives who are now calling for Palin to step down.

Posted by: Republican Christians for Obama! | Oct 1, 2008 7:34:06 PM

no issue to debate on Keating...i agreed with you...you were wrong about palin..i win

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:34:35 PM

Why is the McCain campaign waiting until the night before the debate to bring this up? If it was a serious concern they would have raised it earlier---this is just another attempt to blame Palin's inexperience and inability to define her candidacy (not to mention her incomplete knowledge of relevant political issues) on a biased media. McCain is preemptively giving excuses for Palin's poor performance in tomorrows debate--it is disturbing that he has so little faith in his running mate and further illustrates his egregious lack of judgment.

Posted by: lily78 | Oct 1, 2008 7:35:27 PM

i deal with facts...if i give you a fact that proves me right..will you agree with me?

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:35:37 PM

I think this is outrageous. I think Gwen Ifill owed it to the American people to remove herself from the debates due to a conflict of interest and a financial stake in the election. The fact that she did not do this on her own speaks to her lack of character and integrity...I am not surprised though. And I will be betting money that she will show her bias in the debates. I cannot imagine the reaction that we would have heard had this been a Moderator who had written a book favorable to McCain. There would have been protests galore. My son is 18 and voting for the first time-he said Ifill it is wrong. Out of the mouth of babes...Ifill will laugh all the way to the bank.

Posted by: djn | Oct 1, 2008 7:36:19 PM

remeber...i said " qualified to be VP"...not experienced

Posted by: LordHelpLiberals | Oct 1, 2008 7:36:21 PM

Post a comment