CNN

Much ado about nothing, I think. I am appalled at the level of whining going on in the Republican campaign - we've had to put up with months of McCain whining about one thing after another. I am definitely looking forward to the debate. I sure hope Palin doesn't bail.

Who cares?

Do you guys remember the part where Obama was debating HRC at the Stephanopolous and Gibson hit job last spring?

This debate is going to be crap anyway. McCain and Palin can't even answer a question. Just one-liners and "zingers." (God I hate that word.)

whats she gonna do? not let palin answer? let's talk about this if it becomes an issue, but not cry foul before the game.

This is crazy!!! She is well respected and fair, this is the repubs last chance to try and stop this debate, but it won't happen!!

That this regime (Bush, Cheney et al) smacks of a totalitarian, media manipulated propaganda, and the worst of fascist expression under the guise of democracy, why are you surprised that this policy is followed consistently even in this up-coming debate?

For sure this is another sinister plot by the Obama camp to rig the debates in their favor.Talk about CHANGE. Gwen Ifill is another Obama surrogate.Journalism DIED this year.How sad.

McCain is the Titanic and Palin is his iceberg!

Total implosion!

I say switch out for another moderator and put a McCain supporter in (and I'm a devout Obama supporter).

You know what? I'm sure it doesn't matter who the moderator is. If they have any scruples they are going to watch for and take their own bias out of it. But what I don't want to hear is anymore excuses for Palin. Let Pat Buchanan moderate it. Nothing that happens is going to turn Palin into a "thinker" all of the sudden. I just don't want to give the Republicans any ammo to complain about hollow stuff and twist up reality any further.

How many times does McCain have to make a fool out of American voters before they finally get it? Tom Brokaw is clearly a McCain supporter, and he is moderating the next debate. Obama has gone on O'Reilly, Wallace, and on other Fox news interviews, and no one seemed to cry foul. The Republicans say that Palin has more experience than Obama, yet the bar was set mighty high for him in the debates.

It depresses me that some people are so dim-witted.

Actually, McCain said in an interview that he thought Ifill will be objective and professional, and I think she will. However, how would the Democrats be reacting if someone like Brit Hume or Sean Hannity were the moderator? They would not be happy.

Interesting – although it would not surprise me if Obama moderated and debated the VP debate – maybe get the ladies from the View, or the Big O or Ellen -they certainly would be up to the job.

The NobBamaniacs who post here say "No Big Deal". If the moderator had written a book favoring McCain, they would be screaming bloody murder. You scumbag hypocrites!

What a FARSE!!! Anyone who thinks that a moderator can't influence the outcome of a debate is either an Obama apologist, or in serious denial.

This is a real conflict of interest: Her book will sell more if Obama/Biden win, and less if they lose.

This is a pretty bad accusation made on Ifill, she is pretty fair and well-educated it's not like she is rush limbaugh. This is the VP debate not the presidential debate. I think that the McCain camp is trying to make excuses to delay the VP debate.
And it doesn't matter anyway, Biden is gonna win hands down.

she should step down but the media is in the tank for the chicago hustler

GWEN IS NOT QUALIFIED TO BE A MODERATOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. HOW DID SHE GET THIS GIG?

If sales of her book will increase with Obama being elected then we very much have a conflict of interest.
I'm also very disgusted by most of the comments. So much anger. It would be very interesting to read these comments if this had played the other way around.

What would be your comment if it were a debate between McCain and Obama and the moderator was Dick Morris.

"I am an Obama supporter. They should go ahead and replace her with like Tom Brokaw. This way Palin will have no excuse when she gets slaughtered by Biden"

Tom Brokaw is the biggest Republican "tool" there is. Do you not watch Meet The Press?

I am an African American male and in light of recent discoveries, I do think that Gwyn Ifill needs to step down as the Moderator of the VP Debate.

I have no dobt of her qualifications and her abilitiy to be bi-partisan in her debate moderation questions and style, but I thinks she needs to do what is right and step down.

Talk about racial bias!!!

Come on! Just because she's black and written a book about black politicians?

Maybe we should disqualify everyone who's white who ever wrote a book about white politicians!

Hang in there Gwen! Don't let these Republican idiots railroad you!

BTW, how convenient to wait until the day before the VP debate to bring up this particular objection!

If Palin can't handle the heat, she shouldn't even be CLOSE to the kitchen!

All of the debates are and have been moderated by journalists. They write and televise about the candidates. No surprise - that is their job and that's why they're picked.

Gwen Ifill (PBS newscaster) has been a staple on political talk shows for a long time. She is sharply analytical and thoughtful. Her professional standards are impeccable. She'll moderate fairly.

McCain just learned of Ifill's upcoming book yesterday? Hogwash.

Since the book isn't yet done, how do the Republicans know it's "positive". Because Gwen's black or because she's just such a nice person? Really... I think the debate won't be fair because Biden had to wear a tie and Palin doesn't. Stupid? Yea, well just trying to get in touch with my Republican soul.

As an Obama supported, Ifel should recuse herself.

The appearce of bias is not needed. This will give the GOP and opportunty to create anouther distraction, gimmick to change the topic off the issues.

Another example of the "McCain way of doing things". America please wake up! Allowing for McCain to become our President would be the perscription for a complete disaster. Didn't we have enough misery over the last 8 years? Isn't it time for REAL change? Enough is enough! The country is ready for fresh new leadership and it is time to finally aknowledge that we are now in the 21st century! The time is right to embrase President Obama! This is NOT a time for childish games. It is the right time to start to be serious about our future! Pailin is a joke and by chosing Governor Palin, McCain shows he cannot be taken seriously.

It's about what they say, not who is asking.

If the situation "concerns" McCain then it seems to me McCain is a racist. The only reason he would be concerned is that a professional black woman would be biased in favor of a professional black man. McCain's statement on it's own is racist.

Now let him squirm around that "concern" of this slovenly voter. LOL!

Well, those right-wing whackos in the House of Representatives have convinced me that this bail out bill sucks. As much as I hate to agree with them, they do have at least one valid point: Bush wants it ergo it MUST be wrong. Long live Kucinich!

The key will not be the original questions, but the follow up questions. Will the moderator be able to hide her biases (which she has) from those quick turnaround follow up questions?

Also, Ifill stands to gain financially from Obama winning! Her book comes out on inauguration day, if Obama wins, she makes more money. If he loses, she doesn't make as much money. That in itself should have her replaced, or at the very least disclose it at the start of the debate.

Reminds me of the debate moderated by George "I love the Clintons" Stephanopoulos during the democratic primaries. You didn't hear Barack Obama crying foul over it.

In the information age, I find it disgusting that the McCain campaign is so inept at doing simple research. How can we expect a McCain administration to fully vet judges and other appointees?

It's not her fault that there's nothing worth writing about John McCain.

it's getting harder and harder to find a mccain/palin supporter. if they keep pushing for one, Cindy or Tahhhd will be the only option.

Isn't it the American people that will decide the winner of the debate?

What are the republicans afraid that the American public would be to stupid to see if Gwen Ifill only asked LOADED QUESTIONS to one side but not the other?

I think the fear here is about Palin. She is always short on details ... a quarter-of-a-mile wide and half-an-inch deep. Any moderator worth their salt is going to probe a little bit.

Independent for McCain...The suggestiong that Ifill would slip questions to Obama is appalling. Of course she wouldn't do that.

The McCain campaign is playing a dangerous game by showing how little confidence they have in Palin. By constantly trying to "work the refs" on this debate, they are showing that they think she's not fit for the job. If it wasn't this book, it'd be something else.

The air is clean, but there is always someone who enjoys pissing into it, like Jim Geraghty.

Oh please. Let's grow up here.

For all of you clueless people who don't see a conflict, Iffel is releasing her book on inaguration day. If Obama is not elected, she will sell no books. If Obama is elected, she will sell a lot of books. Geez, I wonder if she might be tempted to ask questions that would tend to make Obama look favorable?

wow
isn't this familiar ,the GOP is crying over an unfair advantange,i mean they cry over everything
1.the media loes oboma,The GOP calls it unfair
2.John maccain now sends his lamb to the BIg BIDEN slaughterhouse,and then he cries how the moderator writesa book that has been announced months ago,and he happens to complain a day before the debate,again
Sarah palin was amistake and they know it
a desperate attempt to counter obama's not only huge image and popularity but policies and change

I worked in the media for more than a decade, but left when I realized 90% of my co-workers weren't searching for the truth, but promoting their own agendas... and since 90% were also liberal, that meant gay rights, socialism, high taxes, and anything anti-American or anti-Christian.

Gewn Ifill is just another in a long line of so-called 'journalists' to be exposed for what they really are: liberal propagandists.

Sarah Palin should refuse to show up unless Gwen Ifill is
replaced!

This is utterly outrageous bias by the MSM, and America will
not stand for nor forget this shameless deceit.

There is already a raging wildfire across the Internet at the
blatant unfairness of what's being pawned off on the viewers.

There is no story here.

The McCain camp just like the Obama camp, had to approve the moderators similar to how both the prosecution and the defense need to agree on jurors in a trial. If McCain didn't perceive a problem, why should we. Ifill is a professional whose job it will be to ask, not answer, questions. Both Palin and Biden will be responsible to answer for themselves.

Weeks before she was chosen as a moderator, she publicly spoke about writing this book. That was on the record when the McCain camp agreed to her as a Moderator. They had their chance to object back then and they should have used it. The fact that they waited to long to look into things is nobody's fault but their own.

Oh forgot another note, Gwen Ifill has to be careful not to upstage Gov Palin too much on the issues and topics that will be discussed has she (Gwen Ifill) has much more experience and knowledge on the national and international topics that will be presented at the debate.

The debate is going to go so fast until it's irrelevent who moderates. Six minutes per question? The McCain campaign already got the format shorted to protect Palin, now they want to get rid of the moderator? This is truly getting silly.

This is another ridiculous attempt by the McCain camp to lower expectations for their terrible choice for a VP candidate. They will talk about anything and everything except for the actual content of the debate.

Oh please, if there is any controversy it's the media, hyping this up about the moderator. This is absolutely ridiciolus, I miss Tim Russert.

This is retarded non-news.

How in the heck can this woman be an UNBIASED moderator when she is a HARD CORE democrat???????

She can make or break this debate for EITHER candidate. If she is soft on Biden and harsh on Palin, the Palin will get sympathy.

What IDIOT selected her to do this??????

The Presidential Debate Commission has failed to enforce its own non-partisan rules for selecting a moderator. Ifil must step down if this debate is to be legitimate. I support Obama but I also support a level-playing field. I'm not sure I care to watch the debate with an obviously-biased moderator.

Its not what is in the book, its that its being released to coinside with the swearing in of the next president - who she feels will be Obama

So now McCain is attacking a journalist's integrity about a book that isn't published, they haven't read and which won't be published until AFTER the election. They agreed to the debate moderator but now that the debate is a day away are trying to cover up for an unprepared, poorly selected VP choice.

All this does, as the change in the debate foramt so Palin won't actually have to expalin or support her "answers" is to try to put pressure on Iffill and to try have a built in "excuse" if Palin falls on her face.

All of the comments regarding this topic are absolutely hysterical! You people need to do some research. The economic mess that our country is in is not the fault of the Republicans, quite the contrary. The Democrats are responsible and to think that the majority of the people who have commented would actually like to see Obama and Biden in the White House? Obama is a great speaker, as long as he has a working teleprompter in front of him, heaven forbid it goes out! Don't even get me started on Biden, I've never seen so many gaffes come out of one person in my life! I say bring on the VP Debate....my money is on Sarah Palin.

GWEN IFILL NEEDS TO STEP DOWN. SHE IS BIASED AND WILL BE UNFAIR TO GOV. PALIN. SHE IS ALSO TRYING TO MAKE MONEY.

Lets see are we saying we need a few people out there that don't VOTE to be the moderator

Ms. Ifill is a professional and has moderated every VP debate in the past 4 or so elections....you people are paranoid

What about Tom Brokaw's links to the McCain campaign??

Is McCain looking for another excuse to call off the debates?

om a serious note if america decides to choose a president and vp due to sentiments or bias then they will deserve what they get.. 8 yrs of Bush will be a bliss in comparison.. because we will not only ahve an unstable guy but a dumb lady ready to step in his shoes.. good luck america.. remember Rome....

I just knew it. First, if I were McCain's manager, I would not admit I did not know about the book cause it makes me look completly unprofessional. So they knew and now they are using the argument to give an excuse for Palin's poor performance. We already have infomrations from McCain's campaign revealing that the top strategists are in panic about Palin's pre-debate rehearsal, the poor girl learning her lines but then spitting them without order.

So expect they will try to cancel the debate. If it does not work, they will try to play the race card agains the moderator to put her on defense, then explain Palin's failure with the moderator biais.

How in the heck can this woman be an UNBIASED moderator when she is a HARD CORE democrat???????

She can make or break this debate for EITHER candidate. If she is soft on Biden and harsh on Palin, the Palin will get sympathy.

What IDIOT selected her to do this??????

So the Oct 9th debate should replace Tom Brokaw since he is the NBC liasion for JM

What's that saying about the "woodpile"..........

As if anyone in the country could moderate a presidential debate today without bias.

Everyone favors a candidate at this point; the Republicans just wish they had more likable candidates so that the moderator would favor them.

Cry me a river.

Ifill will be fair.

McCain wants to make sure that Ifill heeds his warning to not ask too many foreign policy questions.

If Palin looks bad tomorrow night, Ifill will be the scapegoat.

McStunt strikes again!

whining?
stop it, she is only a moderator.

palin is just scared to talk to a smart woman.

go obama

She has to be replaced immediately or the whole debate process will be undermined. She should have disclosed this long ago to the campaigns or simply recused herself. Independence and neutrality are essential or the credibility of the debate process is sunk.

If Rush was the mod Obama backers would be going crazy. There are a bunch of two faced obama backers!!!!!

Who do they want to moderate the debates since every moderator is going to make their own decision about which candidate is going to receive their vote. All that is required is that both candidates are treated fairly during the debate.

Since CNN is taking its "news" from Drudge and the McCain campaign:

Why don't you cover the "controversy" brewing on the HuffPost about Brokaw's relationship/history with the McCain campagin???

For balance, maybe???

Excuses, excuses, excuses. Man, the GOP is so desperate and dying to find a way to get clueless airhead Palin out of this debate. Not gonna happen! Let's move on to the debate!

It's a matter of money and money corrupts, If Obama wins her book sells if he loses –well who knows.All the Obama supporters would be having kittens if the woman that wrote the Sarsh Palin Book was the moderator.

Oh my gosh...guess what....McCain is gonna try to cancel the debate now....just wait...it is coming...lol.

This is a non-issue.

McCain's handlers just need another reason to whine.

With Palin in there, the whole thing is a joke, anyway!

It seems like the GOP is just as confident in Palin's knowledge of the issues as the rest of us. Its pretty bad when they are trying to explain why she lost before the debate even takes place...

OHHHHHH Please! Gwen is a professional!

Maybe McCain is concerned she might actually ask the Palin some tough questions!

This moderator should step aside. Someone less in the pocket of Barack Hussein Obama should moderate this debate.

I'm a former Democrat, now Independent, and I see no reason to permit this woman to moderate a vice presidential debate.

By the way, in her book does this moderator mention Obama's friendship with Bill Ayers? I suppose not since, had she done so, the book wouldn't be a glowing appraisal of the black messiah.

Well gollllllly!! Surprise, suprise, another aparatis of the "democratic" process staked against the Republicans.

Every answer Palin gives should include some reference to Iffil being in the bag for the democrats in general (as is evidenced by her past partisan moderating) and Obama specifically.

Who wants to take bets that she is openly biased, even though she'll try to hide it?

On this I have to say that the moderator should be someone impartial. This is a conflict of interest... and the moderator should step down and let someone else moderate the debate.

This is a scare tactic that is not going to work. Gwen is one of the most trusted journalist out there and she will be fair and biased in this debate. Let me be clear she is smart and has the know how to do more than one thing at a time. Watch and see what happens. I bet you will be glad that you waited to judge.

McCain and his rediculous campaign is a joke. Of course they have to spin something ahead of time "just in case" the debate doesn't go their way. Just like his campaing spun how tired he was and exhausted before his debate. Wake up America! No more Spin Dr.s!

Look, Gwen Ifill is one of the few journalists who is unbiased. She will carry out this debate in a professional manner.

Gwen Ifill is the author of a book on Obama’s “stunning” campaign which is to be released on Inauguration Day. If Obama wins, her book will sell well. If Obama loses, it will be an ill-timed afterthought and will garner less interest and lower sales. As such, she has a financial interest in the outcome of the campaign, and of the debate which she has so unwisely and unethically agreed to moderate.

In any other arena, having a financial interest in the outcome of a contest would disqualify you from serving as a neutral in that contest. But when it comes to the mainstream media’s breathless coverage of the Obama campaign, all bets are off.

The media’s fix is in, and it’s working.

So... "Independent for McCain". You mean one should view this as if you were in someone else's shoes? I highly agree as that is the logic that I apply to everything. Problem is that we're too far gone in this election cycle to even give a rip. Otherwise we'd need to start with McCain himself accusing someone of being inexperienced, putting self before country, and lacking substance only to himself put his campaign before the country by making a short cited VP pick (e.g. what he needs to win the election as opposed to running the country), now stating that experience is no big deal, and down playing substance. My question to McCain, "What are you actually planning to do with Palin if you win? Come on Man!"

From what we have all seen of Palin, it doesn't matter who the moderator is. Palin cannot answer the simplest of questions. It is an insult as an American, that the republicans have decided to put someone as uninformed about domestic issues as Palin obviously is, in this position. McCain is a serious joke. Any person who votes for him deserves what happens next. The guy is a human rollercoaster. Americans have enough stress in their lives, without adding more through McCain/Palin. Do we not remember how stressed out Bush/Cheney/Ridge combo had the country a few years ago. I don't think America has recovered yet.

who cares the questions have already been approved by and rehearsed by the McCain campaign.

Now that the polls are in Obamas favor how soon before a news flash that the FBI thwarted a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. I say 2 weeks

And Tom Brokaw is the liaison between NBC and the McCain campaign, as well as being the current Meet the Press moderator and a debate moderator. So you can make the case that if Ifill is "in the tank" for Obama, then Brokaw is for McCain. So it balances out.

Maybe they could get Rush Limbaugh as a last minute replacement to provide a fair and unbiased moderator. Of course, Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert could be entertaining. My personal favorite would be to change the format to Jeopardy! and have Alex Trebec be the moderator. Just think of the possibilities!

For crying out loud.....It's called conflict of interest, people. Doesn't Ifill have an incentive to sway the debate in favor of Biden with a book about Obama scheduled for release around inauguaration??? Undoubtedly,yes. The hypocrisy of dems and the partisan blinders they wear are unbelievable. Would it have been so hard to find someone without some bias or interest at stake? Clearly not.

I am shocked that everyone is against McCain and Palin on this issue. To make it fair lets have McCains wife moderate the next debate and Palin's huband the one after unless they have written a book about their favorite person. We all know one does not write a nice glowing book about someone they dislike. Get real the person should be a neutral and clearly this person is not. And to make it clear I have great respect for Gwen Ifill and she is totally qualified to handle this debate but I question her ability to be neutral.

I can understand the concern on the Republican side. If this were reversed, Dems would be upset. Many concessions have been made to favor Palin in this debate. She is the master of never answering a question directly and dancing around. This format with the shortened answer time etc will keep her from answering the question directly but not wandering too far off topic. The moderator will have to be careful not to show anything which can be misunderstood as bias. That being said this moderator is extremely professional and if anything will be harder on Biden to show there is no bias.

This is obsurd I'm sure she can ask questions fairly of both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Republicans just want an excuse becaue they know Sarah Palin is so not qualified for the job she should make that pretty clear if she hasn't already and they need to have an excuse.

Why does CNN refuse to post my comments? There are so many idiots posting but if you say something that sounds like you read a book, it doesn't make it.

What's up with that?

why they not posting my messages, coz I am supporting Rep?

So now the McCain campaign has a ready made excuse for Sarah falling on her face in the debate or dropping out altogether. Her camp is dodging subpoenas in her ethics trial so dodging the debate will present no problem for her.

Let Sean Hannity do it!

If the roles were reversed would democrats be screaming? You bet.

Wow. She should really step down. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can moderate the debate. If Palin "loses" the debate, people will say it's because Ifill was bias. However, I'm not surprised that the Obama supporters are thrilled about this.

Just because she is black does NOT mean that she will vote democrat!!!! if thats that case Jim Leher should not have moderated the last debate because he is white and might vote REP. come on give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McCain campaign doesn't like debates as it seems that this might expose their incompetent candidates in to very public eye for what they are. Schmidt and Rove should be deported to Antartica to watch debate between different evolutionary penguins.

Obama did not do crack for 20 years; he tried crack more than 20 years AGO.

Seriously, you don't have to make up rules to not vote for the Black man – if his race is a problem for you just vote for the white man and move on.

So freakin' what?!?

Because a person writes a book means that they can't serve as moderator of a debate?

And Barack Obama isn't a participant in the debate anyway.

The smell of fear from the right is getting stronger and stronger. Actually, it is beginning to stink.........

Well- didn't we ALL just know that the McCain camp would be looking for any flimsy excuse to invalidate Palin's performance this week.

Gwen Iffil is a professional, well-respected journalist...this is just another load of crap that McCain and his cronies are throwing out in hopes they can gain some every diminishing traction.

Stay tuned – if this slam doesn't take hold they'll come up with something even more ludicrous before Thursday night...

McCain do you want Sean Hannity to do it

i dont trust the press they are in the tank for obama just watch msnbc and anyone in their right mind will see just watch you make up your mind america why are their ratings so low

If she was from the right, she would of been slaughtered. Her questions in tomorrows debate better be very fair and honest.

VERY simple solution:

Replace the moderator. I'm sure there are at least a dozen journalists who are just as qualified who would jump at the chance to moderate. Perhaps we can have George Will. He's a Republican. Or Kathleen Parker. She's a conservative...

What? Oh right, I forgot... THEY RECOGNIZE HER AS A FRAUD AND A JOKE AS WELL!

Jim Lehrer was barely involved in the debate and neither will Ifill.

Plus the moderators were selected and agreed upon before Palin reared her head on the national stage.
And the Dems conceded so many things to the Reps from exchanges to shortening answers. Even they know that Palin is an ingnorant moron!

Reps are grasping at straws – how desperate!

Palin will sink herself debate, interview or anytime she opens her mouth!

Gwen Ifill is the most professional profesionnal I have seen in a LONG time. I was so thrilled to know she will be moderating some or one of the debates, regardless of which one.

She has formidable pedigree in her field and tremendous respect from ALL sides and at ALL levels.

As for writing a book, everyone writes books these days! And, surely, everyone is allowed to have opinions and do! The thing is not to allow it to cloud one's thinking or affect one's behavior, professionally or personally. This is one thing I have seen her do BETTER THAN ANYONE in her field! She is eminently prepared and qualified to lead, direct or moderate any debate. She has already handled some very high level debates over the years.

Geez...

its always DRAMA with this dude...

Retired Army in San Antonio....You army cats kill me. Gees. You should be voting Repub to save your military brothers and sisters and your retirement. BHO will tax the heck out of us IF he gets in. Use your head and actually look at how BHO has voted on taxes in the past. He is terrible for America and veterans of all kinds. WAKE UP!

Oh yes, we know that they are going to do every dirty trick in the book to try and get Obama elected, even lying and cheating if necessary. I would love to see one campaign done in honest truths and facts. But you know what, I pray every day that my God will lead me in the right direction and vote for the person that will lead ou country in the right direction. Right know I think it is John McCain, he is more experianced and qualified for the job. I say this because I watch every debate and every speech that I can, I wish every American would do the same thing. How can you vote if you don't watch the debates

disgruntled voter you are a nitwit. Obama did not do crack for 20 years. He tried crack more than 20 years AGO. And I bet you voted for George W. who not only was addicted to cocaine, but treated for alcoholism.

Darlin, you don't need to make up reasons to not vote for Obama; its okay that you just can't bring yourself to vote for a Black man. You aren't alone.

I am not surprised. As the GOP drops in polls, the more desperate they get! Don't worry GOP, only 34 more days until Barack Obama is voted in office!

If she wrote a book in favor of Obama it would be a different story, we would have a full scale investigation into the unfairness of the debate forum. HOWEVER
I agree, it doesn't matter who the moderater is, they only ask the questions. It's the answers to those questions that matter the most.
I have full confidence that Biden will be able to navigate those questions.
I also believe that, given Palin's track record, she could use the help. What the heck throw the pit bull a bone to level the playing field.
No matter who moderates someone will always have a biased opiinion, this one just happened to write a book. A book that isn't even out yet. Big deal. No whining let's just GIT R DUN!!

It is obvious the polls are very biased towards the DEM. Why just blamed the REP, after all they are the ones control the Congress.

I feel she should step down as it doesn't matter if both candidates are given the same question and the same time to answer, it will be looked upon by those who let others think for them that the debate would be in Biden's favor.

(Besides, she is.....Black....ohhhh....nooooooo)

If the woman know's her information and is prepared then there is nothing to be afraid of. Is it getting so evident of the mistake of this pick that we have to start doing background checks on freaking moderators? So why didn't the other moderators in last year of debating ever have any issues like this? It can't be because they are objective? Pure craziness!!

OOh Spare me. Gwen has moderated many debates and have taken a no bull approach. She is a woman which one could argue would work in Palin's favor....therefore the LAME supporters should get a grip. McCain's campaign has protected, hid, got the amount of time for answering questions decreased in Palin's favor, and everything else under the sun to try and make this debate Palin friendly.

Stand your grounds Gwen and PBS

Let me guess: Ms. Palin is going to do so poorly 2morrow and GOP will say that Gwen is in the tank for OBAMA...hahaha... bunch bad losers!!!

The McCain people are afraid to have an intelligent woman in the same room as Palin. So they dig this muck up in an attempt to give some sort of advantage to her. I'm sure they would much rather have Michelle Maulkin or Laura Ingram as moderator, but then there wouldn't be an intelligent woman there, oh well.

cnn, every comment that i read is anti mccain and pro oobama. this tells me that your station is pro obama. i was always under the impression that news stations/media were supposed to relay the news, whether it is true or not, and not take sides. i think that itis a shame and if obama should become the president, then you and the other networks only haveyourself to blame for hurting the american people and this great country. i will no longer comment on your cite and will no longer watch your show. im sorry because i used to love cnn at night. its where i got all of my news. i will now have to look, difficult as it willo be, to find a fair and balanced show where i can learn both the good and the bad about each candidate so that i can make an INFORMED decision come 11/4. having this much mind power over the people should let you know how obama feels.

Republican'ts are ridiculous!!! STOP!!!
This is truly a sad day in America. It shows how politics are dirty and show that the republican party will do anything to win.
CHEAT – INTEGRITY + LIES = McCain/Palin + Republicans

I've been watching and following Gwen Ifill for years. She is a top-notch professional and scrupulously fair. National Review, BACK OFF!

This is old news! Why bring it up the day before the debate? I'll tell you why; the Repubs are afraid that Palin is going to fall flat on her face during the debate!!! McShame and his guy's agreed to the moderator and even had the rules changed to their favor – Just shut up and debate!!!

I would hope that she can do this unbiased. If not, that means she is not the person for the job.

Rules is Rules,

Are you kidding? Tom Brokaw is sooo in the Tank for McCain it's unbelievable. Why would she need to be replaced anyway? Are white americans the only ones capable of being unbiased? I THINK NOT! She'll do fine, just like she always has in the other 50 plus debates.
Please ignore the McCaniacs, and let's get on with this election.

Obama/Biden 08!

Gwen Ifill has been with PBS a long time and is a very professional. Anyone who suggests that she will be unfair is grasping at straws. If McCain has a problem with her, he should of voiced his concern a long time ago and not a day before the debate. It makes it look like he has no faith that Palin will hold up. As a Republican and supporter, i'm getting sick of their antics. Make me believe I'm supporting the right guy for Presidency!

Why don't they use a foreign female moderator? Ooops, she'll probably favor Obama.

Obama/Biden 08

So the fact that Brokaw, who works with the McCain campaign, is moderating the next Presidential debate, is not an issue?

the right wing will do anything in advance to cry foul.. all the quetions so far that palin has been asked can be aswered by a high school student.. get a grip

American .... It shows that McCain/Palin is not in touch with what is out there... Ist Palin can't tell you the name of 1 single Newspaper or Magazine that she has read only what was put in front of her ..and now the dont know about the book where have these people been ......

wolf, wolf, wolf the old man cried. I'm sorry it's just Sarah Palin

IF the shoe were on the other foot, you would hear howls of protest from the liberal/progressives, hear about it in Obama's rants and see TV commercials from the Dems!

OKAY, the lady's book comes out on the day the new President takes office. If Obama IS elected, how much does she make. If he is NOT elected, what does she stand to lose? That is a HUGE conflict.

The whole book is about HER views re Obama and the new wave of leadership. Not too biased?!

This is a lose/lose situation. Even if Palin wins, there will be negative observations.

Remove the issue!

Palin will lose because she has no idea what's going on. There are millions of Americans more qualified than she is.

The McCain campaign is doing the only thing they can do – attack the press.

Gwen Ifill is one of the most objective journalists we have. These GOP Republicans have become desperate.

Eight is enough.

So maybe George Bush or Dick Cheney should be the moderator. Would that satisfy the republicans? This has gotten so ridiculous that nothing at all surprises me as to what the republicans will say or do. They are desperate and sad, and will do anything even if it means dividing the nation to the point of no return. How very sad for this country.

Bridget> you are so correct. I, myself, had to read it a few times and I still do not get the just of it???

Raymond Duke, you're a moron.

The press doesn't choose the moderator, it's agreed upon by the McCain and Obama campaigns in conjunction with the Commission of Debates. Her book was announced two weeks before they made this decision to use her.

And her book is academic, not pro Obama. It talks about the how and why of gender and race in politics. It would be insane not to discuss Obama, or Hillary, or Sarah Palin even.

It's like saying that a reporter has conservative bias because they do a story on a conservative subject – please, get a brain.

This is ignorant.

Put another PBS news person in the moderator spot. This is a joke!!!!!!!

well, a bigger concern for McCain should be the latest polls and not just the VP debte.

They should beware! Obama is moving ahead.

Period!

She should take herself out of the debate to preserve the integrity of the Presidential Debate Committee.It would seem obvious to anyone that this is not appropriate.Even if she has the best intentions, THE DEBATE WILL SEEM SLANTED.

Replace the moderator then. I want ZERO excuses from or for Sarah Palin. There should be no doubts from anyone about bias or anything else.

Wish granted!

"Sen. McCain's problem is not with this or that demographic group. Although he still leads among white men, albeit by a smaller margin, his problems are across the electorate."

Does it really matter, OBAMA will win

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Gini,

Lou Dobbs is a flag lapel wearing republican. That's one guy that can't be impartial. He's also racist.

Why not let Ifill moderate the debate before deciding that she is biased. That's absurd. She is a very serious journalist, and her book is no doubt a very serious piece of non-fiction. Not a lovefest on Obama. They knew about the book when they chose her. It's just a ploy to excuse what they think is going to be a bad performance by Palin. As soon as the debate is over they will start crying foul and saying the questions were "too hard" just like all of a sudden Troopergate is supposed to be a partisan witchhunt when it was initiated in a bipartisan fashion. I hope it backfires.

They would find a problem with ANYONE that was selected. Except Sean Hannity.

Replace debate moderator before a cry of "foul" promts a national scandal!

What happened to Palin's words of whining. It does no one any good. What difference does it make. It's only questions. And they both get the same questions. They should be more worried about the answers the candidates give not whosse asking the questions.

Proof is in the pudding.

Either she will side one way or she will be fair to both sides. There will be no way to tell ahead of time. This will come down to opinions after the debate is over. If anything, to appear fair, she may lean towards Palin. LOL! Even that won't help Palin!

Better yet, Daddy Yankee. Let's see if they can do this debate in Spanish since some can't even speak to us in plain English.

The way McCain's people have forced a change in the rules, it won't be a legitimate debate anyway. Just questions that they already know so Palin can have her cue cards ready. No chance to see either one of them respond to the other's questions. Sorry folks it won't be a real debate but, it will be fun to watch anyway to see what dumbness comes out of her mouth this time.

Brandon, how in the world do you know what the book is about? It hasn't been released to critics or the public? It is clearly an Obama valentine. The really laughable thing is that Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has his own "Age" now! There was The Age of Aquarius and now the Age of Obama! Should we call 2008 "1 A.O" (Anno Obama)?

HOSANA OBAMA!

This would be a joke if it was not so dangerously serious.

Wait, let me guess, Sarah is dropping out of the debate...

the repugs have sunk so far below pathetic i dont even know the word to use.

the repugs are MANY ugly things but for most of them "stupid" isnt one of them. they KNOW palin will be disastrous in a debate; look how awful she's been in the VERY FEW interviews she has been allowed to give.

but we all know what they will do tomorrow when biden wipes the floor with her, they'll go with the tried-and-true "palin was attacked", by a big mean man, in this case.

i cannot wait til these repugs are GONE!! our country will be sooooooooo much better when the UGLY, CHEATING, LYING ways of the repugs are OVER! when the hannitys/limboughts/oreilly/becks/FOXs of our "liberal media" are less prominent; we are done with the mean, ugly ways of the repugs these past 8 DISASTROUS years!

More phony controversey from old cut and run McCain.

What about if she is white and still wrote the book...then what? This is not United states ....i am sorry to say this

Okay, so they find out a day before the debate that she wrote a book? And crying this out at the top of their lungs is going to help them? I mean, at the very best it should have people questioning McCain's obvious deficiencies in properly and completely researching things before he makes a decision. They agreed to this moderator after news of her book was already in the public domain. I think this only makes McCain look more incompetent, if that was possible.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES

Hello! This debate will be on national TV ! you think she can actually give one side more time or easier questions? This is a smokescreen to try to alter or delay it to go easy on little miss Palin.

I understand the concern, and would understand if they switched moderators for this debate. But realistically, I imagine it'd be hard to find anyone who's been following this election that doesn't personally prefer one candidate over the other. The most important thing is that they don't let that preference be reflected in their actions as debate moderator.

I expexted loaded questions to Palin, but I never even suspected tha debate would be this loaded.

Why not let Lou Dobbs or Bill O' moderate the debate. We've seen how objective McCain supporters can be.. Go ahead

Look, most black Americans when given positions like these do them so right and back the book it is ridiculous. Why is that? Because WE carry a burden that will affect others to follow. If Mrs. Ifill comes across bias IN ANY WAY, her career will be put in jeopardy. Trust me, she will do this right. I think it is really pathetic that the McCain campaign is trying to make this an issue and shows how desparate they truly are. As usual, cannot win on the issues and telling the truth so they make up something or turn a mole hill into a mountain. This is tired and getting more tired every election cycle. Please, please vote these people out of office. They are truly a disgrace. Everyone knows this Palin pick is a bad one.

They should find someone completely impartial-neither black or white, male or female, oppressed or repressed, never having heard of McCain or Obama, Bush or Clinton, Palin or Hillary, Iraq, Iran, the Beach Boys, Jay-z...

if palin is scared then just dont show up. stop making excuses.

I don't think anyone will have to be concerned about Gwen Ifill throwing Gov. Palin "Under The Bus" during the debate. She is most capable of doing a good job of it herself.

This is just another form of racism with some of the conservatives. They just hate the fact that a intelligent, capable, qualified black women is about to moderate the vp debate. It would just be fine with them if a white women or white man would be the moderater!!

Her book is positive and necessary!!

Distractions because Palini is not ready.

This is really sad. Next thing you know ACORN members will be counting votes in swing states. America we are headed down a dangerous road if Obama is elected. Please do what is good for the country and quite frankly the rest of the world; vote for McCain. He is not perfect but he is a far wiser choice than Obama.

Gwen Ifel is:

(1) African-American so she'll favor Senator Obama.

(2) a woman so she will favor Governor Palin.

That seems pretty balanced. She'll do fine. Get over it.

It's as if Palin has already lost the debate and her handlers are looking for excuses.

CNN never post my comments...

LOL "Joe six pack" will get owned by Joe Biden! The debat will be though, Biden, with great experience in foreign policy, and Palin, who can see Russia from her house... I can't wait to watch this slaughter!

The fact that McCain see's this as a problem reflects more negatively on him than anyone else. If this is truely a problem it's pretty sad that he's just now realizing it. What other problems will he snooze on and use the excuse... "well I just found out". Come on Man (McCain)! Get yourself together...

Just an early attempt to cover Palins butt, when she loses this debate because of her lack of knowledge, and unscripted response, McCain will claim that a bias moderator was used. Palin is nothing more that a puppet, and poor attempt to get the female vote. American women are not that stupid.

This is getting Stupid. The republicans are taking this to such extremes it is making people sick. Now they have a problem with a noted Journalist just doing her job! Mcain – Palin & Friends just keep promoting their message of fear and ignorance!!! Sad and Pathetic

McCain is trying to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Qwen is a brillant journalist. She should be the moderator.
Tom Brokaw and David Gregory are in the bed with the McCain campaign.

NEWS HOUR, BABY!

Give me a break

How fitting she wrote:

"We're very lazy when we think about race in this country. We try to put it in a box...We love simplistic conflict."

I think this story serves as adequate proof of this unfortunate and unimportant coincidence...

Just because the woman wrote a book about obama, that means she's biased against Palin? Come on! She wrote the book months before Palin was even known on the national stage. McCain's campaign is so whiney. They're like a bunch of noodle-armed schoolyard wussies, complaining that the game isn't fair because they can't play. For a "War-Hero" McCain sure needs to toughen up. And to all of his supporters out there, I have one question....Why do you hate America so much that you want to destroy it by voting for this dictator. Shame on you.

Was John McCain asleep when the moderator was chosen? I'm sure he could have made a strong case that this was not an acceptable moderator had he wanted to. This sounds like they're grasping on to anything they can find to explain why Palin can't hold her own during the debates, like they already expect her to fall flat on her face. If her own people don't have any confidence in her why should anyone else? Just another example of McCain's poor judgement.

WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Have you seen the polls? WHHHHHHHAWHA-WHHHHHHAAAAAAA. Maybe Beyonce should moderate the debate.

MCCAIN I HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND I AM FED UP WITH YOUR LIES YOUR WHINING GROW UP FOR GOD SAKES AND JUST TO THINK YOU WANT TO BE THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD a whiney lying crybaby he cries about the media, he cries about the people ,he cries about obama enough is enough mccain if you cant handle this election and stop your god for saking lying and trying to take us americans as well as woman for FOOLS AND STUPID then i suggest my friend you not only suspend your campaign YOU DROP OUT!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

well, the McCain camp has already had the debate format changed for Palin so she wouldn't feel "too uncomfortable".

HEY EVERYBODY> THE MCCANE CAMP AND THE GOP OCT. SURPRISE IS GOING TO BE. ABOUT OBAMA BOOK TAPE AND THAT REV WRIGHT WATCH! THEY ARE SO DUMB TO THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE DISTRACTED LIKE THAT AGAIN. THATS THE NEXT STUNT THEY ARE GOING TO PULL. MARK MY WORDS.

Why is this news, this woman is black and she's a democrat, why are they surprised she is supporting BO?

I support Obama, but don't want to hear wasted news on how this or that was unfair.

Somebody call the waaaaaaaaaaaaambulance! You should see them crying over on Fix News website about this issue. Hilarious!
They want to make a million excuses as to why they aren't winning this election. Do not let Palin wiggle her way out of doing the debate; put up or go drive in circles on the Road to Nowhere until you have something inteligible to say!

McCain is a lame duck candidate and Palin is a never has been, never will be (who is this Sarah lady that Katie Couric has been interviewing? Do we know you?) that looks an awful lot like Tina Fey.

Just remember everyone, Nov. 4th is the day that matters most. Tell everyone you know to make sure they vote on that day.

Yes we can, change the world! Go Obama!

Fire her!

ONE NATION

She is BLACK- Advantage OBAMA/BIDEN
She is FEMALE– Advantage PALIN/MCCAIN

Such small minds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can we get beyond this trivia and get on with the debate.

By the way, if Sarah doesn't drool on herself she will "win".

Gwen Ifill as moderator and the comments regarding it makes the point just fine...

Sounds like the media and the liberal press really went out of their way to cheat on this election!

I hope that most americans see what i see as i turned on the TV. Giant media corporate machines should not be allowed to rigged an election. Only informed and eyes wide open voters can see through this.

I pray that voters will see to it that the bias is unacceptable! Vote Mccain and send a message. Any enemies of the media is a friend of mine.

How is this important? She is going to say a whole lot of nothing and becasue the bar is so low, the Repubicans are going to scream really loud how well she did and the Democrats are going to scream she did lousy and the Independents are going to shrug and realize that Obama is better at handling the economy and all is lost for the Republicans. That is, by the way, best case scenario for the Republicans.

How in the heck can this woman be an UNBIASED moderator when she is a HARD CORE democrat???????

She can make or break this debate for EITHER candidate. If she is soft on Biden and harsh on Palin, the Palin will get sympathy.

What IDIOT selected her to do this??????

Ms. Ifill has a well-deserved reputation for objective journalism. Sounds like preemptive whining on the part of Republicans.

Only a right-wing nut case could think that Ifill would be biased. This appears to be a last desperate attempt to get Palin out of a debate. If she goes on, the race is over. If she skips it, the race is over. McCain made his bed and now has to lie in it.

wow the immaturity of the republican party and it's base of supporters. How long are you people going to continue to cop pleas for this disaster ticket? So let me guess you people see anything black in politics as a threat to america? If the moderator was white would it even be an issue? archie bunker american strike again. and if i you want to know, i'm not african american

unless its moderated by "FIX"ed news, most of the intelegent news folks will likely be leaning Obama

If Palin loses the debate, they now have a built in excuse.

if Palin holds her own, or even win, the spin becomes.. "see... DESPITE a moderator with an obvious bias, Palin won... see how great she is?"

the thing is.... the book IS IN NO WAY an endorsement of Obama. Rather a study of what has become of racial politics and the fact that Obama exemplifies that change.

as usual from republicans... fake outrage... lie... manipulate... distort.

This is an obvious conflict of interest. Typical that the stupid Obamabots on here would see no problem with this, because, well, you're stupid.

When the two campaigns negociated with the entity responsible for the debates (sorry, I forget which it is), why didn't they raise any objections then? They managed to change the rules so the answer-periods would be shorter. Why didn't they object to the moderator then? Didn't they know Ifill had a book coming out? And if they knew, why make a fuss now, two days before the debate? Seems like a further attempt at manipulation to me.

Hey 'bots...when the news about Fannie and Freddie goes Mainstream, Sarah Palin could go to the debate and sing the National Anthem worse than Roseanne Barr, and Barack Obama would still nevert be voted for President.

His goose is cooked.

The American People want blood for what happened to their savings.

And your 'Messiah' is about to be crucified.

Seriously, with all the check and balances the McCain campaign have placed on this debate for Palin, I'm sure Gwen will give her enough time to read from her que cards!!! This is just silly!!!

Gwen is a professional!!!

Ms. Ifill has earned American's admiration and respect for her unemotional, even handed work. She has moderated countless debates without any issues.

For the FAR RIGHT attempt to denegrade her, in a pre-emptive strike against their expectation that Governor Palin will fall flat on her face is beyond dispicable.

The American public will decide the winner of the debate and Ms. Ifill will not be dissuaded from asking the kind of probing questions that we want asked. And when Governor Palin doesn't answer the question, as she often forgets to do, Gwen will hold her feet to the fire.

Palin FLUNKED even the soft ball approach of Katie Couric. Couric was more like a therapist than hard hitting journalist and still Palin came off poorly.

I am so glad that many of the indepedent voters that are left to decide this election are PBS watchers and know Ms. Ifill and what her standards are. This will go a long way in insulating her from this specious charges.

To ask her to step aside from moderatoring tomorrow's debate because of the book (which is not soley about Obama) is to make last week's presidential debate invalid because Jim Lehrer is closer in age to McCain. Hey America, just because one is AA doesn't mean they will vote for Obama!!!!! George Stephenopolas helped moderate w/ Charlie Gibson the primary debate between Hillary and Obama. No one recommended he step aside.

The McCain camp is worried and they should be. Palin ain't ready for any debate no mate who the moderator is.

If palin is the confident maverick who is ready to be president that he profeses to be then this wont phase her. But lets face it, she has proven that she is not ready. I wonder if she knows half the country is laughing at her?

Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity should moderate the remaining presidential debates.

Fair is fair, right?

Obama is now officially linked to a far-left radical group – ACORN. he was a trainer, training people to use heavy-handed tactics to force banks to give loans to people that couldnt afford them. google it and you will find the truth that the liberal media is not posting.

Pelosi – corrupt – her husband has recieved over 100,000 from her PAC fund

Barney Franks – corrupt- wouldnt let anybody regulate fannie/freddie 2 years ago – said there is no reason to do it.

Although it's OK if some conservative officiated it (I'm sure to all the lipstick Fido supporters), they should replace Ifill just to trump the GOP's typical tactics

Frank, MO-this is the beginning of the Palin-McCain ticket starting to play the race card. As their polls drop, they will blame everyone but themselves and do anything to win. Wait until you see what happens in NC and VA over the next few weeks as their surrogates take off the gloves.

Given how erratic the McCain campaign gets when they are hurting in the polls, I wouldn't put it past them to make an announcement about Boycotting the VP debate.

OK,
So now, if Palin does bad, it will be because the moderator was biased.
If she does well, it will be despite of the moderator being biased.

Old McChicken is a whiner !!!

After the fiasco Senator McCain pulled just before the debate with Senator Obama, I was wondering what type of stunt the McCain campaign was going to come up with to get out of the VP debate.

WAAAHHH, WAAAHHH, WAAAAAAAHHHHH!

Do we really need another FOUR YEARS of this carnival sideshow?

Both parties had the right of refusal for this moderator, so if it was such a big deal then they should have said no. either they are trying to make it an issue now or they didn't google the moderators name and vet her. so shut up and let the debate begin.

Ifill disclosed her book before being selected to moderate.

McCain and Obama both agreed to have her moderate.

Why is this an issue if BOTH candidates agreed to her?

Oh Please, Give me a break. The Republicans are just trying to find an excuse to cancel the debate tomorrow with Palin and Biden because they know that she is not ready to be vice president. She does not know anything! Last week, McCain was postponing his campaign for the bailout and it's something new this week. Well, it won't work. This is another Republican scheme. Shame on you.
Obama, '08

It sounds like the McCain-Palin ticket knew about the book when they agreed to the terms of the debate, including the moderator. Is this a way for them to negate the outcome if it does not go their way on Thursday night?

McCain's next desperate attempt!!

Raymond ... BOTH campaigns have to approve the moderator. They both did or she wouldn't be scheduled as the moderator so... on with the show.

The GOP changed the VP debate format to suit Palin just a couple days ago. Now they want to change the moderator. What's next? This is ridiculous.

What is the Democrat without its dirty tricks, dishonesty, and partisian party before country mentality?

As long as people remember in November what it is that they are supporting when they vote Democrat, and I invite everyone to come up to an ultra blue area like NYC to witness it, America will once again be saved from liberalism.

I'm trying to care....

...nope. It's just not happening.

Bogus distraction.

It's time for the Republicans to trust the same gut instinct that led them to choose Sarah Palin, the same instinct that gave them the huge bounce after her perfect speech at the convention, it's time for them to give her free rein to be Sarah Baracuda. The base voter she speaks to doesn't care about elite commentators like David Brooks and George Will or out of touch elite publications like The Wall Street Journal and The National Review. They know that Sarah Palin stands for God, Guns and Guts, and the only answer she needs to give some elite journalist or snotty elite college student when they try to stump her with some complicated issue is "I'm ready to serve and I won't blink when facing our enemies and the problems facing the country!"

A white man moderated the first presidential debate. Any qualms raised then...? What if a black man was to do it...? Whoever you are that are raising the issue, please stop being petty. As others have noted, Gwen is simply the MODERATOR – to keep the debate on track.

If there are those who are questioning the integrity of Gwen Ifill, of all people, then I would say this phase of the election is becoming a desperate attempt of "grabbing at straws."

She should recuse herself. I am an Obama supporter and the last thing we need is a poor performance by Palin to be blamed on an unfair moderator. Trust me, even if she is fair (which she probably will be) the McCain people will blame every misstep on this moderator. Put in Jim Lehrer.

OBAMA-BIDEN 2008

I support Obama but it is absolutely idiotic to have someone who wrote a bio on the man moderating the debate. There is enough carping about the "liberal" media from the right as it is. This just has the appearance of impropriety – even if she performs very neutrally. Who is the scabooge who chose her without knowing this? They really need to replace her. Maaan – this is stupid.

what next? more whining from GOP? whatever.

Ok, so if they replace her then they should replace Tom Brokaw who is a McCain supporter and one of the presidential debate moderators. I just wish they would replace her b/c I don't want to hear any complaing from republicans that she was asking 'gotcha' questions even though Biden will have to answer those same questions. The McCain campaign agreed to have her as a moderator. The least the could have done was a google search of the women. To say that they knew nothing about her until the day before the debate could just be a testament to how incompetent they are.

How about a Canadian moderator? Naw... won't work, they eat moose too! Anything against Australian? Naw... they have a leftist governement! German maybe? Naw... they're Obamabiotics... French? Russian? Someone from New Jersey?

Just joking about this fuzz... now, turn back to politics please! Bail somethin' out!

I have watched PBS as my news station of choice. I do believe that she will be fair and balanced. I think that if anything everyone "knows" to go easy on the "Pitbull".

Obama / Biden 08

Alright so if Ifill should step down ( a day before the debate) then should Brokaw who has closer tides with the McCain Camp. Bias actions at its finest work. Let the lady do her job, the book isn't Pro-Obama policies. It's clearly a book on African American new politicians. As to suggest she should kept Obama out of the book or step down is ridiculous and stupid. The McCain Camp also chosed Ms. Ifill for this debate so get over it and let the debate begin.

To all you paid Obama bloggers , Tom Brokaw is a democrat. Heck he works for NBC. Do you actually think the channel that only hires people who have thrills run up their legs when Obama speaks would hire a republican. If he was a republican they would have fired him before he got his first work day in.

Scott L October 1st, 2008 1:38 pm ET

Obama is going to lose November 4th.
-----–
For our *GREAT* country's sake, I hope you are right!!

When you stand to profit from the outcome of an election debate, you cannot be neutral. A moderator can and does have significant influence over a debate. Gwen Ifill should recuse herself immediately

If you had a moderator in a similar position, but with a piece to be published on McCain, these Democrats would be having fits all over the place.

I'd ask Obama supporters if they could possibly get any more hypocritical, but I'm sure the only response I'd hear is, "yes we can." Can they ever!

Mr. McCain cry foul on the Refers now why don't ya, why not throw yourself out of the race while you are at it, you already suspended your campaign for 2 hours. Why don't you sell your SOUL? Oh wait you did that eariler. Give us a break

to whom it may concern;

i admire ms ifill as a neutral spokesperson for our times and the current political scene. if you are thinking of replacing ms ifill i would substitute nancy pelosi.

What should be more important is what are the stipulations
are that Mccain demanded for the Biden/palin debate.
And why were the stipulations allowed?
Understand they are trying today to even add more
restrictions.
The republicans should not be allowed to tie Joe
Bidens hands.

The McCain camp should be careful with their accusations as it could backfire. Of course, are they happy with Tom Brokaw, an admitted McCain supporter, being the moderator of a Presidential debate? Of course not.

I think all Americans should take note and make the obvious comparison needed here. The whining, crying, complaining, attacking antics of the McCain campaign are a clear foreshadowing of how McCain/Palin would govern the country. They will use the status quo of the Bush regime that if you are not for us you are against us. Does America really want another four years of that?

well, it appears the McCain camp knew about this book when they agreed to have gwen iffil moderate the debate. It is on the huff post. Second, if the republicans want to replace iffil, then Tom Brokaw should also be replaced from the october 7th debate since he is a McCain supporter. Fair is fair.

I suggest that we all have a little more faith in Ms. Ifill's integrity and ability to present thoughtful, relevant, and revealing questions. After all, the point of the debate is to determine which candidate is best qualified for the office of Vice-president. It is not as if the winner of the debate all of the sudden gains office. In essence, each one of us will decide for ourselves who the winner is when we enter the voting booth in November.

Stop crying and looking for excuses. Sarah is a big girl now.

I look forward to purchasing Gwen Ifill's book on African American political leaders AND seeing her moderate Thursday’s highly anticipated debate. Ifill will no doubt do a fine, honest and impartial job.

They should be safe, after all they get 2 chances at ever question. The one Palin answers on Thursday night and then when McCain tells us " What She meant to say" on Friday morning.

I say replace her with Hannity. The people will STILL see through talking points vs. solutions.

I say replace her with O'Reilly. The people will STILL validate substance over style.

I say replace her with Limbaugh. Americans will STILL concurr that we have been on the wrong path for 8 years.

It does not matter who asks the questions. it is the QUESTIONS that they ask. (see Stephanopolous / Gibson during Obama/Clinton debates.

Maybe she should just step aside and let someone else take her place. I have a good one - how about Katie Couric do the debate. Palin is already familar with her, so she can't complain now, could she?

If Brit "Double Shot Bourbon" Hume of Faux News can moderate a debate, then why not?

Or is this another lame excuse to keep from having Sarah Palin actually having to face the American public in a debate without a TelePrompter.

Look, Joe Biden sticks his foot in his mouth a lot when he talks. Just count how many times he will say the word "look" at tomorrow night's debate.

But when it comes to sticking her foot in her mouth, Sarah Palin really swallows. I'm looking forward to this one.

Dan Quayle must be so happy right now.

To all those saying republicans are cry babies, why don't we get a republican leaning moderator and see if they change their tune.

When exactly was it that the Republican party decided to become such whiners?

Sorry, but when a member of your party becomes the worst president in history and a republican controlled congress screws up the entire balance of a nation, you will be scruitinized a little more than your opponents.

Is it fair? Probably not, but life isn't fair (I tell my kids that all the time, by the way).

Jim Lehrer is a conservative...Gwen Ifill is a liberal. Seems balanced to me, but then I'm not looking for any excuse in the book to claim bias, either.

PALIN GOING TO DOMINATE THIS DEBATE.

OCTOBER SURPRISE IS COMING. DEMOCRATS DON'T SEE IT YET.

BE WARNED.

The McCain/Palin ticket is being dealt some pretty harsh blows by the supporters of Obama.
Ohio early voting, Acorn money that was written into the bailout bill to fund the obama voting, undermining Palin, and now we hear that the moderator of the vp debate is no other than a well known supporter of Obama , about to put out a book that lauds Obama and addresses all the other young black men scattered around the land in mayorships and governorships, ready to be counted.

The non-supporters of Obama don't have to cry foul. Not necessary.

They should replace her with someone who has no interest in politics? Really Tracey?

So, let Sarah Palin moderate the debate!

My understanding is that the moderator was choosen through a lottery of potential people. I'm sure that within that group there were both McCain and Obama, and possibly even Ralph Nader supporters.

Let's not look use this as a wedge even before the debate begins.

Danielle wrote:
"Of course the Democrats would need to use partisan action to get ahead in the polls. They cannot win otherwise. Affirmative action in the amking."

What are you talking about? Both parties agreed to have her as debate moderator. Now, right before the debate they decide this is suddenly an issue? Get an education before you mouth off about things you obviously don't understand....

btw, all political parties use "partisan action" to win elections... it's called competition.

The bar is already set extremely low for Sara Palin. Now it appears that another excuse for Sara Palin's poor performance has already been conjured up. And some are blaming "the liberal press" with contributing to this woman's self esteem? Please!

John McCain is about the sorriest excuse any party could come with for a candidate with his rash behaviour and mood swings and quick temper not to mention the obvious deterioration of his mind.

The polls will soon have Obama with a 200 point lead in the electoral votes as he is now leading in most of the swing states.

Glad to hear it,hows it feel when the shoes on the other foot?

Let Bill Moyers moderate... that would be fair.

Again, the MCSame campaign is looking for a distraction and an excuse. Why are they always trying to distort facts. So what she's writing a book. It's not about Obama. Let's see let's replace her with Limbaugh or Hannity. Then they would be thrilled then. Right? MC same, you guys have brought this on yourselves.

No more Distractions!!!!!!!!..

This is definitely a conflict of interest. For her book to be successful, Obama needs to win. For our country to be successful, McCain needs to win.

Maybe she will be fair? Who knows? If she asks Biden the following question, I might be inclined to let any bias slide:

Senator Biden, are you at all concerned that your running mate has ties with an unrepentant terrorist (William Ayers), a radical hatred-spewing America-hating preacher (Reverened Wright), sees no problem in supporting anti-American groups such as ACORN (that has connetions to CPUSA!!...SCARY!!) and, overall, supports un-American socialist programs?

Google this: "Obama and ACORN and CPUSA"

Presidential candidates should *NOT* be so closely tied with un-American causes!! This is a disgrace!!

How can these issues with Obama be so easily written off by his faithful followers?? It's not at all a concern? You do know ACORN is responsible for voter fraud and still has the nerve to request more TAXPAYER money to support their leftist/Socialist causes, right? Obama is dangerous!!

We knew there would be something comming about the time of the debate. Any bets they cancel? If they do, it is over for McCain.

SO I guess now that Tom Brokaw is the laison for JM he should be removed for the Oct 9th debate.

Let me get this right– The Republicans agreed to let Gwen moderate months ago; my guess is that they knew of this book and the fact that Gwen has moderated VP debates and other interview in a non-bias matter; one of the best at doing this.

And now, a couple of days before the debate this issue gets raised... Talk about playing politics [McCain Camp]. So if Palin gets stumped by a question (which isn't that hard to do) it will be the moderators fault??? Got to give it to McCain– he's willing to use whatever he can...

bibek October 1st, 2008 1:33 pm ET

What difference does it make who she supports? Everyone supports either john mccain or barack obama!
if the moderator is not a supporter of Obama, then he/she will be McCain's supporter!

Stop crying out loud.
*************************************************************************
Yes, but that person would not directly benefit from an Obama victory. Benefit as in $$$$$$$$$

Absolute joke.
Imagine if the author of the book "Sarah" moderated the next presidential debate.
BO supporters would be crying foul.
Media bias is sickening.

Hope Gwen at least asks Jos Biden about his scary helicopter downings in the Middle East.....or about his plagiarism.....or about his ties with MBNA.....or his son's lobbying work......

Hey CNN, since you felt the need to fly a correspondent all the way to the meritime border of Russia and Alaska, do you think you might send ONE reporter to cover the miserable conditions of the neighborhoods in the South Side of Chicago that Obama helped out...give us a report on the crime rates and high school drop out rates????? HMMMM??????

CNN – ALL BIAS, ALL BULL....

Listen Gwen was fit to moderate the debate with g.w.bush and John Kerry why not V.P. Biden and Tina Frey. And further more, do sarah palin know who Gwen is being that she do not ready any news papers or any artiles.

Spare me the pain!!!!

If The Person in Question had wrote a McCain book, Dem's would be in uproar, so yet again please stop playing Bias. No favorites here.

If Gwen wasn't Black would the Republican whine?
'

When you stand to profit from by the outcome of an election debate, you cannot be neutral. A moderator can and does have significant influence over a debate. Gwen Ifill should recuse herself immediately.

Relevance?

Black moderator with a book criticizing the simplification of race's role in politics. Nice picture btw. What's the issue? A moderator is supposed to be fair, not uninformed.

They want to avoid the inevitable... "Again, Gwen, I think I've already answered your question with a rehearsed response and if you want me to expand upon that answer I'm changin' the subject."

There are so few people left in the US who have not written a book.

Where is Sarah Palin's book? She is a maverick, a superstar...a folk heroine in her own words...She has a degree in journalism.

Or maybe she needs a few lessons in writing...She needs writing camp...

PALIN WILL CRUSH DEBATE.

MODERATOR WILL BE FAIR OTHERWISE IT WILL BE HELL TO PAY IN THE MEDIA.

PELOSI = MATT DAMON = PINHEADS

it is hard to find someone FOR McCain these days.

Brokaw is pro-McCain and he's moderating the next debate.

Good news!
I'm available to moderate the debate.
I'm white and male so I don't know where my allegiance lies!

PLEASE! GROW UP PEOPLE. NOT NEWS, NOT RELEVANT, NOT WORTH OUR TIME

hey "blacks for mccain" do you not realize that this is about the McCain camp complaining and NOT the Obama camp complaining.

yet another idiot who doesn't actually read the news for what it says but what they THINK or want it to say...

Want to make the right decision? Educate yourselves. Caucusanalysis dot org. Don't let your country be taken hostage by corruption, this election is too important to our way of life and our very survival.

wouldn't this all depend on the content and tone of the book? if it a commentary on black politicians, it does not necessary mean she is PRO Obama, right? and as a journalist, just because she is writing a book does not mean she is incapable of being neutral.

Should the moderators be tribesmen from south america who have never heard of, nor are educated on, any of the candidates?

has she ENDORSED Obama? Writing a biographical, non opinion book, about several black politicians does not mean that she is biased.

I worked on the McCain campaign. I personally informed his staff on August 5th that Gwen Ifill was working on this book.

The campaign is lying when it says it didn't know about this.

It does not matter who is the moderator for these debates they are ALL LIBERAL. The media is liberal and gorssly negligent and biased in their coverage. We conservatives have grown used to this.

Well folks, we will see McCain suspend the debate for his little girl Sarah, b/c they will be mean to her, and ask her questions.

Come on! Ifill is a respected journalist in DC and works for the American people: PBS! she is not like CNN or the other ones. We support PBS through our donations and taxes.

I also think McCain camp is being sexist, because Ifill is the only women moderator.

She wrote a book about 21st Century African American politicians that are educated, went to law school, or business school, and are not pastors.

I think John McCain wants to do what he did during the interview with Katie Couric and ask all the questions for Palin, and answer them for her.
Get real McCain...you picked a bad VP and you don't understand economy, and you are wrong. Dead wrong, and we can't afford 4 more years of Bush policies.

This is ridiculous! So we can't have a debate because the moderator wrote a book? Republicans are scared of "October". The month they lost the bid to the white house. They can not stop the inevitable. How about we have two moderators? Let's find one who wrote something about McCain. This guys are total morons!

What! She's a woman! and so is Sarah Palin!
I demand a new moderator!

Are you serious? Why is this an issue on the eve of the debate? The saddleback forum that Barack and mccain did, that pastor noticeably was a mccain supporter, but did Obama's camp make a big fuss about that? You people make me sick why is this even news?

If mickey mouse was the moderator, it still won't help palin, she is awful and inexpierence. They are just trying to get more time in debate camp because they see she is not getting it. LOL

Obama/Biden

Maybe McCain should be the moderator...they are scared...Palin will loose. But only if she attends on that debate...

It's funny to think that if this was a situation where the moderator was pro McCain and had authored a pro McCain book, it would be front page news and a new moderator would be demanded. It really is incredible how much the media is playing a role in this election!!!

What a coincidence that this becomes news the day before the debate ... NOT. Just goes to show how sneaky the RNC strategists are. It's not outside the realm of possibility that they try to use this as an excuse to cancel or postpone the debate.

The woman is a moderator, not a referee. She doesn't decide who wins and who loses. The candidates themselves and the answers they give will determine that.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Maybe she can bring Grandpa McLame with her on stage just to make sure the mean black lady plays fair. Give me a break.

Let's get ready to rumble.

Just say NO to Bush 44.

black man for mccain- hey, if you lived here in West Virginia and saw how the rethuglicans and whites treated black people you would NEVER think of voting for that losing, racist ticket of mccain/palin. I am white by the way and will proudly cast my vote for OBAMA/BIDEN.

Love the way so many of you complain about McCain complaining when I didn't see anything in the article about him complaining, but that is what you dems are best at, complaining.

As an Obama supporter, I think Gwen should step aside and let Lehrer moderate this debate.

Don't give the other side any reason to whine.

(Actually, I don't think Gwen is that great at moderating debates anyway.)

dammit! post me for a change cnn! i've read the 'Comment Policy"!

maybe the CNN COMMENT MODERATOR is available to moderate the debate? censorship is the specialty here!

This is just playing the refs. Ifill will now feel pressure to exert bias in favor of Gov. Mooseburger.

Wallace from the heartland: Does anyone on the left nor get that this is a setup. Are there any journalists who have not declared their allegance who could moderate? Unbelievable. This is one democrat who will be voting republican .

They approved months ago after the book was released... now they complain... is the only thing the McCain campaign is capable of doing is whining....

Please people stay calm. The moderator is not a referee....You people will decide who was the best.
Let Biden be Biden and Palin be Palin

Why bother with the debate anyway, when the media has shown a real prejudice against Republicans. Even should the majority of Americans individually agree with Palin, the debate will be 'nuanced' and spun so that the media shows the other person won. Note the McCain/Obama debate last week when McCain won the majority of individual responders but the media claimed Obama won.

How about "RESCURING" our economy instead McCain always to the "RESCUE" of Palin. The economy is failing and there's enough blame going around for that so let Palin fail on her own and stop trying to blame everyone else for her failure.

What does it matter?

From what I hear, the format of this debate will really be a chance to give glorified stump speeches anyway. Little interaction between Biden and Palin.

So all Ifill can do is ask the questions and let them talk.

I don't understand, if the book is about Obama, what else can it be but positive.

Why are you all crying about this. Her book was public knowledge when McCain and Obama worked out and agreed to these set of moderators and debates. McCain camp signed off on it just as did Obama camp. Stop your freaking whining already.

Oh my God! The McCain team is really getting desperate. I wonder how low they will stoop before they realise that the game is over.

I see no issue. All moderators are for someone. I think a good moderator will be fair regardless. McCain may try to do anything to stack the deck or get Palin out of this though, They keep saying Palin has more experience than Obama? Obama has a JD in Law from Harvard, he was a Constitutional Law professor for 10 years, he was a State Senator for 8 years, and has been a US Senator for 3 years and has to stay on top of the issues whether compaigning or not. He is a statesman and incredably smart. He has also proven he can lead and be strong, calm and steady after 2 years of being fired at by all sides as he campaigns. He knows what is going on in our world and has insight. How does this compare to someone who knows Alaska, has been a gov less than 2 years and put Wasilla into deep debt? I don't want some "six pack joe" as our VP, I want someone intelligent and who understands the issues.

How is it that John McSame never knows anything about anything???
I'm sure he knew that Gwen Ifill has been working on a book this entire year....she is an excellent journalist and a great pick as moderator. And he wanted her.
Is this just another attempt to give Palin a kindergarten debate....what in the world will happen if Ifill asks a hard question???? What does that mean??? Palin isn't supposed to have to answer anything hard. She;s the most unique political candidate I've ever seen in my 64 years!!!! I am so insulted. Women are so much smarter then this ex-beauty queen who rules her little 600,000 citizen state with absolutely no knowledge of anything outside that little world she lives in....and can't even seem to leave Wasilla to rule....teensy little town she was born and raised in...and likes to govern from! You know she's having a bridge built...from Anchorage to Wasilla....25 mile bridge for over $600 million dollars! And she wants to change the Capital from Juneau to Anchorage. Quite a cozy little setup she has up there...she and hubby Todd, who accompanies her on everything political!
I sure hope she is asked tomorrow night about her barbaric, cold cruelty when it comes to killing wolves. She, you know by now, IS A WOLF in sheep's clothing! And it sure doesn't bother her to kill animals of all kinds....poor polar bears, endangered, but she still wants to kill them and is suing the U. S. Government for the right to do so! Give this woman back to Alaska.

Did the guy actually misquote and say that they wrote a positive biography of McCain?

They should use the same guy that did Presidential debates

The McCain campaign has already slanted the debate in favor of Palin: they demanded and got no interaction between the two candidates (not that McCain did that anyway)

... and a very short response time with little or no follow up: this will not be a real debate, because McCain knows that if Palin strays from what she has committed to memory, she's lost.

The bar is set so low for Palin that if she manages to breathe all the way through, she will be declared the winner.

A moderator is just that: keeps the process on track and asks the questions that are already written! The GOP is desperate and grasping at straws. Hope there is not a microphone in that hairdo... like the bulge on the back of Bush the last time he "debated" ....

they have started again. mccain always with a reason. he needs to go and sit down.

I'm tired of McCain and his lies and the Republican party crying and whining about every little thing.

Their are several reasons why this is a big deal:

1. Questions aren't supposed to be known prior to the debate. So did she slip the Obama campaign a list prior to the debate? Probably not, but you never know.

2. Why didn't she come out earlier with this fact?

3. Let's say the debate is fair, but that she continues questioning Palin on a topic. Wouldn't that look a little biased? Not saying it is, but it has the possibility of showing some bias.

So Dems, before you blow a gasket and say Obama is the best and McPain or whatever is crap, why don't you seriously think about what you would say if the roles were reversed. I think only then you could truely determine why this is a big deal.

this is ridiculous - honestly she writes a book about Black politicians and she is too biased to moderate a debate? Let's get it together here! End the last minute tactics to shelter this debate. Let Palin fend for herself with this "Obama supporting" moderator... more and more the Republicans are looking like big babies; THE BOOK'S BEEN KNOW ABOUT SINCE AUG!!! Why even discuss it today if you're not simply trying to detract attention away from your VP's potentially abysmal performance?!?

American people will be the judge of the debate.

We know Palin's not up to the task, and blaming Gwen is expected from that deceitful lying womanizer (aka McShame)

Excuses, excuses, excuses That's all the McCain camp has.

We have got to find a reason the to STOP the VP debate!

The republicans will use any excuse they can find for
palin totally blowing it.
Know she has been crammed but cannot believe her
ego and know it all attitude will not enter into the race.
To me, what is more important is, what are the
stipulations Mccain put into the debate and why
were they allowed? And understand they are
trying to add more restrictions.
They should not be able to tie Biden's hands.

McCain's camp crying fowl against the media again? I thought he was the "tough" one??

Who cares if she is prejudiced in favor of Obama. She's knowedgeable, and an excellent communicator–hopefully a fair moderator.

She is bound by the rules to ask questions related to the candidates knowledge of and preparedness to lead on the issues affecting this election.

This is a debate for VP–not the President. If she unfairly shoots at Palin without throwing the same shots at Biden–we'll all know.

This is a Democracy–let the chips fall where they may. But don't muddy the waters with allegations and false accusations against a very respondible–and highly respected American.

so where is the news?
this is the lady's job to do, if you do not like that do not show up, go back to Alaska.

And?? It is not like she will be asking different questions of Biden and palin. They will be asked the same questions and have the same time and format which was CHOSEN BY THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN> so spin that rethugs.

Using this same logic Palin should be fine because Ifill is a woman, and I am sure at some point in her career she has written about the importance of women in politics. If McCain was confident in Palin this wouldn't be the spin.

If the Republicans don't like it tell Saraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah to stay home with John and not go to school. What would it be like for Joe and Obama to get on stage and do a forum for the American People. Then what would the McCain camp do then?

I'm an Obama supporter, but this is a fair criticism. There are plenty of people who could step in and eliminate the perceived bias.

Sigh......What would Tim Russert say about any and all of the political news in the last two months???

It wouldn't matter who was asking the questions, the Repugs will cry "sexist, unfair, boo hoo."

Typical McCain campaign incompetence–his handlers like Rick "Fannie Mae" Davis agree to Ifill AFTER she's announced writing her book.

Just more conservative whining and an effort to lay the groundwork of excuses if Palin falls on her face. Anyone who has followed Gwen Ifill knows she's the last person on earth who can be accused of bias. Just because the debate isn't being moderated by some Faux News Network doesn't mean it isn't fair.

Wah, wah, wah.

Gwen Ifill is the gold standard of TV journalists. Anyone who would question her honesty and integrity at this stage of the game has to be desperate beyond comprehension. The Republicans are grasping at straws. Palin is a journalism major. She of all people should recognize the standard of excellence represented by Gwen Ifill's career. If only Palin herself could perform to that high standard there would be no controversy.

EVERYONE THAT MODERATES IS SUPPORTING SOMEONE. SO STOP THE DRAMA. I CANT WAIT FOR HER TO MODERATE THE DEBATE. THE REPUBLICANS ARE JUST FULL OF THEMSELVES.

First they changed the format of the debate that prevents Palin from actually explaining herslef with facts and figures and policies and now they want a new moderator...Ifill is one of the most level headed, objective moderators out there... always a whine and complaint from the McCain camp.

No matter who they picked there would be/will be some excuse for their ridiculous VP choice...sexist, racist, liberal media, martini sipping conservative....you name it, they will spin it.

Interesting that Palin's approval rating in Alaska has gone down from 80% to 68%...how many lines from her acceptance speech are actually left.

Breaking...McCain Campaign proposes to replace Gwen Ifill with Sean Hannity as moderator in upcoming VP debate. When asked for comment, Sean Hannity said, "Just because I have my own show on Fox does not mean I won't moderate a fair and balanced debate between the most popular governor in America and one of the most wildly liberal gaffe machines in the Senate."

Here we go again....... Stop blaming others and playing politics and get on with your lifes. Its a bunch of whining cry babies.....

Thats not fair, hes a liar, shes racisttt. Enough already.

Go McCain

Good lord! I suppose for the third presidential debate they are going to complain that Bob Schieffer is in the tank for Obama because he wasn't a POW in Vietnam.

I guess the red part of America really *is* a nation of whiners.

Seems McCain's camp is slow to vet even the moderator of the debate. This type of distraction is so typical of what one expects from the GOP. Finding a neutral moderator is next to impossible, the real question should be: will this moderator be Professional - I believe she will be.

The McCain Camp is looking for a pre-reson why Palin is going to flop!!!

STOP CRYING REPUBLICANS!!!!!

Why is a PBS employee writing a book about race and politics especially one supporting a particular candidate? Rediculous. Of course she should step aside. As for BHO moving ahead in any polls – all those pasty voters get to go behind a curtain to actually vote. Let's see how that goes. I suspect we'll see a different result than you expect.

If the McCain campaign is going to have a problem with Gwen Ifill as the moderator maybe they should consider asking Tim Russert to come back for two final interviews. McCain wouldn't dare question the integrity of Mr. Russert.

This is clearly unfair. Not only is she for Obama but she is writing a book. Come on get someone more objective.

Please stop it now we the people are sick and tired of this practice of
division by the news media and commentators.

Since Palin can see Gwen from her podium, would that make Sarah an experienced author?

I agree that the McCain is slow to do there homework but always ready to cry. When Phil Graham made his comment he was talking about his tired old buddy John McCain because he whines like a little ?????.

THIS MUST BE the McGIMMICK of the DAY.

Why not? McCain claimed victory in his debate before he even decided he was going to attend it!

Why would McCain camp approve the Modereator choice in the first place?

They are just looking for a reason to whine.

Well the Republicans needed an excuse to have Sarah Palin lose the debate...I guess they will use this. And as to them not realizing she had written this book....where have they been???? In Alaska with "I'm not sure what a Vice President does" Sarah Palin? That comment should put fear into all Americans...how can someone in politics NOT KNOW how the levels of government function???? That comment alone should turn people away from the thought of her being VP. And now the RNC doesn't know what is going on under their noses. It isn't like the book or her political leanings were unknown.

This election has all the ear marks of being rigged from the start. Now this. Watch out for voter fraud in key states big time.

For those of you who keep called McCain "Old Man" a pox on you – you are stupid and ignorant.

Obama is a snake who will bite us all. God help us if he gets in.

If it's not that she's for Obama it would be that she's black. If not that then it would be that she's a female taking it easy on Palin. Come on people let's wake up and smell the Star Bucks. It's either this or that! If Mcsame would have been sane he would have choosen someone who was qualified to be VP and not Sarah! On with the show!!!

Obama/Biden to the White House 08'

I don't think changing the moderator is going to make a difference. If the interviews Palin has done is any indicator, she'll be sticking her foot in her mouth no matter who's moderating. Although maybe the McCain campaign will ask that Ifill be left as moderator and then after Palin bombs the debate, they'll use this story as a distraction saying that the moderator was biased...

Why does everyone claim it is such a pro-Obama book without being able to read it? Why can't a person writing an objective review of politics and race moderate?

Besides, if McCain camp did not want her as the moderator, the correct time to complain was in August when they agreed to the terms and moerator for the debate. Her book was announced BEFORE they agreed.

This is just priming up the "the debate was unfair" line BEFORE their VP canidate makes a fool of herself.

Ow, it's so unfair that Ifill asked both canidates to respond to the same question! They should ask Palin only about what she knows (moose dressing and investigation avoidance) and let Biden answer questions on Foriegn Affairs, economy, education, domestic policy, ect...

Not everyone supports Obama or McCain so i am sure they could have found someone that is neutral, at least not an outspoken supporter of one or the other. So she's writing a book that talks about Obama positively, come one, journalism is not about picking side but reporting the news. She needs to be removed, its not fair to the other party she's not supporting.

This is ridiculous! So we can't have a debate because the moderator wrote a book? Republicans are scared of "October". The month they lost the bid to the white house. They can not stop the inevitable. How about we have have two moderators? Let's find one who wrote something about McCain. This guys are total morons!

I'm an Obama supporter but if the moderator cannot be unbiased, he or she must a least appear unbiased. I am sure Ms. Ifill would be a very professional moderator. Even so, she ought to step down rather than provide reasons for some to believe the debate was tainted.

I am sure that Jim Lehrer had a candidate whom he supports or had perhaps covered in a positive manner, so as long as Ms. Ifill can ask unbiased questions and is an impartial moderator, it matters not what book she is having published. I think this is a ploy by the McCain campaign to get out of Sarah having to debate Joe, cause they know that Sarah is essentially unarmed in any battle of the presentation of relevant knowledge in a coherent manner.

this is public knowledge. She is a very well respected. journalist. This is just anot her case of republican whining. Last week they were crying about nancy pelosi's speech. Let's see what makes they cry next

She's the moderator not the one debating.............. it will still be solely up to Biden and Plain to answer their own questions intelligently...........

Another attempt from the McCain camp to try to stop the debate before it happens. They can't cry sexism bc the moderator is a woman. So, they're going to look for any other excuse to make Palin lok like a victim before the debate even begans.

McShAme, why do you continue to bring the country further into the ground? If Palin was articulate, knowledgable and collected, you wouldn't have a problem with the moderator. But you have to think of other ways to take the spot light of a sorry excuse for your pick as VP.

I don't think Palin and her daddy should allow the debate to go on. Why not get someone from the mainstream media. Oops they maight be biased against little Sarah. Oh I know lets get Shawn Hannity. Yes by crakeys that would work. Then six pack, reformer, maverick Sarah would feel safe. After she is a strong woman who will take on the big boys in D.C.

Now Gov. Palin would refer to statements like "Joe Six pack", etc. which African Americans and most of America don't even relate to! Anway, I don't think most of us would continue like she to set ourselves up to look like almost a "fool" until Nov. 4th. Her actions are almost setting women back a step instead of moving them forward a step! She better think about her family and the rest of her political career.

Go Obama/Biden

NEWS FLASH: Taxi Driver supports Obama but gives McCain a ride from airport to his private residence. News at 11.

just replace her by Sean Hannity

I actually think for the sake of the Obama-Biden ticket that a new moderator is needed.This is all the McCain-Palin ticket need to plant the seeds of doubt.No matter how fair Gwen Ifill is they will use this against Biden.I can just see the next negative add on tv now..............................................Mary from Boston

The book is about AA politicians. Gwen is an AA. DUH! She is also a repug. DUH! You would think the repugs would be happy Gwen is doing the interview.

I don't see the conflict hear. Just because she's black, she has no objectivity? Would anyone argue that she's biased to Palin because she's a woman?

Either the McCain camp showed their ineptitude by failing to vet someone (again) or they knew about it and were holding it as a trump card. Which is it?

disgruntled voter:

I was one of the 18 million that voted for Obama and put country first. You're candidate lost, grow up and get over it. No one placed Obama in the winning seat, he earned it. Why is it you PUMAs think your vote is worth more than mine? It was close, Clinton lost, take your sour grapes and go make some more "whine"

What are they going to do, use a robot? On second thought, that would give Palin a huge advantage. They'd understand each other.

Ifill should have known better than to agree to moderate a debate, knowing that her book would give many people grounds to question her impartiality, fairly or not.

That said, I do not believe for one second that the McCain campaign just learned of this matter yesterday. Crying about it on the verge of the debate is just another McCain stunt, this one designed to disrupt the debate in an attempt to distract from the fact that the GOP running mate is manifestly unqualified to be VP.

Yeah she is biased and so is anyone that can see right through the lies and incompetence of McCain and Palin.

If two people are matched up and one is incredibly inferior, they should not be treated as equals. For example the KC royals and the Yankees should be covered totally different because one team should be a minor league team.

Even if Obama is not elected, the story would still be relevant because it shows how far America has come. We still have much work to do, but in any case it would be a great milestone for ALL of America no matter what happens.

Obama does not make much about himself being black, just like Jackie Robinson, but it does not mean that it is of little signifigance.

Here go the Rethugs, working the refs again. This is sooooo old. This is their childish way of ensuring easy questions. What BS.

It doesn't matter. This race is over as of Friday. Done.

Pleeeez...no one is neutral.

This has no bearing on her ability to moderate the debate. Her book is not about any particular candidate, I don't see the issue here.

She can still call in sick if Palin can't stand the heat. The repubs are going down big time this year.

Obama/Biden 08/12.

Just replace by Sean Hannity

Palin should be excused from the debate!

We love you Sarah!

Now, Mrs. Future Vice President, go put on a wolf suit and run around in the snow...over there....where those helicopters are circling.

It doesnt matter who moderates tommorow (let Bill O'Reilly,John McCain,Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh do it). The outcome will be the same.

She has Alaskan foriengn policy and trade agreements with Russia.
She doesnt know the names Newspapers and Magazines she reads.
She can see over 1100 miles away.
She believes in Witches.
She doesnt know what the "Bush Doctrine"(thought it was Bikini wax)
She believes Dinosaurs and Humans coexisted.
She is being investigated for misuse of her elected powers.
She only knows 1 Supreme Court Case (Rove vs. Wade- shocking)
It gets deeper and deeper each day....

McCain will cry foul "foul","sexist" and "gotcha journalism" in defense of her ignorance.

the book has to be positive, Afterall, she is writing about Obama.

What do this have to do with the Debate. The Republicans are scare that Palin can not answer any questions straight forward so why should she answer any now. People always think the worst so if the Republicans are scare let Ifill moderate. Who knows it could help Sarah.

I think this is terrible, i think this is great! This will change everything, this won't change a thing!

ok, nobody needs to comment anymore

Please! please! Mr McCain and the rest of the Republicans. You all have done enough damage to this country already. What difference will it make who the moderator is for the debate? No wonder you are losing in the polls..

Gwen Ifill can moderate this debate...such as the other fifty something debates we have watched.

Please stop looking at her race or gender.

This is similar what Mccain did to avoid the debate with Obama, Suspend his compagn to go to washington if did not work, now the right wing are trying to avoid Palin Vs Biden debate, because they Know Palin is not ready to debate and not qualified to be a V.P.

The book is about race and politics, and she uses Obama to make her point.

A new book on race and American politics would be crazy not to mention Obama.

If she wrote a book on why she supported Obama, then there might be more room for concern.

It's purely scholastic/academic.

I am an Obama supporter. They should go ahead and replace her with like Tom Brokaw. This way Palin will have no excuse when she gets slaughtered by Biden

disgruntled voter . . . When someone has to resort to hysterical LIES they are ALWAYS losing. Please go crawl back into your hole.

This is a McCain tactic to delay the debate. Ifill is an intelligent woman who will be moderating an unbiased debate. Her book wasn't a secret and if McCain didn't know about it, then that is just another example of McCain with his head up his rear end. Let the debate go forward.

The McCain campaign has more excuses than Fort Knox has gold!

As stated earlier, this country is so polarized, it's nearly impossible to have someone.....even a journalist....who isn't FOR one candidate or the other. It just so happans that this journalist wrote a book that MIGHT put one candidate in a favorable light. Well......GET OVER IT!

She can step down or the Debate Committee can replace her, but they'll still have a moderator who'll be for one candidate or the other!

Here we go again. McCain cries foul. Hmmm... I smell a new reason for McCain to withhold Palin from the debate. Wouldn't that be a surprise!

I am willing to bet the McCain campaign did know about the book but kept mumm to bring it up now to move the debate for a new moderator or get it cancelled all together to avoid another Palin issue.

My thing is they have Tom Brokaw handling a debate isn't he a known REPUBLICAN can we cancel the 2nd presidental debate because of this? Who cares if the moderater's a rep. or dem the moderater simply ask the question and tell them to shut up when the time is up!

Yawn! The conservatives have a lot of negativity toward the nanny state....yet the cry like babies and seem to need their diapers changed. First, the Republicans blamed the failed bailout on Pelosi not talking nice to the President that has a freezing level approval rate...now this? What a bunch of whiners.

GOP distraction. Debate must continue. NO MATTER WHAT.

Obama is going to lose November 4th.

This is yet another attempt to save Pailin. All of the media has made a decision one way or the other. You will not find one who is not going to vote and as such has a side. All of those talking heads have written a book of some sort which one can derive their political stance from. This woman has a job to do. We go back to McCain's inability to see the ability to multi-task. She can write a book and be an objective moderator. Check her out on all of the footage from Meet the Press and gleen from that if she is not able to be impartial. View her show on PBS. That will tell how she can be on a national stage. Do not count her entire career or lay her professional code of conduct on a book that is not even published. Talk about demeaning a woman...and John...be careful...she is a black woman. There are a ton of implications with a white man putting down a black woman in this day and age...

Well say it is not true. The liberal press has picked a moderator who has wrote a book on Obama in a positive light and now she is going to moderate a debate suppossedly fair and balanced between Palin and Biden. Why didn't they just have Reverend Wright come in and be the moderator. 97% of the blacks are voting for Obama and you pick a black woman who is infuiated with Obama . If this is fair we can have Rush Limbaugh moderate the next debate between Obma and John McCain. She should excuse herself for conflict of interest or be tossed.

Ifill is the perfect person to do this. They can't cry sexism because hey...hold your ear close..she's a woman. FYI, black women hate Feminism because it's a movement that has never benefited us. In addition, it makes us angry that we have an educated sister, Dr. Rice, who is never given credit by anyone (including people of her own race), but yet, we have people trying to paint 5 colleges in 6 years Palin as this "political genius." Oh, yeah, gloves off.

BLACK REPUBLICAN WOMEN FOR OBAMA...

THE REPUBLICANS AND McCAIN ARE DESPERATE, THEY WOULD LIKE ANY SMALL EXCUSE TO CANCEL THE DEBATE. GIVEN THE LATEST POLL NUMBERS, WHICH SHOWS McCAIN/PALIN SINKING FASTER THAN THE TITANIC, IF PALIN BOMBS ON THURSDAY, LOOK FOR HER TO BE REPLACED, AS A LAST DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO REVERSE THE TIDE. THE WOMAN, WILL HAVE BEEN USED, ABUSED, AND REFUSED. IT'S HER FAULT FOR BITING OFF MORE THAN SHE COULD CHEW.

WHATEVER!! CAN WE PLEASE PROCEED TO THE DEBATE AND HEAR WHAT MCCAINS PUPPET HAS TO SCREECH ABOUT

How can the book be anything but postive. After all she is writing about Obama

Agree heartily with Boye – She should step aside. She should not have been chosen in the first place, given this issue. This campaign has had enough controversey – some real, much contrived – and we just don't need anything else mucking up the water. I think all of America is getting very muck-fatigued at this point.

Gwen Ifill is a highly respected journalist, we don't have many like her left. Besides, she is only moderating. The terms of this debate have already been changed so many times to suit the McCain campaign. How much more can we bend over backwards to please them. The book is about race in American politics, not an endorsement for Obama.

Both sides had to approve her.... so blame the Repubs for not doing their background work.... oh, you are right, these are the same ones that did all the vetting on Palin.

Well, all they had to do was "Google" Ifill and they would have found this.... oh, you are right, these are the folks that don't know how to use the internet.

So... on with it.... it doesn't matter who they get, something will be wrong with them. How can you even appear to be fair with someone who can't recall a single magazine, newspaper or book they have read? And that was labeled a "gotcha" question by the McShameless crowd.

Ifill's book is not a surprise and no party can claim they didn't know about it. It is just a matter of "timing" on when a political party "finds out" about it for maximum benefit/distraction.

No one seems to wants to explore the 20 years of Obama's life when he was admittedly out smoking crack.
___________

Oh lookie another lie from the nitwit peanut gallery. Obama admits to have smoke marijuana and tried cocaine as a youth. Where do you get the crack stuff from? Oh yeah, your boy was the one who thinks Sarah Palin is qualified to be second in charge.

Considering Lehrer's dismal performance and Ifill's sterling record to date, I see nothing that should endanger the VP debate but Palin herself.

She's welcome to concede today, and John McCain can concede tomorrow.

Or should.

It's a little late in the day to even care who will win this debate, when McCains' campaign is already in the tank..........

............... swimming around his fellow sharks.

Cry me a river Rethuglicans, the Democrates don't have a problem with Tom Brokaw, the Mccain camp "liaison" for MSNBC, doing the next debate

I have watched Ms. Ifill on many many occasions and she has been of great standing and fair in dealing with people.

We, the VOTERS are smart enough to be able to tell if there is
bias from the moderator. Get this thing over with. We can figure it out.

What else does McCain want to change. The format of the debate has already been changed to suit his VP so what else is there . Why is this an issue? The whole country is didvided on who they want as VP and President and you will get either one for any type of debate. Stop giving in to McCains whinning for God sake. Why is it that this whiner gets his way with everything. Palin should have been treated like any other candidate but yet we see here special treatment because shes a woman. Give me a break. Talk about being prejudice or getting special treament. Why should McCain be able to stack the debate with rules and regulation to suit him. This is suppose to be an even debate but is getting to be one sided. Only in America

Everyone who thinks this isn't news ....think again. The McCain camp is going to make a statement later today on this. Want to bet 700 billion they will use this as an excuse not to have the debate or reschedule it?

Both side had to approve her.... so blame the Repubs for not doing their background work.... oh, you are right, these are the same ones that did all the vetting on Palin.

Well, all they had to do was "Google" Ifill and they would have found this.... oh, you are right, these are the folks that don't know how to use the internet.

So... on with it.... it doesn't matter who they get, something will be wrong with them. How can you even appear to be fair with someone who can't recall a single magazine, newspaper or book they have read? And that was labeled a "gotcha" question by the McShameless crowd.

Uh huh. I see. I suppose the debate should now be canceled?

DRAMA KING & QUEEN at it again...................AND it begins.....a day before debate....Isn't that when McCain lied about suspending his campaign and rushed to Washington (a day before his debate with Obama) to save the bail out bill? ops....that's right....it DIDN"T work then and HOPEFULLY it don't work tomorrow @ 8PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obama/Biden 08

Didn't Stephanopoulos work in the Clinton administration? If I recall, he grilled Obama like he stole something. The last I checked, Fix Noise, I mean Fox news is in the tank for republicans. They moderated a debate or two in the past. No one made any hubbla about it. Boye you are sooooooooo right on. They are just delaying the inevitable.

Leadership = Obama/Biden

Did it occur to you that Obama isn't in this debate?

Right.... this must have just been "discovered" the day befor ethe election.

Throughout the debate, please obey the Republican talking point

"Palin is being victimized"
"Palin is being victimized"

and ignore her obvious failings.

@ disgruntled voter

Right... because the right-wing neocons haven't taken over the GOP and country, and in turn run a lot of moderate conservatives out of the party.

so do we get to complain if a white person moderates the Obama/McCain debate? ...This is insane.

Dont most losers wait until after the contest to make excuses?

OK Drama Queen McCain

You are stressing me out

The thought of going through this for four years gives me an ulcer

What in the world could Ifill do anyway? She's just asking the questions, not answering them.

The after debate spin should be bizarre on Fox News!

There is a similar controversy for Tom Brokaw moderating the next presidential debate. There are petitions circulating for him to be replaced as moderator. Many people feel that he is showing too much deference to the McCain campaign.

American journalism is a joke. Thank God I changed my major at college when I saw this coming. I'm urging all conservatives to boycott this debate. It's simply mind boggling that this woman is being allowed to moderate. It couldn't be any less fair this side of the debate being hosted by the NAACP.

This is such a non-issue. It's funny because I've always thought she was a conservative from watching her.

But, since they brought it up how about Tom Brokaw being a "liason" between the McCain campaign and NBC? Should he be replaced as moderator? You'd think that someone writing a book about black leaders is less biased than a guy who is a go between for the McCain campaign and his news organization.

no! wait, is the cnn comment moderator available??????????? really lmao!

The Republicans are simply trying ANYTHING to get voters to think that Palin isn't going to get a fair debate. The only thing that will satisfy them is if Palin gets the questions BEFORE the debate and if they let her OPENLY wear a earpiece to hear what she is supposed to answer.

At least Bush tried to do it on his own, and tried to keep his earpiece hidden.

Perhaps Palin should be asked simple questions like – What did you eat for breakfast? or What kind of underwear are you wearing – briefs or a thong?

WOW! Is that all you've got Crooked Talk Express? Maybe we could get that NBA ref that was betting on the games...

STOP WHINING OLD MAN!

How is it unfair for both candidates to answer the same questions?

Imagine the outcry of the socialists if, say, Pat Buchanon were chosen as moderator, or even somone as innoculous as Christopher Hitchens or the now deceased, incredibly-fair Tim Russert.

The socialists would absolutely melt down and begin rioting in the streets because their man-child might possibly suffer some sort of real or imagined slight or possible disadvantage.

CNN did you notice that Mccain had trouble getting off the stage this morning until a man pointed the way and then he seemed to stumble down the stairs? Is he ok ?

My goodness if the tables were turned and it was a McCain book would they be crying out like that give me a break. But to be fair I would suggest they find another news anchor to do the debate in order to avoid any issue where they might feel favoritism had taken place.

is katie couric available??? lmao!

Because a woman mentions Obama in a book instantly means the questions asked in a debate are pro-Obama? This is simply one of the dumbest things I have ever heard, as are most conspiracy theories.

Nice try McPalin team. People who are prepared don't need to panic.

I'm pretty sure that she'd put aside all her biases and support to give both VP candidates a fair chance. But of course, we all know who's going to win....OBAMA/BIDEN 08/12/and On!

Can't wait to hear what McCain might say about this "controversy". Is it enough to derail the VP debate Thursday? Will he have "foot in mouth" disease again this afternoon?
How will he frame this as "Obama's fault". Maybe he will only use a half statement, then we will know it's true.
This gets stupider by the day. Thank goodness we only have a month to go.
Who's party gets the October Surprise? My bet it's the Republicans, and it will arrive early, maybe Thursday night!

the next step is to try to get the debate cancelled....

Her book was public knowledge before the McCain people agreed on her being the moderator. This was done waaay back in August...so NOW all of a sudden its a problem??? I wonder it the vp pick was either Romney or Lieberman(sp?) would this even be a issue?? Once again its all about Palin.....

DON'T LET HER DO IT!!!!!! She is going to be super Bias!!!
Get a nutrual party and let the VP's ideas be disected equal, and fair. This is just showing a low-brow way of going about this. Please let's have a fair fight!!!! May God show us who is the better, not Bias moderator Gwen Ifill.

Another way for McCain/Palin to whine! I have never seen as much whining from two political canidates in my life!! Always excuses, excuses, excuses! It is getting ridiculous. Can they at anytime accept responsiblity and behave like grown-ups? This independant is seriously not impressed.

So now we're setting up the case that if she loses it's not HER fault, it's Ifill's. What a crock!

You go ahead and address this non-issue, McCain. Watching you stomping around and pointing fingers is getting old. There is no conspiracy here; there are no secrets to be dug up. While you're "addressing" this, your opponent and his running mate will be dealing with real issues affecting this country.

Since both candidates have to answer the questions put to them the McCain camp should worry more about Palin's performance and less about who is putting the questions to her. Ifill is a professional. McCain is becoming McScuse.

It was interesting to see Palin practicing at one of McCain's homes for the debate near a creek without a paddle.

Simply replace her with one acceptable to both parties or...to be fair, let's have Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity moderate the next Presidential debate.

She should bow out to end this controversy, so nobody can cry "foul" later on if things don't go their way. Someone like Tom Brokow should step in and take her place.

If the democrats were not afraid of McCain/Palin power, then the democrats would play by the rules. If the democrats must cheat to get ahead, it only shows how little they are in worth. Cheat democrats, the part of "help me help myself" because democrats have not what it takes to use drive, ambition, and natural intellect to get ahead. Get over it and accept your station in life.

This book was announced several months ago and the Repubs are bringing this up TODAY – the DAY BEFORE the debates? Something really stinks about this.

The Debate Commission brought her on with the agreements of BOTH the Obama and McCain campaigns. They KNEW about this book when they agreed.

This book is about several black politicians and it's more of a cultural piece than anything else. Gwen Ifill is a very profession and highly respected journalist with the greatest credentials.

More McCain sneaky tricks. It's like the Bush Doctrine – it's a preemptive strike against a potential enemy. If Sarah Palin fails, Gwen Ifill will be the enemy. This really stinks!

Funny how McCain only complains about the Media, when Barack Obama has had the most negative coverage ever. Obama had the balls to go on the O'Riely factor, when will McCain go on Countdown?

God help us!!! McShame has lost his mind and integrity, well I don’t think he had any to begin with!!!! And McPalin please media stop giving her a free ride she is a heartbeat away from being president of the United States close your eyes and image that!!!! oh my god!!!

Gwen is a very fair moderator, to bad I can't do I would love to ask McPalin some real questions regarding the American people and her backward issues Moose killer!!!!!!!!

This is absolutely ridiculous! My husband and I watch Gwen every week and know that she is incredibly fair and non-judgmental. She asks bi-partisan questions of all her guests.

If McCain makes a stink about this it just proves that he is desperate to get this debate to not happen because Palin is the worst choice for VP ever.

Gwen is the most qualified reporter on the air and should be first choice to take over for Tim Russert.

My God, this is racism in reverse. She writes a book and now she is not able to be the moderator. Palin doesn't even read books and we have Gwen writing one!! I hope Palin tanks herself.

All she is going to do is ask the questions and generally keep everything on track. If I were her, I would not be thrilled at their suggestion that anyone who has something nice to say about Obama is automatically biased.

Journalism seems to be dead indeed. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NPR are nothing but thinly veiled, balls to the wall advertising for Obama.

Ridiculous. Why is the McCain camp even agreeing to this? I smell an ambush coming. If Palin walks into this set-up, McCain deserves whatever comes of it.

This is a good reason for Palin to not participate in the debate.
My dog ate my homework and I am feeling ill just will not work.

Treat this like a hostile negotiation with a foreign country. Oh I forgot you have not had a substantive conversation with a leader of a foreign country.

Apparently Jim Lehrer is the only impartial commentator out there to moderate a debate. That's so sad, On the other hand for those of you have watch the clowns on MSNBC, yellow journalism is alive and well.

I vote for Lou Dobbs to conduct the debate! He is not for either candidate and will ask lots of really tough questions of them both!

I am disgusted by the hypocrisy in the media. She should step down. I'm so sick of the media drooling over Obama...absolutely disgusted. And I hope as more people begin to pay attention they will finally see how the media is so biased to get this man elected. Journalism in this country has hit a new low!

I worked for a newspaper for over 30 years and my son owns 2 weeklies–I have never seen such bias in reporting in all my life. The media is steadily growing more liberal. Why don't they mention Peloski and her $100,000 donation to her real estate husband? Obama gaining $$$ from Fannie Mac and Freddie Mae? Peloski and Biden stumbling all over themselves when interviewed or giving some speeches? Freedom of the press will soon be a thing of the past....

The Repubs are blaming this woman for the poor job that Palin did during the debate and it hasn't even happened yet !

Maybe they should get Romney to do the debate. Then the repubs will have no excuse and Palin will sink herself.

Biden is going to wipe the floor with Palin. They can have Rush Limbaugh moderate for all I care.

PLEASE!!!!!
Gwen Ifill is one of the most respected JOURNALISTS in this country. Unlike some, she is perfectly capable of being impartial and fair to anyone she is addressing.
This is just one more attempt by the "fear and smear" Republican party and WE ARE SICK OF IT!

Mccain you got the debate changed to a q and a forum pretty much biden and palin will not be debating eachother now this MCCAIN ITS NOT THE MODERATORS FAULT YOU DONT HAVE CONFIDENCE in palin now your trying to pull this stunt WHO WANTS TO BET WITH THE SENATE VOTING ON THIS BILL TONIGHT SOMETHING GOES WRONG MCCAIN SUSPENDS HIS CAMP TO STAY AND HAS THE DEBATE CANCELLED ANY BETS ANYONE?

There will always be controversy surrounding any non-white person if the lead is taken from the crooks on Fox News.

This is just another stunt by the McCain supporters to hide the fact that Palin, regardless of who is moderator is a bad VP pick. Couric accused Obama supporters of being sexist, and Palin did awful in an interview with her.

The candidates will be given the same questions and allowed the same amount of time to respond. I guess since McCain's stunt didn't work on last week, he need to find another way to stop Palin from having to debate Biden.

Obama/Biden 08

Are you serious? Ok, bad choice, but the GOP should have done their homework prior to this. This was a mistake on their part. It's too late to shake things up. Besides, this is a debate and the moderator isn't answering questions for either candidate.

I hope everyone is a vigilant at vetting Tom Brokaw, moderator or the second presidential debate, who is clearly a McCain supporter and advocate.

this lady also wrote a positive bio of McCain...... these people are stupid

Well, if Sara Palin and Joe Biden are prepared to be president of the united states immediately, the should be able to continue this debate regardless of who will be the moderator .

But she's a woman so she should also be supporting Palin. Right?

Seriously, this isn't news. It's been known for a long time that she has a book coming out. Why didn't someone say something BEFORE the eve of the debate if they had a problem with it?

As long as the questions are asked of each and they are both treated the same I don't see a problem with it.

What difference does it make who she supports? Everyone supports either john mccain or barack obama!
if the moderator is not a supporter of Obama, then he/she will be McCain's supporter!

Stop crying out loud.

They should replace Gwen with neutral party. Primarly somone who has no interest in politics and believe me, there are many people out there.

So What?

This is a good reason for Palin to not participate in the debate.
My dog ate my homework and I am feeling ill just will not work.

Treat this like a hostile negotiation with a foreign country. Oh I forgot you have not had a conversation with a substantive conversation with a leader of a foreign country.

Ah, the first OCTOBER SURPRISE. So when Palin loses, they can whine and cry that it wasn't fair. Boo Hoo, cry me a river. SO WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT A BLACK MODERATOR WOULD BE FOR OBAMA? PROBABLY PRETTY HIGH. DEMOCRATS MUST DECRY THIS AS RACIST.

What is controversial about this? She's writing a book about black political leaders that happens to include Senator Obama.

If Palin got elected as VP, then God help us !

come on. how long has mccain known about the debate and who would moderate it? and they decide the day before the debate to complain? it's something about this vp debate that he is constantly trying to avoid.

Why not have each party pick a person

I'M AN OBAMA SUPPORTER BIG TIME; BUT I THINK IFILL CAN EXCUSE HERSELF OFF THE DEBATE SO THE McSAME-PAIN-LIN CAMPAIGN DONT HAVE AN EXCUSE TO COVER UP FOR THEIR UNINTELLGIBLE EXCUSES AND WHINNING!

This was known before they agreed to her...once again someone in the McCAin Camp not doing their homework..

This ain't right, this just ain't right in any sense of the word.

Of course the Democrats would need to use partisan action to get ahead in the polls. They cannot win otherwise. Affirmative action in the amking.

Her book is generic regarding AA leaders. Has anyone read it? Why is it that people always think that Blacks stand for Blacks. She may thow him under the bus. I doubt it, but why don't we wait and see 1) how she conducts herself in the debate and 2) read the book first. McCain had a chance to object and didn't so why does anyone else have to weigh in?!

She is the MODERATOR people....she is not the only person writing the questions. Her job is to keep the debate on track, and to ask the questions (not write them or slant them to Obama). She doesn't declare a winner. Honestly – Republicans may be the whiniest people on the face on the earth. Look up the word moderator and then shut up!

whoever the moderator is will be for one or the other–you can't be impartial unless your dead .This is old news anyway . time to move on. Has McCain taken his meds today !

Positive how? Pointing out successful black politicians, one of whom happens to be the most obviously successful one, Barack Obama? Democrat or Republican, any black person being a viable candidate for the country's presidency is worth praising. Isn't this something good for all Americans?

A ploy to get the debate cancel....

gwen just step down and let someone else do it like David Gergen, Diane Sawyer,

News flash, she's not moderating a debate featuring Barack Obama.

Her book is more about political history and the influence of race. I don't see the Obama campaign complaining that her being a woman makes her biased toward Sarah Palin? The McCain campaign must have no faith in Sarah's abilities at all. How do you call foul before both teams suit up? He just looks pathetic.

This is HARDLY Gwin Ifills first debate. She had moderated several before. Can the right point to one instance of bias in any of those previous debates. NO!

It's the same ole right-wing play book. Loose an election...well...it can't be because their view and positions are out of step with the people...it must be media bias.

You jut know that McCain's camp has been holding on to their outrage until now to unleash it the day before the debate. All reports so far say that Palin has been under performing in her mock debates and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this mock outrage was their Plan B to have the debate postponed, cancelled, or minimized as a result of all of this.

As an Obama supporter I call for you to step down and have a moderator that is not leaning either way.

Otherwise, the dittoheads will freak and we will have to listen to the whinging up until election day and even after.

Step down.

Another stunt to talk about anything else but the issues. Oh thats right....nerver mind that they fully vetted this moderator just like they said the vetted Sarah Palin. Both of the campaigns agreed to this moderator.

Such loosers!

Obama/lBiden 08

Geez, every person in the United States has an affiliation with a party whether it be Democrat, Republican or Independent. Its not her affiliation that should be judged, but her journalistic career. If she is able to conduct unbiased, fair interviews...what freaking difference does it make that she wrote a book about positive black influences in government.
It doesn't say anything about her character in regards to being unfair. She is African-American, but she is also a woman. Will the American people always find something incredibly stupid to complain about??? Wow, what a joke.
Why dont you let it be...that way you can unjustly blame Gwen when your candidate doesn't meet expectations. Seriously, get a life!

Since neither Joe Biden nor Carribou Barbie are black politicians, I don't see how this is relevant.

saying that she's in Obama's poicket because she wrote a book about him is like saying that anyone who wrote a book about Hitler is in Hitler's pocket. Come on people, use the gray matter that's between your ears!

OBAMA and his people need to shut up. I black man and a demcorat who is very happy to vote for john mcccain and sarah palin.

If this is suppose to be an "issue-maker," let it GO. Someone somewhere will find something to criticize, regardless of who's moderating.
Gwen Ifill has the journalistic chops. Next story, please?

Just goes to show that Palin is not ready. This looks like another desperate attempt by the McCain campaign to prolong the debate.

Obama isnt debating, and Im sure she'll be better than that guy they had for the McCain Obama debate. He was horrible!

If you wanna split hairs, look at it this way, shes black AND a woman! Ha. There you go, both sides covered. Lets move on.

Is this a stunt to get Palin out of the debate??? Suuuuuure looks like it!! All the moderators have written books–about a lot of stuff. Do we get rid of them all?????

so, where have these GOP whiners

jim lehrer was doing their bidding in the first debate?

WOW! this is not news.

WOW, here's an example of the DEMOCRATS pulling their dirty tricks that they accuse McCain of doing all the time.

Surprised Tina Fey isn't doing the moderating..........actually, the way the media is about Republicans, it wouldn't surprise me!!!!

Ever notice that celebrities TALK about helping out the average american, but never seem to do much about it?????

ONLY REASON HOLLYWOOD WANTS A DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS SO THEY DON'T PAY TO MANY TAXES!!!!!!!

Ifill should either withdraw, or better yet, be balanced by a co–moderator, say, Mark Levin.

I want Obama and Biden to win but this is clearly a case of conflict of interest. They should find an impartial replacement, it's the right thing to do.

WELL I DONT SEE A PROBLEM. BUT THE REPUBS ARE SETTING UP FOR PALINS FAILURE AND THE EXCUSES THAT WILL COME WITH IT.

OBAMA.........08

This is truly a mess! Let the woma moderater the debate.

This will be another reason McCain claims he lost the Presidency. Like the fact McCain and Palin have no responsibility for being rejected by the American voter! At 72 years of age one would THINK McCain and his squad would be confident in their candidate's campaign, record as a senior statesman, and position on issues.

Sadly at this advanced age and this late in the campaign, McCain will grasp this straw to cry foul.

I hope Ifill isn't biased and won't ask only scripted questions that Biden is most experienced at vs. Palin. Palin though needs to just answer questions and not keep fumbling up. I mean she was asked what she read from Katy Couric my gosh you mean she couldn't say I read Time, or World News, Life Magazine, or wallstreet journal since she said she lost 20 thousand in the stock market. She is really starting to enoy me with this airhead take she has on everything.

The Republicans are looking for any excuse to not let Sarah Palin open her mouth and show just how un-qualified she is...anything will do.

Maybe Ifill should also step down because she disagrees with hunting moose???

Just another ploy by the McInsanes to try and stall the debate. Everyone knows that Biden is going to mop the floor with Palin's wannabe "Audrey Hepburn" updo. She better have a photographic memory with lots of disc space to be able to speak on anything that is hurled her way. This stupid woman continues to believe that the 700 billion is for job creation!!!!

Get her out of here!!!!!!!!

I read that the Republican Party managed to get the rules for the VP debate changed so that there will be only 2 minutes of head-to-head discussion rather than five minutes. But is the rumor correct that the debate moderator's questions have been given to the candidates in advance? If so, to what extent would the debate be a test of Palin's non-rehearsed abilities and knowledge?

its because she is black

I love that the Republicans found out about this and they could get rid of her and let someone else do it, or we will be listening to for weeks how an Obama supporter sank Palin....A shipwreck waiting to happen!!!

Obama should be the first to call for her being replaced. when Palin falls flat on her face, we dont need the GOP blaming the pro-Obama moderator, it will just give them the excuse they need.
get rid of her, put a pro-McCain moderator for all i care so there are NO excuses for Palin's incoherent musings.

Can we not think brains over color in this country?

Can any of you envision Palin as the leader of the free world?

There's a 1:7 chance of that if McZero wins.

this is Bull republican are jus scared lol.... the same question will be addressed by both of them

So all the conservatives have now is 'whining and complaining' as a weapon. Oh, how pathetic those stone age fools are.

At last, perhaps they may become an extinct species and us finally rid of the fungus they are at the bottom of our great countries pool of people.

btw: Why does Palin only do interviews (and very few at that, count them on one hand) for completely neocon Republican media outlets, such as fox? Oh, because a double standard is ok when your VP is totally incompetent.

Another one that McCain forget to vet properly ...

The facts are facts. No one seems to wants to explore the 20 years of Obama's life when he was admittedly out smoking crack. This person writing abook in favor or not not of either candidate has no relevance on the VP debate. The candidates will be the ones talking. Besides, Biden is a big boy, he will get his say in. He has for the past 20 years. Or has he? Both Obama and Biden were hand picked by a select few corrupt Democratic leaders who appear to covet control of our country and using it for their own personal gain. As a democrat, I renounce this corrupt party and revolt. I'm putting country first!

where's was the outrage when Obama did the heavily Republican favored saddlebrook interview

To those who use 'Muslim' as the way to spin this election – Iraq is a Muslim country, and how many US troops have died for that country ? how many US dollars has poured into that country ? and McCain said – let's keep doing.

switch it up if you want. Have Bill O'Reilly do it? The candidates will still have to answer the same questions on the same stage in front of the same audience. I only hope that he McCain camp isn't using this to try and stall and get it pushed back. I find it hard to believe this just found this out on Tuesday and if that's true they just aren't doing their homework.

"…as if we needed any further evidence of a jaw-dropping double standard, we have to contemplate the sheer impossibility that someone who wrote a positive biography of McCain being chosen to moderate a debate,"

Read that sentence fragment out loud. It does not even make sense.

Does anyone WHINE and COMPLAIN more than a Republican?

She's a MODERATOR; she's not giving out grades

Yea, she should simply step down. It would suck if something like this tarnishes a Biden victory in the debates.

McCain is trying to play the refs ... crying 'foul' before the game started. Nice going ! Maybe we could label Gwen Ifill as racist or sexist ?

scuse me. This isn't news. Info about this book has been online and on the news. Perhaps the McCain campaign needs to be a little more well informed. It isn't our fault they haven't done their homework.
Its a nice try at distraction though. Too bad that, after 8 years of this game the American people don't play it anymore.

Desperate attempt to get Wail'n Palin out of having to do the debate!

The country is divided. You are going to find a moderator that is either for Obama or McCain. Can't please both parties. I think McCain has done enough to change the rules of the ebate in Palin's favor. Stop whinning old man!

This is certainly the year that journalism died.