Newsflash: Ifill Ethics Commission Clears Ifill

By Michelle Malkin  •  October 2, 2008 02:12 PM


(Photoshop via Jason Smith)

In times like these, nothing hits the spot like Iowahawk.

Hee.
***

On a serious note, I dropped an e-mail to PBS ombudsman Michael Getler for his opinion of Gwen “Age of Obama’s” clear financial and ideological conflicts of interest.

I’ll let you know if there’s any response.

Meantime, an ethics maven at CJR comes to a surprising conclusion. Knock me over with a feather.

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Comments


  1. #1
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm, Jeddite said:

    Panel of Foxes clears fox of any wrongdoing in the hen house.

  2. #2
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm, atheling said:

    Nothing here. Move along.

  3. #3
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm, ajmontana said:

    :shock:

  4. #4
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 pm, Jarhead said:

    Those heart throbs should had $$$$ signs in them.

  5. #5
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm, Dimsdale said:

    Silly us. Only Republicans have bias or special interests.

    She is a “professional,” right? It was simply a Dukakian “oversight” that made her neglect to tell the ethics commission about her financial interest in the outcome of the election.

    The fix is in.

  6. #6
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm, wighttrasch said:

    That’s like my cat sitting quietly licking his arse clears him of any wrongdoing in shredding my curtains.

  7. #7
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm, Goldwater Knight said:

    Ethics Schmethics.

  8. #8
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm, MtsEdge said:

    If this isn’t an ethics violation, nothing is.

  9. #9
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm, BobK said:

    I sent an email to jb@debates.org yesterday but I doubt I will get a response either.

  10. #10
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm, uhangtight said:

    if these roles were reversed the conservative journalist would be tared and feathered and never allowed to show their face again! nuff said for me..double standards that i am sick of for sure.

  11. #11
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm, d1carter said:

    PBS is where “journalists” work who can’t get a job any other place…

  12. #12
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:33 pm, leftcoastconservative said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm, MtsEdge said:
    If this isn’t an ethics violation, nothing is.

    Liberals have always held that morals and ethics are determined by the individual. It is there lone contribution to personal responsibility.

  13. #13
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:39 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    What’s scary is, parodies like Iowahawk’s, (which was delicious by the way) are getting closer and closer to reality. Whatever happened to the days of recusing because of the appearance of inpropriety?

  14. #14
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm, wighttrasch said:
    That’s like my cat sitting quietly licking his arse clears him of any wrongdoing in shredding my curtains.

    I had a cat like that once. Once!

  15. #15
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm, sbw999 said:

    Wonder how dems would feel about Brit Hume moderating the next debate? He would be a perfect choice…but they would scream bloody murder. Dems love a fixed game, morally bankrupt scumbags that they are.

  16. #16
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:45 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm, d1carter said:

    PBS is where “journalists” work who can’t get a job any other place…

    Hard and cruel d1carter, cruel and hard.
    I hope the Governor has a faux copy visible of Ifill’s book and mentions it every question. She might ask about FDR, 1932, television and clean negroes.

    Hard and cruel d1carter, cruel and hard.

  17. #17
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:49 pm, meatpieandtatters said:

    “And as moderator this evening, PBS commentator Gwen Shill…..I mean Ifill…”

    :lol:

    She’s a joke.

  18. #18
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:52 pm, BobonStatenIsland said:

    I have yet to get a response from my letter to PBS ombudsman Michael Getler which was emailed Wed. afternoon. Remember, it will be the content of the debate itself which will be reported on and which will be remembered by the viewing public, many of which don’t even bother with the MSM or the Web. That is why Palin MUST bring the book up (maybe congradulate Ifil at the beginning). Let’s also hope Palin isn’t as milk toast as McCain is in his unwillingness to attack the left.

  19. #19
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:53 pm, Mixer14 said:

    Blinders on? Check!

    Excuses in place? Check!

    Denials written? Check!

    Ethics suppressed? Check!

    OK – Let’s Debate!

  20. #20
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm, dadinseattle said:

    PBS ombudsman Michael Getler evidently thought it was fine to allow a recent poll to stay up asking whether or not Sara Palin had the qualifications to be Vice-President. The poll allowed multiple votes and at my last check over 50,000,000 votes had been cast. It was actually a internet war between the two sides with obvious block voting occurring.
    Though numerous complaints about the poll were registered Mr. Getler allowed the sham to continue. On a web site that may receive a few thousand hits a day max after the first 1-2 million he should have stopped it, but didn’t.
    The selection of Ifell is not surprising nor is the “who me?” look on their faces.
    This new Obama nation is looking less and less like a place one would want to live in!

  21. #21
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm, Paul Revere said:

    Most journalists have huge egos. Ifill is clearly letting her desire to be in front of the camera get in the way of any supposed ethics she’s supposed to have. I rather like that she’s exposed. I’d rather know the enemy than think I know them. ;)

  22. #22
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:02 pm, Marie said:

    Gwen Ifil works for PBS
    A government subsidized station.
    Why, She’s on welfare!

  23. #23
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:05 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    Meritocracy in action!

  24. #24
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 pm, USAF4Life said:

    Due to her bias being “outed”, this will probably be the most fair debate of them all. “Better the devil you know that the devil you don’t know” (Erasmus?) She will have to try to be as fair as possible to prove her “objectivity”.

    Anybody else notice in the first debate how Obama’s answers tended to run on unchecked for the entire alloted time? I don’t even thing he took a breath. McCain, being a gentleman and not interrupting, just stood there waiting for him to shut up. Then when McCain tried to rebut, Lehrer tried to tell him that time was up on that topic?

  25. #25
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm, tarpon said:

    I think they are stuck with her now …

    Gov Palin could use the line, I see you are in a wheelchair so I won;t ask you to get up and sign a copy of your Obama book for me.

  26. #26
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm, Anita said:

    McCain (or Palin) should announce that their first pork spending cut would be tax payer money subsidizing of PBS & NPR.

  27. #27
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm, publiuswarmac9999 said:

    I sent an e-mail to both the Presidential Debate Commission and PBS yesterday. No response.

    There are many ways to bias a debate. Biden could somehow get a copy of the questions. Ifill could interrupt Palin at a critical juncture in her answer. Ifill could ask a question in a different tone of voice or rate of speech. She could look down on Palin and up on Biden.

    Ifill is easily compromised by whatever she does – but the damage will have been done.

  28. #28
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm, USAF4Life said:

    The other problem with liberals progressives moderating these debates is that, even if they treat the candidates fairly as far as alloted time, their questions are always from the liberal progressive point of view. For example: “What do you think should be done about climate change?”, “What do you think should be done to provide healthcare to all Americans?”, etc, etc. Those are not the issues I, as a conservative, am interested in.

  29. #29
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm, hatfield said:

    Ifill is now and has always been a left wing hack. It is what it is. We just need to recognize her for what she is.

  30. #30
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm, brooklyn red said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm, publiuswarmac9999 said:
    I sent an e-mail to both the Presidential Debate Commission and PBS yesterday. No response.

    Have you tried the DOJ & FCC? :)

    But really, how did she break her leg anyway… oh that’s right, she fell off the swing down the stairs… inquiring minds want to know!

  31. #31
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm, Ron said:

    I’m astonished that CJR would even go to the trouble of making the call to notoriously unbiased, bipartisan PBS.

  32. #32
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm, Cosmo said:

    We Conservative continue to decry the liberal lack of “ethics” in cases such as this one.

    What we continue to fail to realize is that where there is no morality nor moral compass, there is no need for–nor presence of “ethics.”

    Not only are we not playing on the same field, we’re playing an entirely different ball game with a vastly different set of rules, folks.

  33. #33
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:52 pm, rightwingrocker said:

    I would appreciate another VP debate hosted by Sean Hannity.

    RWR
    http://www.rightwingrocker.com

  34. #34
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm, LC said:

    Maybe the best question to ask is WHAT would be an ethics violation, if not this.

  35. #35
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm, Uncle Monkey said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm, LC said:
    Maybe the best question to ask is WHAT would be an ethics violation, if not this.

    Maybe (and this is just maybe) attacking Gov. Palin with a chainsaw.
    And only because it’s not green.

  36. #36
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm, Mookie said:

    I still don’t understand why this is a story now as opposed to weeks ago? Don’t get me wrong, I think she has no business moderating the debate and can’t stand Ifill anyway because of Imus but the book was public knowledge for two months. It was in Time Magazine, the Washington Times, NY Post and hundreds of mainstream news websites. Why didn’t anyone complain until now?

  37. #37
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:01 pm, sambo said:

    LC said:
    Maybe the best question to ask is WHAT would be an ethics violation, if not this.

    You have to have ethics before you can violate them.

  38. #38
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm, Hangfire said:

    Journalism : Ethics :: Military : Intelligence

  39. #39
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm, Marc said:

    Anyone ever try writing to public editors Barney Calume and Clark Hoyt at the New York Times? These guys are ususally just carrying water for Bill Keller and take a “we can do no wrong” approach. Once in a while, they are critical of the Times from the left, if you can believe that. The Times is so far left that Mr. Calume thought Maureen Dowd was a model of centrism.

  40. #40
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm, Hangfire said:

    Maureen Dowd centrist?

    And my ’77 LTD is a sub-compact.

  41. #41
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:20 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:09 pm, tarpon said:
    I think they are stuck with her now …

    Gov Palin could use the line, I see you are in a wheelchair so I won;t ask you to get up and sign a copy of your Obama book for me.

    Ha!
    Wouldn’t it be great if Biden commands Ifill to stand up? Deja vu all over again!

  42. #42
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm, DaveC said:

    rightwingrocker said:

    I would appreciate another VP debate hosted by Sean Hannity.

    Megyn Kelly

  43. #43
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm, Mookie said:
    I still don’t understand why this is a story now as opposed to weeks ago? Don’t get me wrong, I think she has no business moderating the debate and can’t stand Ifill anyway because of Imus but the book was public knowledge for two months. It was in Time Magazine, the Washington Times, NY Post and hundreds of mainstream news websites. Why didn’t anyone complain until now?

    I don’t believe the moderators were selected weeks ago.

  44. #44
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm, Mookie said:

    I don’t believe the moderators were selected weeks ago.

    They were chosen on August 5th.

  45. #45
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm, brooklyn red said:

    Aufmerksamkeit, Aufmerksamkeit! es gibt keine Notwendigkeit dieser so genannten Debatte! das Soros hat gesprochen! Hagel Soros! , Hagel Soros! Hagel Soros! seine Überprüfungen chashed, seins werden getan! Das große ohrige schwarze Werkzeug trägt seine Mitteilung… Energie zu den Leuten! das Soros hat gesprochen!

  46. #46
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm, graysonret said:

    Ethics Commission? They wouldn’t know “ethics” if it dropped in their lap. They would clear Pol Pot of any wrong-doing.

  47. #47
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm, Paul Revere said:

    I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a very long time tonight. I’m going to pray for Sarah. I normally say a prayer for my family, but it’s been a long time since I’ve God’s grace upon Mr. Bush and our leaders. I pray that Sarah has an inner peace and the forces of evil (which I perceive to be real) be killed tonight.

    Amen.

  48. #48
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 5:25 pm, June said:

    Send your thoughts to the sponsors of the VP debate:

    http://debate.wustl.edu/sponsors.html

  49. #49
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 5:41 pm, zorro said:

    Main stream media: “Ethics? Ethics?? We don’t need no stinking ethics!”

  50. #50
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm, Member-VRWC said:

    Forget members of the media who, like Ifill, have an obvious conflict of interest. And no, no matter how “professional” she or any of her synchophantic fellow members of the media claim she will be, my take on human nature is that she will definitely be biased. Not only because she is extremely liberal (she works for PBS!), but because she has a book pending with the name of the Democrat presidential candidate appearing in the title. Hello? Stuck on stupid, anyone?

    My question is why have any members of the media be the moderators of these debates?

    Are they the only ones deemed qualified to ask questions of political candidates? To that I say Humbug!

    Members of the media already have the ability to shape perspective on the candidates through TV and the press, so why do they get the additional opportunity to pile on with their biased point of view during these debates?

    We know they perceive the interviews they conduct and debate moderator duties as opportunities to show off for their fellow “urinalists.” The more they browbeat the Republican candidate during one of these farces, the more atta boy/girl responses they get from their fellow travelers, other members of the media. How many bouquets of flowers did Couric receive after her hatchet job on Palin? Answer: too many to count.

    So my idea would be to have people other than the media pricks moderate these debates. People who, unlike urinalists, have nothing to gain professionally by being in that position. People who, unlike urinalists, might actually pay a price if they exhibited the liberal bias that the media has consistently demonstrated or as an alternative, a conservative bias, in a position that is supposed to be neutral.

    Media people as a group aren’t very bright. Surely we could do better in finding knowledgable people qualified as moderators, who can maintain the standards of impartiality that should be a prerequisite for the position.

    Shame on us for not insisting on it and for letting the status quo go unchallenged.

  51. #51
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 7:17 pm, Rob said:

    I just drove three miles down the main street near my home in Southern California and didn’t see ONE white person. The signs are in Spanish and Asian, the people are dressed Muslim garp and other “traditional” clothing.

    I wish there was a way I could show you all a video of what is coming to a city near you soon. Not ONE white person… for miles, and the most run down buildings you could imagine. Like a third world country. You might think you were in Tijuana.

    Conservatives are doomed.

  52. #52
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 7:25 pm, Dimsdale said:

    Well, Kalifornia is doomed. Hoisted on their own petards.

  53. #53
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm, Laree said:
  54. #54
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On October 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm, Mookie said:
    “I don’t believe the moderators were selected weeks ago.”
    They were chosen on August 5th.

    I stand corrected. Then the debate commission and McCain’s camp were extremely derelict.

  55. #55
    On October 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 pm, Marine_NCO said:

    PBS
    Pure Bull Shott

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