My question is why is your reading comprehension so poor that you didn't catch the fact that the book won't be released until "about the same time the next president takes the oath of office."

Wow we have the same question it seems as Legion's post just above yours clearly shows it's been known for a while :P

I'm with you. The disclosure, obviously, was a must. From everything I can see, the McCain camp was aware of this and, as you point out, McCain himself does not think she should withdraw. Now, had this been a brand new revelation, that would have been something else.

The latest outrage of the week Campaign 2008 has been over Gwen Ifil moderating tomorrow night's Presidential debate. James Joyner at OTB summed things up well- But, surely, it's fair......

Anyway, I think she can do the interview objectively, but now the focus is all on her performance and not on Palin's. Is this a good thing? I don't know. Was it intentional? I don't know.

Second: This is a direct financial conflict of interest. Whether the book ends up being pro-Obama or not, it's premised -- as its title proves pretty definitively -- on this being "the Age of Obama." It can't be denied that she'll sell more books if Obama wins, and she'll have a more of a turkey if her book is released on McCain's inauguration day. Because she has a financial interest in the outcome of the election, she should disclose that to the audience before the debate begins.

Third: The relevant question is not whether there is a conflict, but whether she, having properly disclosed it, can rise above it and do a professional, unbiased job at the debate. I think she probably can, based in large part on the way she handled the 2004 vice presidential debate. So does John McCain:

Sen. John McCain says he is confident PBS reporter Gwen Ifill will “do a totally objective job” moderating Thursday’s vice presidential debate despite authoring a new book that is reportedly favorable toward Sen. Barack Obama.

Asked during an interview Wednesday with Fox’s Carl Cameron whether Ifill should excuse herself as the debate moderator, McCain acknowledged the potential conflict of interest but expressed confidence in the longtime journalist.

“I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think that she will do a totally objective job because she is a highly respected professional,” McCain said during an interview at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. “Does this help…if she has written a book that’s favorable to Senator Obama? Probably not. But I have confidence that Gwen Ifill will do a professional job and I have that confidence.”

Folks will decide for themselves if she actually showed bias. Let the debate proceed, but with the disclosure, so people have a fair basis to make up their own minds.

Whine Hard With a Vengeance. Playing nightly on Fox News.

It will just get louder as the McCain campaing's death-spiral tightens...

My question is why is your reading comprehension so poor that you didn't catch the fact that the book won't be released until "about the same time the next president takes the oath of office."

"We have an awkward history about how to talk about race in the nation and in newsrooms," says Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer" and author of "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," slated for publication early next year.

which was well before both campaigns agreed to Ifill's being a moderator, as announced on the 6th of August.

Either the McCain Campaign always knew about this and always intended to use it as cheap political leverage or they're just as grossly incompetent as you all deeply fear. Either way, this heartache over Ifill now is pathetic and childish and utterly transparent.

"Geez, if Palin can't handle Ifill, how can we trust her to handle Osama bin Laden?"

Hmm.. where've we heard something like that before.. Surely not from Faux News.

Seriously, you babies are worried about Gwen Ifill? Gwen Ifill?! You've got to be kidding me. How much more milquetoasty can you get than Gwen Ifill?

My god, you righties are turning out to be the biggest buncha crybabies I've ever seen.

(Triumph, we could use some of your good ol' fashioned sarcasm here!)