Ifill: "I know it's much more fun to assume than to read, but if you are really bothered by this, I believe it will put your concerns to rest."

Bangor, Maine: I recall clearly the controversy of Ms. Ifill moderating one of the presidential debates in the fall of 2008 while her forthcoming book, “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama” was gaining popular attention. Those who questioned a potential conflict of interest and lack of impartiality on the part of Ms. Ifill were dismissed as trite and politically biased, and her book in no way would benefit from the election of Mr.