Biden TV interviewer was a joke

The TV anchors interview Frank was the way all interviews should be handled before lazy journalists became the driveby media and stopped asking the tough questions of liberals and Democrats.Since February 2007 when Obama/Lincoln started his campaign he has been pampered and lied about to look favorable. His smarmy life and friends and assocaites have been overlooked deliberately by a fawning press in his tank.
Biden did a poor job handling the interview and he lied uncontollably to get the interview done. It was bad theatre by a cocky Senator with elitist background.
If it weren't for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity the big lie would have gone down for good.to elect the most unqualified duo in American history.
Now at least half of America have awakened to the media con-game. The election will be close and Obama may be defeated. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

Obviously, Frank James believes that Joe Biden should only face questions Frank James and David Axelrod have approved of.

In other words, the same type of softball questions the pro-Obama media has asked throughout this campaign.

No wonder the latest Pew Media Survey shows that while media coverage of Obama has been positive, media coverage of McCain has been 3-1 negative.

goodjob barbara!palin has been treated far worse then thatby obama's liberal media friends!just another example of not being able to ask questions with buden and obama if you can be asked questions your runing for the wrong job!

It was her audition tape for Fox News.

If there were more real reporters like that holding their feet to
the fire, Obama would be polling in the low twenties!

Biden and the rest of those Washington elitists have become so accustomed to the
softball game all reporters play with them, they come totally unglued when
real hard questions start hitting them between the eyes.

Kudos to Barbara West

Here I thought incompetence was limited to the Bush-McCain Republican politicians, but I see, it is contagious. Now, the newsreaders are " Bushwackers for the Incompetents " !! Those clever Bush-McCain Republicans have their plants in the media, now, just like they have stashed our government with zealots, ideologues and incompetents, over the last 8 years.
The negative coverage that Senator McCain has been enjoying for the last few months, is due entirely to the employment of the ( not too) Swift-Boaters and their rabble. Senator Obama is merely defending himself against gossip, rumors, distortions and character assassination !! Anybody in their right mind, would be doing exactly, as Senator Obama is !! You don't stand by and allow slanderous statements against your integrity, your family or your patriotism. Senator McCain and his under-qualified running mate, have engaged in gutter politics and now, they stink to high heaven, dealing in such waste !! Maybe, Phil Gramm, Senator McCain's economic adviser had it half right, about the Bush-McCain Republicans, they are a bunch of " whiners " !! Go home and learn the fine art of persuasion, instead of the fine art of character assassination. You have failed on both counts !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

Jerry, Disgusted and Sheila- Seriously?? I'm a middle aged white grandmother who is so incredibly disappointed in my senator. I voted for him for re-election last election. I am more than disgusted by the attacks that are, by any reputable fact checking web site, untrue. I sat on the fence, I waited for the information I wanted to hear. There are no facts and ideas to back the rhetoric, just a bunch of statements. How do we get to what McCain's proposing? "We'll do- this" Give me concrete proposals I can measure against Sen. Obama's plan. There's a few but not enough to make me believe it won't be the same policies that have lost my retirement. I've fact checked, Obama can't be a Muslim and attend a Christian church. It goes against the most serious beliefs of either church to be one and the other. Wm. Ayers was approached by the Annenbergs, an exceptionally well respected Republican family for work on these education efforts. If they didn't believe Ayers was a terrorist at that point in his life then why should Obama have seen him as such? All these answers and more are in factcheck.org (which incidentally is an Annenberg foundation site). I'm sorry you feel the way you do and only hope you benefit from an Obama presidency. I want a better world for my beautiful grandaughters.

I thought Biden handled it well. Lately I'm ashamed to be a registered Republican, but I’m definitely no Liberal. Bush and the far right have hijacked the party of Lincoln and Regan. As Ron Jr. told "W" at the funeral "You sir are no Ronald Regan", and I’ll add that the GOP is no longer the party I supported for 28 years. Voting with Bush over 90% of the time (more than any other Republican by his own words) no longer qualifies a person as a “Maverick”. McCain has now become part of the problem. We need a party that uses common sense and Governs from the middle for ALL the people. Obama has shown that. Look at the real reasons for why they vote for or against a bill, not these trumped up political lies. GOP for Obama!

To paraphrase Sen. Biden:
"Mr. James, you're kidding, right?" Any question other than total softballs (even wacky ones like those from this reporter), and Obama supporters in the media such as Frank James bemoan the state of American journalism. Please. It is the rank, biased, misogynistic coverage from the primaries that has lead to the low esteem in which the media is held. The over the top attacks on Hillary and Palin are excused as the media doing their job. When George Stephanopolous asked Obama some tough questions in an April debate, he was roundly criticized by others in media and their fellow thin skinned Obama supporters. The new American media rule: bash the women, bash the Republicans, destroy those who dare question Obama. Mr. James, you should be fear for your profession and for actual free speech instead of attacking a local reporter. Any who do not tow the Obama line will be silenced. Just blacklist any media source that doesn't give you the coverage you want. Shut down WGN if they interview someone who is against Obama. Make up death threats. Scream racism. Divide the nation. Now that's Obama/Biden for you...change you can deceive with.

Not an effective interviewer, clearly.
She's trying to do what "Joe the Plumber" did for Obama - provide a platform to be quite clear in their positions and counterpoint to McCain talking points.

I was impressed at how Katie Couric lulled Sarah Palin into shoving her foot into her mouth.

i guess frank didn't watch "good old boy" charlie gibson's interview of sarah ? guess frank has a double standard...
hard questions for a woman but no hard questions from a woman ..
i would have loved to see barbara interview "the one" .....
or as he is is known without a teleprompter "the UHM"

the Obama campaign is a bunch of cowards. I think this interview illustrates exactly how the country's questions and concerns would be handled if these bimbos were elected into office. The job of the media is to ask tough questions and get answers. Palin and McCain have been ridiculed and treated about a thousand times worse than that and never complained. Biden didn't know how to answer the tough questions, and it showed how weak he is. I wonder what would of happened if Barbara fought back and said "yes senator Biden... Your campaign the Obama Campaign said he is going to spread the wealth."This interview is a great informative piece. Biden and Obama are complete idiots or should i say community organizers... that can't answer tough questions and had to cancel Jill Bidens interview. Well guess what these questions were straight forward, and fair, if they get into office America;s doomed because there will be tough issues and crisis's and how the will they be able to handle that!

I would like to here his answer- there is not much difference between the Obam "Spread the wealth" and the Karl Marx quote--

Funny how actually asking Obama/Biden to explain their ridiculous ideology based quotes in terms of a different equally ideological and equally ridiculous quote causes them to run out of glib answers...if the differences in Marx and Obama are so stark Biden should have been able to answer the question...the problem is that the differences are subtle- Biden knows this..so did West.

Good job West..

Frank James- what is different about your spin on the validity of Wests line of questioning and your own self indulgent indignation at the question..where is your "journalistic" objectivity?

"palin has been treated far worse then thatby obama's liberal media friends"

Posted by: shelia | October 26, 2008 10:28 AM

Are you kidding? Palin has hardly gone before the so-called "liberal" media.

It took Palin 55 days to go before NBC News for an interview. And the only way she would do it is with John McCain by her side.

55 days!

NBC NEWS! That's one of the top THREE television news organizations in the country, if not THE the most watched.

And after Brian Williams pointed that out, Matt Lauer quips that it took Williams 55 days to get up early.

Huh?

Well, that was Lauer's attempt to shied the public away from Williams' point.

55 days of avoiding free press. That is unheard of in presidential politics. But the Republicans were so afraid that Williams might ask Palin a tough question. Turns out, his was her easiest interview.

The fact is, that Lauer is just part of the same group of media types that range from the far right (Hannity, Will, Brooke) to the left (Donaldson, etc.).

Over all, the media is pretty balanced. If it sounds like the media is giving the Republicans hell, it's because the policies of the Republicans have been hell on the public.

Where is your outrage over interviews that have been unfair to the OTHER side? Charlie Gibson was condescending to Sarah Palin -- were you outraged over that?

And frankly, even if the questions are bad, even if the interviewer is biased, Biden was terrible. In this kind of contest, you still have to answer the questions, like them or not.

This reminds me of the debate in which Obama did horribly. Immediately all his backers blamed, not the Great One, but Charlie Gibson and George Stephanapolous for asking slanted questions.

God help us if Obama wins. It will be "off with their heads" to anyone who dares cross him/his administration.

Biden is a joke also-

"...55 days of avoiding free press. That is unheard of in presidential politics...."

Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | October 26, 2008 11:44 AM

Jorge-

Kind of like Obama avoiding the Oreilly or Hannity for over a year?

If you don't think this interviewer is incredibly biased, look at this interview she did with McCain on 10/14. http://www.wftv.com/video/17712615/index.html Now compare and contrast. Pretty stark difference, huh? It doesn't matter if you support McCain or Obama or a third-party candidate; an unbiased comparison between these two interviews show a shocking degree of bias! Admit it people, this is bad journalism, no matter if you're red, blue, or green with spots.

Where have Obama bin Biden been with access to the press lately. No TV interviews, no press conferences, but the press just harps about no access to Palin.

What Biden went thru is just a sample of what Gov palin goes thru daily and her treatment from the press.

The Marx question is a fair one because to paraphrase a recent Biden quote - If it walks like a marxist, and talks like Marxist, its a Marxist!

Look people, it's one thing to agree or disagree with Barbara West's obvious position, but compare it to her interview of John McCain. Unless you're a complete partisan hack, you have to see that it was a horrendously biased attack, and there is no place for that in journalism. Only in editorial outlets is that sort of thing acceptable, where it is labeled as such.

Seems to me that it was an issues-directed question, respectfully posed. We needed more questions like that in the so-called debates.

Kudos to West for asking it. It reflects poorly on the Obama campaign that they are now 'freezing out' coverage by that station. Makes it look like they are afraid of the issues.

Sure, the usual suspects take it out on Frank James; but other bloggers and commetators have questioned this interview as well. When the anchors are reading Republican talking points, that is not objectivity.

It is refreshing to see a peer of Ms. West's take her to task for her utter lack of professionalism.

For those lamenting about Mr. James' response to West's "tough" (read: ridiculous) questions, they should also note that unlike Sarah Palin, who has been lobbed questions as "tough" as "what newspapers do you read," and has not been unable to deliver a coherent answer, Sen. Biden did a credible and solid job of answering a string of questions that were hard to tell apart from those found in footage of McCarthy-era hearings.

This outrageous episode illustrates just one reason why the Obama/Biden ticket is miles ahead of the other team -- a majority of the American public is sick and tired of the the far right-wing's insulting assertion that fellow citizens who do not bow before their ideology are not "true Americans." And when I say "the American public," I include those Republicans who endorsed Obama or are sitting out this election. Ms. West may be pleased with herself for feeding some of the worst elements of the political spectrum their red meat, but for the rest of us, we say, thanks, but no thanks, to what she's serving up.

In order for a Party not to appear socialist or even cultish, they should not thwart the Freedom of Speech, whether it be Joe the Plumber or West the Interviewer. It scares me when we cannot ask tough questions of those who are sure they will be in charge in just a few short months. We will just have to suck it up, drink their kool-aid and not question anything they decide to do once in control of our country, less we be investigated or ridiculed.

Unbelievably robot like interview by Babs.
I gotta hand it to Joe, she lost her thong on this one.
It's like she didn't even even realize how Joe was totally destroying her weak posits.

Unbelievably robot like interview by Babs.
I gotta hand it to Joe, she lost her thong on this one.
It's like she didn't even even realize how Joe was totally destroying her weak posits.

Barbara West's fumbling attempts at journalism were laughably inept.

She forgot the cardinal rule of investigational reporting: Stick to the facts!

You need to compare her interview with Biden with the one she had with McCain. The bias (if it weren't already clear from the Biden interview) is clear as day. Come on people we deserve better journalism than this.

I would LOVE McCain to come out with issues and policies - so would Obama. But McCain insists on using smears, lies and distortions of his opponent rather than face the fact that people want to know what he stands FOR. The fact that he won't talk about policies means that it is up to journalists to ask him about them. That's what they're paid to do - to present unbiased, factual reporting. That didn't happen in this interview, and Frank James is absolutely right. A journalism school would be horrified by this joke of an excuse for journalism.

Joe "The Biden" is you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

That anchorwoman embarrassed herself and just destroyed her career. That entire network now has egg on its face, it literally was just like a propaganda broadcast network like something out of the old Soviet Union.

Frank:

It appears that you have not watched Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews or Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. This is how they treat McCain supporters daily.

Also, the reaction of the Obama campaign was mellow compared to when the Extension 720 show on WGN radio back in Chicago had the terminity to interview an Obama critic. The Obama campaign called on it's supporters to shut down the program, which they did twice.

An intended consequence was this blog was also down for near a week.

I fear that a President Obama will follow his fellow socialist, Hugo Chavez, and ignore the 1st Amendment!

If you compare this interview to the interview of John McCain, the bias in Ms. West's voice is clear as day. Joe Biden didn't expect the interview to be a walk in the park because of the clear Republican leanings of the interviewer. But he didn't expect the comparison to Marxism simply because not even the most biased news anchor would pose a question based on unfounded comparisons. This is journalism at its worst. The interview tells us more about Ms. West then Mr. Biden.

When Senator Biden is asleep, he is more qualified to be President, than when Senator McCain and Governor Palin are awake, combined !! That speaks volumes to the good judgement of Senator Obama, that he has complimented his own chance to win the Presidency, with the great choice of Senator Biden. Senator Biden has the knowledge and experience to know the role of a Vice-President, which is, that of an adviser and supporter of Senator Obama, if he is fortunate enough to win the Presidency !! Senator Biden doesn't have an agenda to promote creationism in our schools, or censorship of our Libraries and he certainly will support, every woman's right to privacy, which is Governor Palin's and the Bush-McCain Republican's agenda !! Our nation will say no, to such a narrow-minded vision of America !! America is democratic ! America is compassionate ! America is also, fair-minded !! All, of which, seem to be ideals that the Bush-McCain Republicans seem to be against, for some reason !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

Frank James, are you serious? She asked the questions that all sane Americans would like to ask.

Unfortunately, like Joe the Plumber, the liberal media is attacking the person asking the question instead of asking why the Obama camp refuses to answer questions it doesn't like.

By the way, have you looked into Obama's New Party affiliation? As a member of a socialist party, it is fair to ask if he/Biden buy into the Marxist philosophy.

Why aren't journalists asking for more transparency from Obama/Biden? They sure demand it from McCain/Palin.

Shame on you for blindly supporting Obama. Americans deserve to know the truth before someone is handed leadership of our country.

Just found out the interviewer is married to a Republican political consultant! http://www.bluetidalwave.com/2008/10/conflict-of-interest-orlando-journalist.html This woman is so clearly biased. It's shameful that she allows so much of her personal bias into her professional life.

Great interview - I wish Ms West would have asked Biden to explain the Odinga/Obama mirror image "Change" campaigns, and why Obama supported Odinga in Kenya at US taxpayers' expense!

It was an extremely fair question because wealth redistribution - or "spreading the wealth" if you prefer - is already a pillar of the Democratic Party's ideology. President Clinton espoused it and employed it without batting an eye or the slightest remorse or shame. The real joke here was that Biden sought to avoid the question simply because it was couched in the perfectly descriptive words of Lenin. The wording of the question didn't detract at all from its validity.
.
Then again, why should he be subject to such questions? The election is going to be decided by hero worship rather than by any objective evaluation of any of the candidates. Had anyone done an objective evaluation of the candidates, then neither Obama nor McCain would win. Both of them are unfit for office and unacceptable as leaders. Hence, genuine questions have no real relevance.

Jerry White:
This my response to your views on Obama and Biden.

The TV anchors interview Frank was the way all interviews should be handled if they have the facts right first.She didn't ask tough questions she asked questions that are very racist and Jim Crow minded.Since February 2007 when Obama started his campaign he has not been pampered and has not lied about to look favorable. Tell us about your racist KKK card carrying members friends then we'll talk about Obama's friends first, your and associates have been the ones overlooked deliberately.
Biden did an excellent job handling the interview and he would not agree with her racist views as the interviewer used unproven statements to try to trapJoe Binden. It was bad theatre by a cocky white racist women who is clueless about Obamam..
Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are the biggest lier's around and they lie very often about Obama's life.
Now at least most of America have awakened to the Conservative medias con-game Fox News. The election will be close and Obama will win anyway regardless of all this Jim Crow Jerry White and associates lies to trash talking about Obama/Biden ticket.
dcdave01
Mayor of the Ghettos in America

" Judy ", can't you get real, for just once, in this campaign !!? Can't we just discuss the issues, such as the mistake in Baghdad, or how about the Banking Scandal of 2008 ?? Those are some fine examples of Senator McCain's leadership abilities, or lack thereof !! It also speaks loudly of his choice of economic advisers, such as former Senator " Whiner " Gramm, the Deregulator General !! Though, there is no greater example, of his lack of good judgement, than his choice of a running mate, Governor Palin. Her agenda of creationism in our classrooms, censorship of our libraries and the denial of every woman's right to privacy is about as extreme as anybody can be and still be a part of these United States !! Something else, she is not to keen about being a part of or so the stories go !! No, " Judy ", you and the rest of the nation, can do a lot better than that Ticket to Nowhere !! Senators Obama and Biden will not allow America to falter as the Bush-McCain Republicans have allowed her to !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

this is priceless! the poor woman obviously had no clue what she was reading off the teleprompter there; marxism and all... but as a (non-partisan) european, my fav is her saying that "sweden is a socialist country"!!! -- hilarious! this could run on SNL without any editing!

ps: and there is a BIG difference between "socialist" (former east germany) and "social democratic" (sweden) !!!

I thought Joe Biden's responses were great!!! If he thought these questions were stupid, he said so. That's because these questions were stupid and jokes. Only crazy people would think we would turn into socialism.

This interview was ridiculous. Even when Biden answered the questions she asked, she would return to them again.

How many times does Obama and Biden have to explain that they are giving a tax break to those making under $250,000.

McCain wants to buy up all those foreclosed mortgages. Thousands of them. Now, ain't that just smart? Guess who will be paying for them!

Barbara West was within her rights to ask the questions she asked, but in asking them she made it clear she was doing nothing more than gurgling out Republican talking points. And, when Biden answered her, I think he gave her exactly what she had coming. Which is HIS right to do.

I like Quippy's comment that it was the woman's audition tape for Fox News. BTW, Bush did his own reverse socialistic engineering when he gave the tax cuts to the very wealthy. It's time the wealthy start putting more of their publically funded money into the collective infrastructure of the USA, rather than putting their publically funded money into a personal sixth or seventh house, or into a twelfth or thirteenth car.

One of the major problems that I have with this election is the inability of the media to ask difficult questions of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
When they do say something that might make people question their ability to lead, the media tries to ignore their disappointing answers or if they become public knowledge offer the media offers excuses.
I must agree with Mark Penn that "the biggest loser in this election will be the media".
Why?
Because they are in the tank for Barack Obama!

OOPS! Dig a little, find a LOT. It turns out Mrs. West "forgot" to inform her viewers that her husband has direct ties to the Republican party and is a significant donor of Republican candidates AND a GOP Media Consultant!

So now we know where those questions came from - passed by her GOP campaign consultant husband across the breakfast table while munching on bowls of Mini-Wheats and orange juice.

If you ever wondered why those questions seemed to be channeled straight out of the McCain-Palin talking points manual, now you know.

It used to be important for journalists to disclose their intimate connections to the stories they cover. And this is the poster child for intimate conflict of interest. Those days are evidently over, at least at this backwater hack of a news department.

I think I will cut all the right wingers a break on this one. With the only "free" press role models they have (Hannity, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly) they actually think this is journalism. Asking one what papers they read or for any specifics at all about anything, I guess that's attack journalism.

Judy, why don't you just point us all to a source for your info about Obama supporting Odinga in Kenya at US taxpayer expense. Is it a video on youtube or on a Fox commentary show, like O'Reilly or Hannity and Colmes? Perhaps an article in the WSJ? Maybe it is from Jerome Corsi's book, Obama Nation?

This is what factcheck.org found in reviewing that allegation as discussed in Corsi's book:

"A frequent Corsi tactic is to point to some link between Obama and various unsavory persons and to imply that Obama somehow shares in their unsavoriness. He devotes an entire chapter to violent uprisings in Kenya following a disputed presidential election in 2007. The link to Obama? During a visit to Kenya in 2006, Obama and his wife, Michelle, arranged to take an AIDS test to publicly demonstrate the test's safety. While there, Obama spoke to the assembled crowd. Raila Odinga, one of the two candidates running for president, was on the stage when Obama spoke. Corsi concludes that the event constituted an endorsement of Odinga. He goes on to attribute all the violence in Kenya to an elaborate Odinga plot.

Corsi, however, offers no evidence that Obama actually did endorse Odinga. In fact, MSNBC reported that during that same trip, Obama also met with Mwai Kibaki, who was Odinga's opponent in that election, as well as with opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta. And Human Rights Watch reported that both Odinga and Kibaki (or their supporters, anyway) had a hand in the violence that followed the election."

Here's the link:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/corsis_dull_hatchet.html

Being from the Chicago suburbs, I remember reading about Obama's trip to Kenya, and his willingness, along with his wife's, to take the AIDS test as a way of demonstrating to the Kenyan populace, in the strongest way possible, that the test was safe.

McCain supporters have the blinders on. Judy will either ignore the facts, or move on to the next lie in the next chain e-mail she receives. In another few days, when the Obama-Odinga chain e-mail hits her in-box, she won't even remember that it was demonstrated as false, and will once again use it as a basis for justifying her opposition to Obama and her certainty that the MSM is in the tank for Obama. If ignorance is bliss, Judy and the other McCain supporters must be the most blissful group in the history of humankind!

Obama/Biden '08

Just for fun-

Can anyone posting here criticizing the question asked by West-actually explain the difference between the Marx "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." quote, and the Obama "Spreading the wealth around" quote?

Or does challenging the "change you can believe in" prez candidate when he self - proclaims that a key part of his platform is actually a old, tried and failed socialistic policy equate to a smear tactic...?

Please answer quickly- we reallly need to resolve this and get back to looking through Palin's family tree, sleep patterns, wardrobe, childrens sex life, and counting how many times she winks when she talks...

Wake up this is what Palin and McCain have been facing all along. It is good to see an interview for the BAMA/BIDN ticket gets the same treatment for a change. You go girl and keep interviewing without beating around the bush with Obama and Biden. We need these controversial questions asked of ALL the candidates, not just McCain/Palin.

Bemused, are you saying that the media now ranks below lawyers? I'm glad someone else see thing through clear focused eyes.

It was a ridiculous question.

Marxism means no private ownership of property. Obama proposes nothing of the sort. Nothing remotely in the same time zone, for that matter.

This was not a "tough" question. It was a question founded on complete incomprehension, which coincidentally is also the foundation of McCain's economic "plan."

It was a ridiculous question.

Marxism means no private ownership of property. Obama proposes nothing of the sort. Nothing remotely in the same time zone, for that matter.

This was not a "tough" question. It was a question founded on complete incomprehension, which coincidentally is also the foundation of McCain's economic "plan."

Posted by: a blinkin | October 27, 2008 12:59 PM

Yes- Obama has not said that he will take ALL of your personal property (earned income) ... just some of it.

Turns out when you look at the details -- he wants to take a lot of it..

So - your right, Obama does not equal Marx.. yet.

Ronald Reagan warned of this slippery slope with his famous quote;
... 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'

God help us.

Barbara West's husband, Wade, is a GOP media consultant. Obviously, their political leanings are affecting West's journalistic objectivity at WTFV. She is a news anchor, NOT a commentator like Olbermann, Maddow, Hannity or O'Reilly. Her job is to REPORT the news, not MAKE the news or interpret it.

Because of her huge conflict of interest, West should be banned from interviewing political candidates from either party.

It is interesting in this article how you "conveniently" left out the part where Biden clearly states (or, a better phrasing might be, 'lies about the fact') that, "[Senator Obama] is not spreading the wealth around."

But didn't Obama said to Joe the Plumber, we need to "spread the wealth around"?

Rather than feeling embarrassed by the reporter, I am embarrassed by this writer of this article's total lack of interest in the fact that the democrat's VP candidate lied on national TV.

Barbara West's question was basically, how is an income tax or any tax any different from Marxism?

I'm a newspaper reporter and could not believe Ms. West. She needs to quit her job. Every question was of the "when did you stop beating your wife" construction.

If a liberally bent reporter did the same thing to McCain or Palin I would be equally appalled.

As many of the previous comments have stated, Barbara West reflects how many of the Central Florida community feel. Central Florida is dominated by the extreme right wing Christian Conservative republican party. It is disturbing that the local news media would stoop as low as they did in the Barbara West interview. As a citizen I rely on the local news media to provide fair reporting so that I can make informed decisions. The questions asked of Joe Biden smack of McCarthyism. I want unbiased news reporting based on facts not hostile innuendo. I would think the local news media would want to set higher standards for our community. Thank goodness this is still a free country and I can turn the channel, permanently.

The important point in the article is that Ms. West, when interviewing Senator McCain, tossed him one solftball question after another. On the other hand, when interviewing Senator Biden...well, the interview speaks for itself. Joe Biden had it exactly right - the interview was nothing but a joke.

The interview was blatantly - well, there are no words for it. Barbara West embarrassed herself, and journalism in general, by wasting the chance to find out how real problems could be addressed. She had the chance to get information on how medicare could be fixed; how the economy could be fixed; how security could be fixed. Instead, she made herself sound like a partisan attack-dog, truly weakening her profession. And most sad of all, the lowering the national IQ. Does she really believe people are that stupid?

OK - first of all, does anybody here have an idea what socialism is??? It's the principal that people in need get the basics: FOOD - HOUSING - HEALTHCARE - EDUCATION!!! I mean, come on! Why is it considered so bad and such an evil thing to say 'look - 'I'll make sure that person who was hit by a car get medical attention' or, better yet, that 'all kids in the largest economy in the world shouldn't starve'!!! We turn wheat into bio-diesel!

What's wrong with a social conscience! One of the founding principals of any community - of any religious or social moral - is charity. And since when has charity become an instument of evil?

PEOPLE!!!!! Are we so stupid to be fighting over this???? Even the most hardened right-wing-Republican-Schaefly or even Barbara-West wouldn't oppose feeding the poor. Nobody should ever have to choose between food for their children or putting a roof over their head.

Maybe it's the education part. Frankly, as any person who benefitted from a 'socialist' education program would know - and translated it means anyone who attended public school - Marx was not a Marxist. All he tried to say is that people should be responsible to people! It was a down-with-imperialism idea. No more Kings, no abuse, accountability for all.

Isn't that the heart of democracy?

Now, I'm not a Republican - nor am I a democrat. I genuinely think McCain is a decent person who thinks he's doing the best for the country. But Come On! Choosing Palin as a running mate? If that's his choice, then what's the rest of his staff going to look like. That's a question that truly scares me.

But this is all a little off-topic. The question at hand is was this a good interview? Obviously not. The questions were weak, pointless, and to be honest, uneducated. They were the equivalent to a 10 year old's petulant temper tantrum. Excluding the public statement released through her station, which for some bizarre reason they thought it would assuage her partisan opinions(http://www.wftv.com/station/1874549/detail.html), there was an obvious witch hunt going on. Including the response, she's obviously led a career of being a partisan pundit - if she didn't write the piece, whoever did shoudl be fired. She never once questioned issues of security, the bailout, or Iraq, or any other truly major issues surrounding the upcoming election. Instead, she tried to label him a Marxist.

Now, is that serious or responsible journalism, to leave out any of the real issues?

Thanks to Frank James for yet another insight into liberalism. Ms. West dared to ask the questions that were in many of her viewers' minds. Mr. James responds with a vicious personal attack, sneering at her, belittling her, demeaning her, recommending and threatening her ostracization from her profession if she dares any deviation from the dishonest, underhanded liberal agenda of the mainstream media and its wanabe sycophants at the local level.

Frank, from the sounds of it, the truth hurts. Biden did awful in the interview, dodging questions as if they were bullets. I guess that makes sense that you're voting for Obama. And if you're not endorsing the Democratic ticket, why take Biden's side? She asked honest questions. Like many of the responders have said to you, "Guess you have a double standard."

You my friend, are a hypocrite!

This was the worst kind of journalism - especially coming from an anchor ... and anyone with any knowledge of journalistic standards should be shaking their head.

Sadly she probably did more harm than good to McCain's campaign (base loves it, independants probably not so much)

Anyone interested in understanding what she did wrong should research "logical fallacy", "journalistic integrity," and "loaded question."

Biden should have posed a question back to her in the same spirit ... "How long have you been cheating on your taxes?"

It's not so much that the journalist was biased, it's more that she was retarded. She contradicts herself in her own question!!!
KUdos to Barbara West??!!! For what??!! Asking the most retarded question's ever??!!!
Biden was grilled?!! He DODGED the questions??!!! It was a freaking joke!!!
He handled and threw those questions around like nothing!!!
Heck, he didn't even HAVE to answer the question because Barbara already answered them herself!! Contradicting herself in the same freaking sentence!!!
If ANYthing, I'd feel SO shameful if I was a Republican and had reporters like this representing our party (I'm an Independent by the way, and I usually lean toward the Republican side to be completely honest).

To all the posters who rail on this reporter: watch Youtube videos of MSNBC's Shuster... somewhere way at the top was 'I can't believe how biased this reporter is... supposed to report the news ..." Have you watched MSNBC? Yes, Fox leans right and has OPINION shows on nightly. MSNBC has opinion shows and an incredible left leaning in the news reporting! Did we see Obama's "57 states" quotes all over MSNBC? Which cutting edge reporter asked Biden which newspapers he reads?