Yesterday, in discussing the three moderators selected for the presidential debates, I described Steve Scully as probably “down the middle” and probably a “straight shooter,” as opposed to being pro-Democrat. That’s my impression of his work.
However, this biography notes that “while attending college, [Scully] served as an intern in the office of Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden, and later a staff assistant in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s communication office.” Scully attended college in the early 1980s.
Neither Scully’s internship with Biden nor his work for Kennedy mean that he’s pro-Biden or pro-Democrat more than three decades later, or that he won’t behave fairly as a moderator. Brian Lamb, the long time head C-SPAN where Scully works, was on the staff of United Citizens for Nixon-Agnew and served as press secretary for a Republican Senator. Lamb is, for the most part, a straight shooter. I’ve never seen him lean Republican or conservative in his work.
However, it’s odd to have a presidential debate moderated by someone who once worked for one of the candidates — even if he was just an intern in the distant past. I’m surprised that Scully made himself a candidate for this task.
Having done so, I hope he disclosed his past affiliation with Biden. If he did, and Team Trump agreed to him anyway, I suppose there can be no objection.
In any event, having discussed the moderators and their possible leanings, I thought I should add this update.
