absurd." The Obama campaign cancelled a subsequent interview with the candidate's wife, Jill Biden. Obama's Florida spokeswoman called West "both combative and woefully uninformed about simple facts." WFTV's news director defended her, saying she had not been inappropriately tough: "I'd rather be known as aggressive than pulling punches. We ask questions on behalf of viewers." While praised by "birther conspirators", reactions from mainstream commentators were negative. Her performance was criticized as a "desperate audition for a primetime job at Fox News", considered a partisan stunt after she gave a soft interview to Republican candidate John McCain and West was characterized as exhibiting conservative bias. Others said that these characterizations were unfair and that Biden had overreacted. A few noted her husband's connections with the Republican Party, questioning if that was an influencing factor. West attempted and failed to deflect criticisms by promoting her husband's relationships with the Clinton Administration State Department and the Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights Enforcement. References External links WFTV biography Barack Obama Interview (09/12/2008) John McCain Interview (10/14/2008) Joe Biden Interview (10/23/2008) John McCain Interview (10/27/2008) O'Reilly features Barbara West after Biden interview 1948 births Living people American television journalists Beauty pageant contestants from Vermont Florida Republicans Miss America 1970 delegates Television anchors from Orlando, Florida University of Vermont alumni American women television journalists 20th-century American people 21st-century American women