Worries over moderator ahead of second US presidential debate

The second presidential debate may have the look of a town hall, with voters surrounding the candidates and posing the questions.

But the degree to which it is a casual conversation between candidates and voters or a tough grilling on the issues will be largely up to one woman - Candy Crowley.

The CNN anchor and debate moderator appears to have caused some anxiety within both campaigns with her comments about how she plans to approach her role in the second debate, scheduled for this morning, Hong Kong time.

Crowley has said in repeated interviews that she plans to ask follow-up questions and press candidates on issues they may have conveniently left out of the answers.

Mark Halperin writes that the campaigns of President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney feel Crowley's views conflict with an agreement about debate mechanics worked out between the two parties, which states that the moderator's role should be limited.

"In managing the two-minute comment periods, the moderator will not rephrase the question or open a new topic. The moderator will not ask follow-up questions or comment on either the questions asked by the audience or the answers of the candidates during the debate or otherwise intervene in the debate except to acknowledge the questioners from the audience or enforce the time limits, and invite candidate comments during the two-minute response period," the memo said, according to .

While this may have been the agreement worked out between the campaigns, it is not something signed by Crowley or the Commission on Presidential Debates. Asked last week about whether Crowley has agreed to any terms, a commission official said she had broad discretion on how to run the debate.