Palin TV

Sarah Palin appeared with Bill O'Reilly on "fair and balanced" Fox News last night, embarking on a feel-good, if not coddled, journey to take up a great tradition in conservative media: blaming the evils in America on the liberals (as liberals tend to finger conservatives). And that's all that mattered, it seemed, during Palin's debut as a news analyst whose possible aspirations as a Republican presidential candidate loomed. Regardless of what Palin decides, it helps to have O'Reilly, who has the highest rated cable news show, in her corner.

The conversation was a predictable bash job. O'Reilly, for instance, bashed Nancy Pelosi, asking Palin if she thought the Democratic House Speaker is a "kook." After all, that's how Americans talk politics these days.

Said Palin, "I think she, too, is quite disconnected from what her constituents are telling her -- and constituents all over the country ..."

O'Reilly interrupted, begging the kook question again. "She's a San Francisco liberal," O'Reilly said. "But do you think she's actually crazy?"

Palin didn't take the opportunity to turn the conversation more civil, objecting to calling someone in office a kook. Palin didn't even throw in a humorous quip, like she'd need to see Pelosi's medical records to know for sure. Instead, Palin played O'Reilly's game, responding to O'Reilly, "I doubt that her San Francisco constituents even are enamoured with her policies and with the guidance she is providing this country."

Perhaps that's the emerging format -- bad cop, good cop.

O'Reilly even helped Palin promote an upcoming Tea Party event where she will speak.

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