(CNN) - Two Fox News Channel hosts said Thursday they were joking when they previously claimed they felt awkward about commenting on former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin because she's a fellow Fox employee.
"The only problem with talking about Sarah Palin is that she works here, and it's like a co-worker," said Greg Gutfeld, co-host of "The Five," the network's show on Wednesday. "And if I say something bad and I see her in the hallway, I feel really awkward and wrong, so I just kind of say, 'good job'."
Co-host Bob Beckel agreed, saying he'd also held back his criticism of Palin, a Fox News contributor who makes more than $1 million per year from the network. Palin is flirting with a run for president in 2012.
"It has nothing to do with that, it has everything to do with your paycheck. That's what you feel awkward about," Beckel said. "I know exactly what you mean. I'll be honest: I've pulled my punches on her."
After the comments spread on the internet, the hosts during Thursday's show replayed the remarks and clarified that they were joking. Republican panelist Dana Perino referred to the segment as a "mea culpa."
"So you make one joke and left-wing sites… go crazy because they're so desperate for any kind of Palin anecdote–that's like their heroin," said Gutfeld.
Co-host Beckel, a Democrat, touted his record of criticizing Palin on Fox in the past and said Wednesday's comments were a way to break up some of the tediousness on the show. "We were joking," he said.
"Everybody happy now? Good," Beckel said as their comments came to a close.
Beckel is a long-time Democratic operative and commentator while Gutfeld is a conservative television host. The two are among a cast of rotating hosts on the Fox show that bills itself as a discussion and debate of the day's top stories.
The original Wednesday exchange followed a playback of Palin's comments Tuesday night over reports that Vice President Joe Biden had likened tea party activists to terrorists.
In Palin's response, she said President Barack Obama should look into his own past with Bill Ayers if he wants to see "domestic terrorists."
From CNN Politics
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This is as shocking as MSNBC not providing in-depth coverage of corrupt, disgraced democratic congressmen.
Its just like the lamestream Media going very very soft on the worst President in History, Barack Obama. By the way the dow is down 400 points, Good Job Media in helping getting this loser in office.
Sarah Palin should look in the mirror if she wants to see a domestic terrorist...she continues to terrorize all of us with her mere existence. FOX news paying her $1 million is showing how desparate they are for ratings.
Gee, that's good "News Reporting" from Fox and they say that they are professional. Fellow employee, my foot !
Wow! we all know news is biased, but flat out admitting "pulling the punches". Just wow. For shame Fox news for shame. I watch fox news if I want comedy, not the news.
If thye want to be seen as credible there is a simple solution: FIRE HER. Or just make her have to do REAL work, like actually researching a topic before she shoots her mouth off about, and she'll QUIT. Four colleges and the State of Alaska will tell you that.
I'm Shocked ...Shocked to find partisan bias....er...favoritism.....hmmm....softballing......THAT ANY MEDIA ENITY CONTINUES TO PROVIDE HER VIABILITY AND VISIBILITY ....Shocked by segments of the Americian public. I greatly respect those individuals that can disagree provide alternatives and debate solutions. But a pretty pit bull is still a dog. Get off the twitter and expose your alternative ideas to open debate among the other GOP candidates.
I saw a picture of Sarah (on T-party private website) that shows Obama shining her boots, and yet, not one word about how offensive that was! She keeps slinging the mud, and everyone on Fox bows down to her because they lack the courage to say anything negative about her. But we all know she's just a pawn in the billionaires game of "no way am I going to pay taxes"
Too bad "recusal" is not an option for journalists. Or is it.
And in other shocking news: tomorrow will be Friday
Now there's news! Finally, something that we can believe that comes from FOX.
What's wrong with this piece of news? CNN goes soft on democrats EVERY SINGLE DAY! Has ANYONE EVER seen anything negative on obams from CNN? NO WAY!
Talk about CNN hypocrisy! WTF CNN?
This article falsely states "News Anchors", neither person mentioned is a NEWS ANCHOR, but rather entertainment show hosts and commentators. CNN, you need to correct another false lead.
In other news, Water is Wet; coal is black; the sky is blue.
Anyone want to give odds about whether we'll see this reported on foxnews.com? Ha! I'm sure they would argue that it isn't news so it isn't worthy to be reported on their fair & balanced news network.
Here we go again with the Palin bashers....Nothing better to do with their time but sit on their a$$ and complain. If you hate the woman so much why do you continue to read what is put in the news? I get it...your life is so miserable you just have to spread your own type of joy and happiness!!!
What is the fascination with this stupid bimbo?
Fox News................Now THAT's an oxymoron!
It's very simple... Palin is a drooling idiot and so are her supporters. She can run her mouth all she wants, but she will never get within a mile of the Oval Office.
"You know, if you all out here in leberal land"
Yeah, that religious home-schooling really helps with the spelling.......
Isn't it time to remove the NEWS from Fox News. Long overdue.
Palin's comments are very similar to her designer glasses, no framework. Bye bye palin. go hunt somewhere and leave politics to the intellectuals.
At businesses where ethics are an actual consideration we call this a, "conflict of interest." But of course your not in that kind of business Fox News. It's ok. We understand.
Since when did FAUX News have any integrity? Just a bunch of right wing lieing hypocrites.
"Obama has failed miserably, and will be ousted in 2012! The mama grizzly is coming!"
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Another delusional Teabagger that's hell bent on avoiding reality at all costs. Obama has not failed miserably
but rather the idiot Teabaggers,uninformed, and uneducated"sniffits" above (one in the same?) that voted the moronic freshman GOPTea-ers into congress. The big dumb babies would rather bicker, posture, and pontificate illogically about a problem that has been around for years which was exascerbated by none other then the grammatically-challenged "Decider" Mr. GW himself. The Queen of Crosshairs political career was on a downward spiral shank the day after the 2008 elections. She's inappropriate, offensive, ignorant, and a religious extremist – everything a terrorist is and now she has Tuscon as her legacy. The violent rhetoric that she and the idiots like her fueled the divide and she doesn't get an out because of her proclaimed 'christianity'. On the contrary, she's got ownership in the polarization and therefore fits the terrorist model that is used time again by pathetic little people like her. Sarah's the master of her own undoing....as it should be.