A pair of Fox News employees offered a brief but telling glimpse of what it is like to be a coworker with a woman who may or may not run for president in 2012: Sarah Palin.



On Wednesday after showing a Tuesday clip of Palin’s angry rebuke to Joe Biden’s comments likening the tea party to terrorists on the network’s “The Five,” Greg Gutfeld mentioned that he is careful with how he talks about Palin, an undecided Republican candidate who remains a frequent Fox News contributor, unlike other declared GOP presidential hopefuls whose contractual ties with the network have been severed.



“The only problem with talking about Sarah Palin is that she works here, and it’s like a coworker. 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, ‘that was a good job,’” said Gutfeld, who also hosts “Red Eye,” a late-night Fox News talk show.



Gutfeld was interrupted by Fox News analyst Bob Beckel, who agreed with Gutfeld’s sentiment.



“It has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with your paycheck. That’s what you feel awkward,” Beckel said. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ll be honest, I’ve pulled my punches.”



In May Fox officially ended the contracts of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who are both running for the GOP nomination. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who hosts an eponymously named weekend show on Fox, said he was under “no pressure” from Fox regarding his 2012 decision. Even so, he opted not to run, and kept his TV show.



Fox told POLITICO in September that as soon as contributors declare a White House run, he or she would have to sever ties with the network. Since Palin still hasn’t declared, she continues to make Fox News appearances, and just as frequently says she is still undecided on a presidential run. The most recent 2012 Gallup poll showed she has the most name recognition among 2012 candidates and the second-highest percentage of respondents who have a favorable impression of Palin.



Though she resigned as Alaska governor two years ago, Palin has stayed in the spotlight, appearing on a TLC reality show, writing frequently on her Facebook page and taking a high-profile bus tour earlier this year. But a major source of her political visibility remains her contract with Fox. And perhaps, an occasional source of tension for her coworkers.



Hat tip: Mediaite, which has the segment after the jump.

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