Updated

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S "THE O'REILLY FACTOR" ON JANUARY 12, 2010.

SARH PALIN, FORMER REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE/FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I come from a very diverse state. My family is diverse. I'm married to an Alaska native. A lot of us don't think along those lines that somebody's skin tone would be criteria for a qualification for the presidency. So his -- his thinking and his articulating of that -- that thought was -- is quite perplexing. It's quite unfortunate. And I think it's unacceptable.

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: Do you think it was racist?

PALIN: I don't believe that he's a racist. But I don't believe that Trent Lott was a racist, either. And that double standard is -- and that hypocrisy is another reason why so many Americans are quite disgusted with the political games that are played, not only on both sides of the aisle, but in this case, on the left wing, what they are playing with this game of racism and kind of letting Harry Reid's comments slide, but having crucified Trent Lott for essentially along the same lines.