During the Super Bowl pregame show (2PM ET on FOX News), Bill O'Reilly sat down with President Barack Obama for a live interview at the White House.

The conversation between the two was civil, and they spoke about the situation in Egypt, the recent legal setback to the health care bill, and Obama's thoughts on his presidency, two years in.

Perhaps the most interesting moment of the interview came at the very end, when O'Reilly fished for the ultimate compliment a President could give a cable news host who many view as having a partisan agenda.


"Well, that's our live part of this deal," O'Reilly said. "And I have to say, I enjoyed talking to you. I disagree with you sometimes. I hope you think I'm fair to you, I try to be. But I wish you well in the next two years.

"Bill, it's always a pleasure. I enjoyed it," President Obama responded, deciding not to address the issue of O'Reilly's fairness.

If the President had taken the bait, and declared O'Reilly "fair," one can only imagine how many times Fox News would play that soundbite as a promo.

When they got around to discussing the big game, President Obama refused to be drawn on which team he'd be rooting for: "Once my Bears lost, I don't pick sides." He said he was just hoping for "a great game," to which O'Reilly responded, "You don't care who wins?"

In the face of O'Reilly's skepticism about the fervent basketball fan's knowledge of all things pigskin-related, the President reassured the FOX news anchor that he knew what he was talking about -- "I know football" -- and mulled over the relative merits of the Packers and the Steelers. He said he thought they were evenly matched, but that the Steelers could be hurt by the lack of their starting center.

He also told O'Reilly that once the game was on, all schmoozing in the White House would stop so that he and his guests -- including Jennifer Lopez -- could settle down and watch in peace.