It's like it was a completely different Fox News correspondent. It's weird.

The glaring double standard Baier used to interview President Obama this week for a contentious battle, as opposed to how Baier interviewed President Bush in late 2008 for a softball fest, is just remarkable.

As Think Progress noted:

Baier's tenacity, however, seems reserved only for Democratic presidents. His interviews with President Bush were far friendlier, with questions like, "What are you reading now?" and “Do you believe that there hasn't been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil in more than seven years because of the policies your administration has implemented?”

MSNBC's Countdown provided the interruption highlights from the Obama interview:

I counted 19 separate interruptions, although your total may differ slightly.

But back to the Baier/Bush summit, from December, 2008. Interruptions? Hard-pressing follow-ups? Please. Unlike this week's combative, in-your-face showdown, Baier's sit-down with Bush was silky smooth, as the interviewer deftly guided the president towards mostly feel-good, RNC pastures and allowed Bush to pontificate at will.

It's true that the circumstances for the POTUS interviews were different. Obama stands at a pivotal political moment of his first term and is trying to push his signature legislative effort past the finish line, while Bush was literally a lame duck, with just over four weeks left on his Oval Office watch. So yes, I understand that in theory the interviews might be different in substance.

Then again, Bush at the time was retiring as the most unpopular president in modern American history (like, since the invention of polling), and Baier could have really pressed Bush to explain what had gone so horribly -- and historically -- wrong during his time in office. He could have asked how was it that Bush had managed to lose 70 points off his approval ratings while serving as president.

But Baier did no such thing. Based on the transcripts, I can't find a single time Baier clearly, or rudely, interrupted Bush.

And the questions! Oh my. Some highlights from Baier's Bush tour de force:

Do you worry at all that the incoming administration will undo some of the things that you say have kept America safe?

And:

What's the thing you're most looking forward to post-White House?

And:

Do you think that you have governed as a conservative?

And

You think you're a Reagan conservative or a Barry Goldwater conservative?

It's almost like Fox News treats Democrats and Republicans differently. It's weird.

UPDATED: According to Baier, it was all Obama's fault. He was stalling and “running out the clock” with his answers. (i.e. He wasn't giving the answers Baier wanted.)

That defense though, is absurd considering it was a nearly 20-minute interview with Obama and Baier started interrupting Obama right from the outset. Meaning, Baier began interrupting Obama before the president even had a chance to (theoretically) stall.