During the Lewinsky scandal, Time magazine White House correspondent Nina Burleigh expressed the prevailing view of liberal journalists when she notoriously said, “I’d be happy to give him [oral sex] just to thank him for keeping abortion legal.”

The obverse of such abject obseqiousness to Democrats is a ruthless hostility to Republicans, a media tendency that nowadays manifests itself as Palin Derangement Syndrome. Having studied the phenomenon at close range — I visited Alaska last year to explore the native habitat of the original Palin-haters — I am familiar with the symptoms of the disorder. Those in the thrall of PDS are willing to believe the very worst about the former Alaska governor, and will say or do anything that they think may hurt her, politically or personally.

Even good news for Palin gets turned against her. Earlier this month, the Bio cable network announced a new reality series, starring daughter Bristol Palin:

BIO has ordered ten half-hour episodes of an untitled Bristol Palin/Massey brothers docu-series from Associated Television International, it was announced today by David McKillop, Executive Vice President, Programming, A&E Network and BIO Channel. The series follows Bristol Palin’s move from Alaska to Los Angeles with her son, Tripp, to work at a small charity in need while living with her good friends Chris and Kyle Massey. The series is slated to air in late 2011.
She’s the most famous single mother in America. And she became a national media darling during her odds-defying, ratings record-breaking run on “Dancing with the Stars.” Now as Bristol Palin gears up for her work in this charity, she is allowing cameras exclusive access into her personal life for the first time.
While on “Dancing,” Bristol became extremely close with fellow contestant, actor Kyle Massey. Since the show, Bristol, Kyle, and Kyle’s brother, actor Christopher Massey, have become best friends; so much so, that since Bristol and Tripp have to move to Los Angeles for her new job, she decides to move in with the Massey brothers who are also about to realize how much their lives are about to change.
“Bristol is the kind of personality BIO is drawn to,” said McKillop. “Her personal life has been playing out in the media for several years but this will be the first time she’s opening up her real life, with her son and her friends the Massey Brothers.”

Kyle Massey, 19, is an ex-child star best known for his role as the pesky little brother on the Disney Channel sitcom, That’s So Raven (2003-07). Bristol’s new reality-show gig with Massey should be good news for her and her family, but Palin Derangement Syndrome dictates otherwise. A National Enquirer story that got picked up and elaborated by the London Daily Mail this week carries the headline, “Mama Grizzly strikes again: Sarah Palin ‘furious’ at Bristol’s new Disney Show star boyfriend.”

As might be expected, this rumor-mongering story cites unnamed “sources” about an alleged romance between Massey and Bristol: “Sarah is furious at Bristol for going so quickly from man to man. She is doing her best to prevent Bristol’s new relationship from being featured in the reality show.”

Which would be very interesting, if true. But it’s not true, according to Massey’s mother, Angel Massey:

“They are not dating,” she reveals while laughing. “They’re good friends. I understand the media wants to push sales or whatever, but no, they’re not dating.”
Angel goes on to say, “Both of our families gelled during Dancing with the Stars. Sarah would be in the audience cheering for Kyle, and we’d be in the audience rooting for Bristol. We all became close.”
Mama Massey adds, “The Palins are really funny, nice and genuinely warm to us.”

“Funny, nice and genuinely warm”? No wonder the liberal media ignored Angel Massey’s denial. It would ruin their anti-Palin narrative.