FNC EVP Bill Shine is disputing a claim in this week’s New York magazine opus about Fox News Channel. In it, an unnamed Republican claims Fox News CEO & Chairman Roger Ailes considered Fox News analyst Sarah Palin to be, “an idiot.” Here’s the direct quote:

“He thinks things are going in a bad direction,” another Republican close to Ailes told me. “Roger is worried about the future of the country. He thinks the election of Obama is a disaster. He thinks Palin is an idiot. He thinks she’s stupid. He helped boost her up. People like Sarah Palin haven’t elevated the conservative movement.”

“I know for a fact that Roger Ailes admires and respects Sarah Palin and thinks she is smart,” Shine tells the New York Times. “He also believes many members of the left wing media are extremely terrified and threatened by her. Despite a massive effort to destroy Sarah Palin, she is still on her feet and making a difference in the political world. As for the ‘Republican close to Ailes’ for which the incorrect Palin quote is attributed, when Roger figures out who that is, I guarantee you he or she will no longer be ‘close to Ailes.’”

Meanwhile, John Coale, a Palin friend and husband of Fox News host Greta Van Susteren weighs in to Politico, “I know both Roger and Sarah quite well, and nothing could be further from the truth than the unnamed ‘Republican’ who said Roger thinks Palin is an idiot.” Palin was the guest of Van Susteren/Coale at the White House Correspondents Dinner festivities last month (right).