FNC’s Shepard Smith sat down with the women on “The View” this morning for an interview covering balloon boy, opinion news shows, and the White House’s position on Fox.

Joy Behar asked Smith if he ever felt like “an outcast over at Fox” as a straight news journalist compared with the opinion commentators. “No, come on,” he said. “You can be around people who have opinions, can’t you? I would hope so at HLN.”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked if he thought the Obama administration’s singling out of Fox News was unfair. “Oh, it’s not a new thing,” he said. “Administrations have been fighting with news organizations since time began, and I don’t know, I think it helped us. It kind of looks like it did. When the white house is talking about you all the time, you know you got something going on.”

When asked about the network’s success, Smith pointed to FNC’s strong performance during the election this week and said:

They’re coming for the news. I mean, I think that people have, through all of this talk, people have come and sampled us and they’ve said, ‘They are giving us the news. When they say it’s opinion, it might be right-wing opinion. But when they say it’s the news, it’s the news.’ There’s truth in labeling and I feel good about that.

The hosts also took the opportunity to ask Smith about one of the big stories in October: balloon boy. Behar said, “the news organizations were highly criticized for the coverage,” to which Smith replied, “What are you going to do? There’s a balloon floating. The cops say there’s a kid in it. It’s running all across Colorado. We didn’t have anything else going on. I mean, might as well follow the balloon.”

Former Fox News anchor E.D. Hill will be stepping in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck on “The View” — along with Meghan McCain — starting in September while Hasselbeck is out on maternity leave. The NY Post reports that, starting September 9th, McCain will appear for three days and that Hill has also been lined up “since Hasselbeck isn’t due back to work until mid-October.”

Last November, Hill’s contract was not renewed by Fox News after 10 years as an anchor and co-host there. This isn’t the first time Hill has appeared in Hasselbeck’s absence. In October, Hill sat in as a co-host and interviewed Jim Cramer.

> Bristol Palin will talk live, in-studio to Chris Cuomo of ABC’s Good Morning America tomorrow morning. She and Cuomo will later both appear at a Candie’s Foundation town hall to discuss teen pregnancy prevention, where Palin is a foundation ambassador.

> CBS’ Katie Couric blogs from Saudi Arabia, where she has been using her Flip cam for upcoming YouTube video. Also: “I’m told I will have to wear my abaya if I don’t want to be harassed. I’m thinking about not wearing it and catching the encounter on my Flip, but maybe that’s not such a great idea!”

> Sen. Arlen Specter will be a guest on CNN’s Larry King Live tomorrow night (along with the previously announced Elisabeth Hasselbeck).

Fresh off their appearance on the Time 100 list, the co-hosts of “The View” will be guests each night on CNN’s Larry King Live this week.

Barbara Walters guests tomorrow. Occasional LKL fill-in Joy Behar is on Tuesday, Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Wednesday, Whoopi Goldberg Thursday and Sherri Shepherd Friday.

The final “Hannity & Colmes” airs tonight on Fox News at 9pmET, and for the first time in 12 years, a new program will air in the slot beginning on Monday.

For tonight’s final show, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich and Lanny Davis will appear as guests. Gary Sinise will also be on to promote his upcoming Iraq special. The final few blocks will be a tribute to the 12 years on the air.

On Monday, “Hannity” will kick off with an interview of President George W. Bush, which Sean Hannity is conducting today. It airs Monday and Tuesday. Elisabeth Hasselbeck will also be a guest. As for the “Great American Panel,” Broadcasting & Cable’s Marisa Guthrie reports the liberal seat will be occupied by Al Sharpton, while Rep. Michelle Bachman is the conservative and Meatloaf is the X Factor. Indeed.

After the unfounded rumors of Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving The View to join Fox News, a Fox News anchor guest hosted today in Hasselbeck’s place. E.D. Hill joined the ladies on the couch this morning while Hasselbeck was out chaperoning a class trip.

“We want to keep the playing field level,” said Whoopi Goldberg while introducing Hill.

One of the main topics of discussion in the first segment was Hill’s book, “I’m Not Your Friend, I’m Your Parent,” and other parenting issues. But later in the show, Hill got to do something she never would have otherwise had a chance to on FNC — interview CNBC’s Jim Cramer.

Cramer spent a segment explaining the financial crisis, and further discussed his comments from the Today show. He personalized his advice, telling The View audience he pulled out money from his 17-year-old’s college fund, but put money into his 14-year-old’s.