Tom Tancredo stars in Bill O'Reilly/Fox News love fest, but should Dan Maes be at the wheel?

Tom Tancredo.

Last night, Tancredo explained his eleventh-hour run to Bill O'Reilly. Watch the clip below.

The host of The O'Reilly Factor worked for Channel 7 from 1978 to 1980 -- a fact that came up when he reminded Tancredo how conservative this state used to be, but doesn't appear on O'Reilly's Fox bio. That was before the influence of Denver and Aspen took over, O'Reilly added. It was also when Tancredo was one of the "House Crazies" in the Colorado Legislature.

Denver's mayor, John Hickenlooper, hadn't responded to a request to come on the show, O'Reilly said, which gave him time to show one of Tancredo's sanctuary-city attack ads against Hickenlooper, and for Tancredo to tag Dan Maes's candidacy as non-viable.

From the start of his candidacy (all of three months ago), Tancredo has given Maes's non-viability as the reason for his run. His distaste for the Republican candidate is the main reason you can dismiss the rumors that Maes might have been given a job by a Tancredo administration -- well, that and legality. And, in fact, it's tough to think of a job Maes might be qualified for. Except for this: As someone who's billed his campaign huge amounts for mileage, Maes would make an ideal chauffeur.

Someone needs to drive Tancredo to all those Fox appearances.

Here's Tancredo's O'Reilly Factor segment from last night:

More from our Calhoun/Wake-Up Call archive: "Tom Tancredo and Geraldo Rivera talk Tea Party -- and illegal immigration."