O'Reilly compared Moulitsas to white supremacist David Duke

Summary: Bill O'Reilly compared Markos Moulitsas, founder of the progressive Daily Kos blog, to white supremacist David Duke and criticized Newsweek for its decision to hire Moulitsas as a regular contributor, stating: "And Newsweek magazine, by the way, has legitimized him by giving him a columnist position. I talked to the editor by email, and I said I can't believe that you're -- that's like hiring David Duke. Again, I use Duke too much, but I have to -- the level of hatred coming out of that website is unprecedented."

During the May 14 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly compared Markos Moulitsas, founder of the progressive Daily Kos blog, to white supremacist David Duke and criticized Newsweek for its decision to hire Moulitsas as a regular contributor, stating: "And Newsweek magazine, by the way, has legitimized him by giving him a columnist position. I talked to the editor by email, and I said I can't believe that you're -- that's like hiring David Duke. Again, I use Duke too much, but I have to -- the level of hatred coming out of that website is unprecedented." O'Reilly later claimed that Newsweek's decision caused him to "cancel[] my subscription." O'Reilly stated: "I canceled my subscription -- I still get it at work -- to Newsweek magazine because of that. And I think everybody else should, as well," explaining: "[O]nce you start to hire a guy like this Kos guy and you're legitimizing that, then I'm out. I'm completely out. I don't want anything to do with you or your publication."

As Media Matters for America has documented, O'Reilly has repeatedly attacked Daily Kos, comparing it not only to Duke, but also to the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi party.

From the May 14 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: You know, I hate to report this stuff, but I have to -- we have to do it. We have to tell the audience the level of hate in this country, because it is becoming a factor in a presidential race, as I debated with Laura Ingraham up top. And it is becoming a factor with children. And it's coarsening our society.

Jenna Bush married, very nice ceremony last weekend. The Daily Kos does what?

HAM: Well, it took it as an opportunity, the classic sort of liberal blog activity to post pictures of her at her wedding juxtaposed with some very graphic pictures of casualties in Iraq, perpetrated both by insurgents and allegedly American air strikes. Just to make the point that the Bushes should not be allowed to celebrate nuptials, apparently, because there is a war going on.

And I guess the premise is that -- or the theory is that only the handful of Democrats who originally voted against the war are allowed to celebrate familial milestones at this point while there's a war going on. I mean, it's a really silly argument. And the pictures are disgusting.

O'REILLY: All right. Now, the purveyor of this revolting website who's probably one of the most despicable Americans in the country -- show his picture if we have it. This man is basically now using the website to elevate the level of hatred toward the Bushes and anybody else.

And Newsweek magazine, by the way, has legitimized him by giving him a columnist position. I talked to the editor by email, and I said I can't believe that you're -- that's like hiring David Duke. Again, I use Duke too much, but I have to -- the level of hatred coming out of that website is unprecedented. Isn't it?

HAM: It is. The comments -- the comments sections are really a cesspool. There are liberal blogs that do good reporting --

O'REILLY: Not this.

HAM: -- that do good stuff even at places on Daily Kos, and occasionally on Huffington Post, you'll find good stuff, but yes, it's overshadowed by the cesspool -

[crosstalk]

O'REILLY: I canceled my subscription -- I still get it at work -- to Newsweek magazine because of that. And I think everybody else should, as well. I mean, once you start to legitimize this -- like Syracuse University.

Once you start to employ that guy, let him do the hatred, using his position, once you start to hire a guy like this Kos guy and you're legitimizing that, then I'm out. I'm completely out. I don't want anything to do with you or your publication or your school.

HAM: And shining sunlight on the comments and the bad behavior, I think it's a good way to get rid of it.

O'REILLY: Yeah. And we have to. That's why I told Laura Ingraham I can't ignore this, because it's becoming a huge, huge factor in the country.

—A.I.