Fox News Channel hosts Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly blasted far-left Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank yesterday for his apparent dishonesty in criticizing Fox's election night coverage.
"I think you and I should go beat him up," O'Reilly jested. Later in the segment, as Kelly preceeded criticism of Milbank by saying "with all due respect," O'Reilly interjected to say "you don't have to say 'with all due respect.' He doesn't deserve any."
In addition to hammering Milbank himself, O'Reilly singled out WaPo editorial page editor Fred Hiatt, who reportedly told O'Reilly that the paper would not take action against Milbank for supposed lies told in his column. "I just want everybody in American to know what the Washington Post has come to," O'Reilly said.
What were the two Fox anchors so upset about? They noted three specific claims by Milbank that they assert are untrue. The first is that Fox only brought one Democrat on air during its election night coverage: pollster Doug Schoen.
But, as O'Reilly noted in a segment Wednesday night, Fox also brought on Democrats Bob Beckel, Pat Caddell, Geraldine Ferraro, Kirsten Powers, Joe Trippi, and Juan Williams on Tuesday evening.
"Should Milbank be fired?" O'Reilly asked on Wednesday. Guest Bernie Goldberg claimed that Milbank, "like so many other journalists, have Foxophobia, they have an irrational fear of Fox News" (h/t to J$ for both videos).
Milbank also singled out Megyn Kelly in his column. Milbank claimed that when news came in that Rep. Barney Frank had defeated Republican challenger Sean Bielat, Kelly simply said "Alas," implying that she had openly expressed disappointment at Frank's victory. But the single-word quote was taken completely out of context, as Kelly pointed out on the "Factor." The full quotation clearly demonstrated that Kelly was not "cheerleading" for Bielat, as Milbank implied.
Milbank also objected - bizarrely - to Kelly saying "That's an interesting update" in reference to a Senate race in which the heavy Democratic favorite was facing a stronger challenge than expected.
"You got me there," Kelly quipped.
