Wed, Jun 23, 2004 10:51am ET

O'Reilly said Savage doesn't engage in "malicious" attacks; Limbaugh "doesn't lie"

On the June 18 Radio Factor, host Bill O'Reilly compared right-wing radio hosts Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh favorably with unnamed pundits on the "Far Left." O'Reilly argued that even though Savage and Limbaugh say "some outlandish stuff," they are still better than the "Far Left" because, unlike "Far Left" pundits, Savage and Limbaugh don't "lie" or engage in "malicious" or "slanderous" personal attacks.

From the June 18 nationally syndicated broadcast of The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: I -- I can't tell you, you know, I -- I just can't tell you how much I despise the Far Left. I despise the Far Right, too. ... But the Far Left, I mean -- let -- let me just give you an analogy. Michael Savage is a far-right guy, a radio guy. A lot of you guys listen to him. He's on some of the same stations. He comes out with some outlandish stuff, I mean there's no question. But he doesn't lie. I mean, I can't -- I can't listen to him and -- and say oh, Savage is lying. He doesn't do that. And -- and if he does, I don't know it, you know, it's not been brought to my attention.

I don't know Savage. I've never met him. OK? And I listen to all the radio competition. But when I listen to him, sometimes I go, "Ahh, come on." You know, I'm sure you guys do that to me. But he doesn't lie. He doesn't attack someone and just -- and -- and make up stuff about them. Malicious stuff. Slanderous stuff. And I -- I -- even in -- in Limbaugh, I never heard him do that. Never heard Limbaugh do that.

Media Matters for America would like to bring to O'Reilly's attention many instances of lies and malicious attacks by Limbaugh and numerous malicious attacks by Savage.

Limbaugh's recent lies

Limbaugh's recent malicious attacks

Savage's recent malicious attacks

—G.W.