On the April 26 edition of The Radio Factor, host Bill O'Reilly asserted that while “on the left, it's all about the smear,” “the propagandists on the right” are “not smear merchants”; “they're not trying to smear anybody.” Later in the show, a caller challenged O'Reilly's assertion, asking why O'Reilly does not consider attacks on liberals by fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity and nationally syndicated radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham to be “smear tactics.” O'Reilly replied that “maybe I'm naïve,” but “when I tune in to their programs, I hear ideology.” O'Reilly explained that unlike liberal “smear merchants,” the three conservative pundits “keep it in the issue area.” Citing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) as an example, O'Reilly stated that he's “not hearing” conservatives “try to tear him to pieces and injure him personally.”

In fact, in addition to O'Reilly himself, who is no stranger to making personal attacks, Media Matters for America has compiled numerous examples of Limbaugh, Hannity, and Ingraham straying from “the issue area” to attack liberals, including Kennedy. Below are just a few examples.

Rush Limbaugh

• Commenting on a clip of Kennedy holding prison abuse photos from Abu Ghraib, Limbaugh stated that Kennedy has “got these pictures at home, folks. ... I mean, this is what he's doing at home. ... [A]re we to believe, here, Senator Kennedy is a stranger to forced nakedness? Ah -- no.” (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 6/8/04)
• Limbaugh repeatedly referred to Kennedy as “the swimmer” because of Chappaquiddick. Limbaugh has several doctored photographs on his website depicting (subscription required) Kennedy in snorkeling masks (subscription required).
• In recent weeks, Limbaugh has stated that terrorists “sound[] just like the DNC [Democratic National Committee];” said that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) “sounds like a screeching ex-wife;” and repeatedly suggested that Clinton had then-deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster murdered while she was first lady. (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 4/26/06; 3/3/06; 9/21/05)

Sean Hannity

• Hannity labeled as “insane” Kennedy's September 27, 2004, speech criticizing President Bush's policies in Iraq for “not ma[king] America safer.” Hannity also falsely claimed that Kennedy “call[ed] the soldiers failures” and said Kennedy placed himself amongst “those of us who would like to cut and run [from Iraq].” (Hannity & Colmes, 9/27/04)
• Hannity suggested that the DNC may have been behind the Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos, asking: “Was that a DNC plot too?” (The Sean Hannity Show, 9/10/04)

Laura Ingraham

• Ingraham stated that Democratic Sens. John Kerry (MA), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (DE), and Barbara Boxer (CA) are “on the side of” North Korea leader Kim Jong Il because they were opposed to John R. Bolton's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (Hannity & Colmes, 4/11/05).

From the April 26 edition of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: You're going to have the propagandists on the right, primarily on the right -- now, they're not smear merchants. There's a difference. The propagandists on the right are just holding water for the oil companies, but they're not trying to smear anybody. But on the left, it's all about the smear. All about the smear, ladies and gentlemen, that's what it is.

[...]

O'REILLY: OK, we're talking about the appointment of Tony Snow. Of course, he was smeared immediately by the left-wing websites -- those despicable people who operate those. Harrisburg, PA, [caller], what say you?

CALLER: Well, I -- I'm just a little taken aback at what you're saying, Bill. Because I -- I -- it just -- you conveniently always omit the smear tactics of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, constantly. Why is that?

O'REILLY: Well, I don't see it the way you see it.

CALLER: They constantly smear the --

O'REILLY: Nah, I mean, look. I -- I see -- I hear those people all the time and I don't see any -- I don't -- I mean, look. Maybe I'm -- maybe I'm naïve. But here's my definition of a smear, [caller], so you can take it to the bank. OK?

It's taking a person like Tony Snow, who, across the board, is admired and respected, OK? Courageous guy -- wants to help this country, has a belief system that he does not make any bones about. And then you take a guy like Snow and you try to tear him to pieces. That -- that's smearing to me. OK?

Now, the three people that you mentioned are right-wing commentators, and they go after the left consistently and on a daily basis. OK. But I have to tell you, when I tune into their programs, I hear ideology. That's what I hear. And then I hear, you know, “This one's bad,” but they keep it in the issue area most of the time. That's what I'm hearing. Maybe I'm missing it. But it's in the issue area.

It's not -- OK -- “Here, we have a new person for Ted Kennedy. Let's try to tear him to pieces and injure him personally.” I'm not hearing that. There is one smear merchant on the right who does that and I despise him. But the rest seem to deal mostly in issues.