During the February 27 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly attacked Arianna Huffington -- founder of The Huffington Post -- over comments (since removed) that readers posted to an item on the website reporting the hospitalization of former first lady Nancy Reagan after a fall. O'Reilly asserted: "[Y]ou know, I'm not going to call her a name. Arianna Huffington, I have no respect for the woman. I think that she is hurting the country. I wish everybody felt the way I did." Townhall.com managing editor Mary Katherine Ham, a guest on the show, then stated: "[T]his happens frequently, unfortunately, on the left-wing blogs," adding, "[E]very time a conservative gets injured, dies, has something threatening them -- whether it's [former White House press secretary] Tony Snow with cancer or Mrs. Reagan falling down -- there is often on [the website] Democratic Underground or Huffington Post, a celebration thread. " O'Reilly then called The Huffington Post a “sewer” and later asked: "[W]hat's the difference between the Ku Klux Klan and Arianna Huffington? What's the difference?" When Ham replied: “I think there's difference,” O'Reilly said: “I don't see any difference between Huffington and the Nazis. ... I don't see any difference.” Ham responded: "[O]h, my gosh. I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one." O'Reilly replied: “They both want people to die, Mary Katherine. Don't they?” Ham noted that Huffington “was not the one making those comments” and later stated: “I still don't think she's a Nazi.” O'Reilly then said: “I didn't say she was a Nazi. ... I said there's no difference between what the two do. I want everybody to know that.”

O'Reilly frequently attacks those with whom he disagrees, comparing them to the Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan. During the July 17, 2007, edition of The O'Reilly Factor, for example, O'Reilly claimed that the blog Daily Kos is a “hate website[]” and opined: “There's no difference between the KKK and the Nazis, who have websites, than the Daily Kos.”

The Crooks and Liars blog also documented O'Reilly's attack.

From the February 27 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: All right. Now, on a serious note, Nancy Reagan got sick a few weeks ago, fell down, hurt herself, went to the hospital. And the -- you know, I'm not going to call her a name. Arianna Huffington, I have no respect for the woman. I think that she is hurting the country. I wish everybody felt the way I did. Allowed on her website vicious, vile things to be posted about Nancy Reagan. What did you think about that?

HAM: Well, you know, this happens frequently, unfortunately, on the left-wing blogs -- and full disclosure: I am a conservative blogger. But I think I have a fair assessment of this when I say that every time a conservative gets injured, dies, has something threatening them -- whether it's Tony Snow with cancer or Mrs. Reagan falling down -- there is often, on Democratic Underground or Huffington Post, a celebration thread.

O'REILLY: Let me just read you -- let me just read you one: “Like her evil husband, she has lived far too long. Here's hoping she dies in the tub.”

And now, Arianna Huffington is the editor of this. She knows it comes in, puts it up, along with a lot of other vile stuff. I mean, the whole thing is a sewer.

HAM: Right, well --

O'REILLY: And don't you think Americans should start holding people like Arianna Huffington accountable for this?

HAM: Well, I think --

O'REILLY: You know, what's the difference between the Ku Klux Klan and Arianna Huffington? What's the difference?

HAM: Well, I think there's difference. But she actually -- I think things have actually improved because people like you and like myself speak out about these things and say that, "Hey, this is an --

O'REILLY: I don't see any difference between Huffington and the Nazis.

HAM: She actually --

O'REILLY: I don't see any difference.

HAM: She actually -- oh, my gosh. I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one.

O'REILLY: Do you?

HAM: She has -- she has put on -- put in --

O'REILLY: They both want people to die, Mary Katharine. Don't they?

HAM: Arianna Huffington was not the one making those comments, and comments sections can get very rough. And she --

O'REILLY: She's allowing that stuff to go on.

HAM: She does, but she does --

O'REILLY: She's allowing it to go on.

HAM: You're going to -- you're going to make me defend Arianna Huffington.

O'REILLY: She keeps her little manicured -- she keeps her little manicured fingers clean, do you think? She controls that.

HAM: Well, no, I think there are things she could do better, but there is some moderation.

O'REILLY: Better?

HAM: But, yes, the left-wing blogs have to take some responsibility for this --

O'REILLY: No, it's her.

HAM: -- clearly.

O'REILLY: It's her. It's her. It's Huffington. Her. She's responsible.

HAM: I still don't think she's a Nazi.

O'REILLY: I didn't say she was a Nazi.

HAM: All right.

O'REILLY: I said there's no difference between what the two do. I want everybody to know that.