Bill O’Reilly, popular Fox News pundit and host of The O’Reilly Factor, has been accused of slander by a neo-Nazi group, who is suing for damages.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of O’Reilly’s recent remarks about Daily Kos, a partisan political blog site. On his show, O’Reilly has repeatedly called Daily Kos “Nazis,” and said that the community is “like the Klu Klux Klan.” These comparisons have had a tremendously negative affect on the image of Nazi groups everywhere, according to the class-action suit.
“My clients rightly feel that being compared to the liberal sissies at dailykos.com is nothing short of slander,” George Steinman, the prosecuting lawyer, told reporters outside the courthouse. “Bill O’Reilly’s reckless use of the Nazi label has cost my clients dearly, and they are now seeking appropriate compensation.”
“After all, the worst these bloggers have done is write emotionally-charged political opinion pieces. They have never attempted to do something like slaughter millions of people based purely on race or creed. Comparing them to Nazis completely undermines the serious and significant historical role of the Nazis in the twentieth century.”
“Daily Kos has an open comment system,” Steinman added. “Freedom of expression is to Nazism what tinned sardines are to cheesecake: it’s just not one of the ingredients.”
This suit is not the only legal trouble O’Reilly has faced in recent years. In 2004, a former producer of his show filed a sexual harassment complaint against him. That case was settled out of court, but was then used as evidence in a civil suit brought a few months later by has-been comedian Carrot Top, who claimed O’Reilly was unlawfully attempting to become the biggest douche in the continental USA, a title the former prop comic had held for some time.
Reaction to this latest lawsuit has been mixed. While the bloggers at Daily Kos are happy to see O’Reilly getting sued, they are “slightly off-put” by the context of the lawsuit, according to the post of one blogger known as “liberalflower682.”
“I kind of wish the Nazis had been a little nicer to us,” the post read, “but what do you expect? They’re Nazis. They’re nothing like us.”
Comments on the post included suggestions that “they [the Nazis] just need a hug,” and “OMG bush is a idiot lol!!1”
A spokesperson for the Klu Klux Klan said the group was considering joining the class-action suit, noting that the Klan has a lot in common with the Nazis, including their hatred for “liberal blog websites like the Daily Kos.” The spokesperson added that the Klan was shocked by O’Reilly’s remarks, because they had always considered him a friend.
O’Reilly could not be reached for comment.