On O'Reilly Factor, Bruce alleged left-wing hit list of conservative media figures

On the April 16 edition of his television show, Bill O'Reilly invited Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce to comment on the firing of Don Imus, which, according to O'Reilly, "has metastasized into an ideological witch-hunt by evil forces." Bruce asserted that "small groups of people" are engaged in an "effort" to "silence[]" and "destroy[]" "people who are not intimidated" and that these groups "have a list of individuals that are to be targeted." She said to O'Reilly, "[W]ell, you're on it of course." She continued: "We start with [right-wing pundit Ann] Coulter a few months ago, and it's moved to Imus. And of course, they will move down their list, because we're moving into this election."

Later, when O'Reilly asked how she would respond to those who questioned why liberals would "target Don Imus" since he "was essentially a liberal guy on the radio," Bruce claimed: "There is a civil war going on right now between the far-left individual extremists, as you have noted them to be, and the classical liberal basic Democrats." She added: "In order to be able to even go after Republicans eventually, or conservatives, these far-left forces need to purge our own House of Democrats like myself who speak the truth and will confront them on what they are. That's why Imus had to be eliminated and that's why they went after him first. And now they'll proceed down their list."

O'Reilly replied: "OK, now there's also a list -- and I don't know whether you're aware of this, but this is what [Fox News host] Sean [Hannity] and I are working on -- of mainstream media people like [New York Times columnist] Frank Rich and others who are used by these far-left websites, fed stuff directly to them." Bruce responded: "Oh yes, I used them." (In fact, as Media Matters for America noted, Rich described the ensuing controversy sparked by Imus' comments as a "lynching" and wrote: "I don't think the punishment fits the crime.")