Bill O'Reilly's top story tonight on his Fox News show was devoted to defending remarks he made calling legendary White House reporter Helen Thomas the "wicked witch of the east" and suggesting that if he were Obama, he "would've poured water on her, and she'd dissolve."
One group which criticized him was the Women's Media Center, and a representative for the organization, Courtney Martin, appeared on the "O'Reilly Factor" to explain her criticism.
O'Reilly defended himself by saying it was clear he was just joking and making fun of her voice, which he believes sounds like that of a wicked witch. Martin replied that he was using an old cliche, women as witches, to be funny, and that the sexist charge still applies because Thomas is about as serious a reporter as one can be, and her voice is irrelevant in any kind of criticism of her work.
The lengthy debate turned to Saturday Night Live and Sarah Palin, with O'Reilly accusing Martin and her organization of being hypocrites for coming to the aid of Thomas but not Palin. O'Reilly, who managed to restrain himself for most of the interview, let loose near the end, yelling that Martin and the Women's Media Center "are being used by the left to do this nonsense."
Watch the debate between O'Reilly and Martin below.