New York magazine writer Frank Rich explained Monday that Rupert Murdoch's unethical business practices were not limited to Britain.

"I think that we're deluding ourselves if we think the whole Murdoch culture has not spread to America," Rich told HLN's Joy Behar. "We're reading all this sort of exotic stuff about having British police on the payroll. Bernie Kerik was on the Murdoch payroll. He had a huge advance from Harper Collins. And you know, the piece I've written in New York that's out today, I talk about the bullying things that they do. It's not just about politics. It's not just about Fox being right-wing. It's about them going after people who are personal enemies, Bill O'Reilly having producers stalk people on the street."

"Liberals love to criticize Fox because it's not fair and balanced and all that. They like to criticize the Post because it's very right wing. Forget about the politics. This is about power and money, punishing enemies that they don't like, for reasons that could be personal or business, not just political."

"They're thugs," Behar remarked.

"Yes," Rich agreed. "It's thuggery. And I think this scandal is going to play out like Watergate for a couple of years."