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In the Crossfire

A big fat lie or the naked truth?

(CNN) -- When David Brock, author of "Blinded by the Right," stepped into the Crossfire, bullets zinged between him and host Tucker Carlson over comments in Brock's book, including those about the bow-tied conservative Carlson himself.

CARLSON: I read your book, every page. I could give you my take on it. But let me quote Tim Noah from "Slate" magazine. Tim is hardly a member of the right-wing conspiracy. He say, I'm quoting now, "This book is terrible, whiny, histrionic, and so factually unreliable that I gave practically gave myself a migraine trying to figure out which parts of Brock's lurid story were true and which parts were false."

And he goes on to list a number of lies that you told in the book. One sort of amazing busted moment where you said you knew nothing about Laura Ingram's past at Dartmouth. And he unearths an interview where you talk about it with "Vanity Fair." How much of the book is made up?

BROCK: None of the book is made up. And I read the Tim Noah piece. He's right that I had one date of an article off by a few months. And that's all he's right about. And as you know, having read, I think, not only the book, but the reviews of the book, that is an exception. Generally, reviewers have found it plausible. The right has pretended that what I say about them is not true. They know it's true. And you know, why don't you give me your take? You're in the book.

CARLSON: Well, actually, I will, David. Because it's funny you said that.

BROCK: You know a lot of the people in the book.

CARLSON: I know virtually everyone.

BROCK: You really think that doesn't ring true?

CARLSON: One part that I know that you made up, that is a lie, is the part about me. When you -- you wrote this sort of ludicrous piece in "Esquire," where you're tied to a stake and you know, my years on the right or whatever. And you and I had an exchange about it in "The Atlantic." And you claim that I called you up and said, "Gee, you know, David, I agree with every word in your 'Esquire' piece and I'm just attacking it to make a couple hundred dollars." That's an outright lie, as you know.

BROCK: You told me that.

CARLSON: That's a total lie, David. I never said that. I thought your piece was ludicrous then. I think it's ludicrous now. I never said that. And you made it up.

BROCK: That is what you said to me.

CARLSON: Ought you not be embarrassed, making this up and facing me on the set? Looking me in the eye and saying you really said that?

BROCK: I will look you right in the eye. That is exactly what you told me. Some friends have told me that it sounds just like you.

CARLSON: You got a lot of guts, David.