By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

The Fox News-White House battle got more entertaining on Friday.

White House communications director Anita Dunn stepped up her attack on the network, especially conservative ranter Glenn Beck.

Beck attacked Dunn on his Thursday show for her statement that Mao Tse-tung was one of her "favorite political philosophers."

Dunn defended herself, saying, "The Mao quote is one I picked up from the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater from something I read in the late 1980s, so I hope I don't get my progressive friends mad at me."

She claimed the phrase about "favorite political philosophers" was supposed to be ironic.

However, that certainly was not clear in the speech that Dunn made recently to young people.

Indeed, she went on for several minutes about what Mao had said and what it meant to her -- and what it could mean to her audience about making choices in life.

Beck, understandably so given his ultra-conservative views, on Thursday played the tape and attacked Dunn for supporting a Chinese leader whose policies led to the deaths and jailings of millions of people.

It's insanity. This is her hero's work. She thinks of this man's work all the time? It would be like me saying to you, 'you know who my favorite political philosopher is? Adolf Hitler.' Have you read Mein Kampf? (She wants to) fight your fight like Hitler did."

Dunn made headlines last weekend when she said in an interview that Fox News operates as "the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."

The ensuing media coverage delighted Fox News commentators such as Beck and Bill O'Reilly.

Don't worry: Beck likely will continue his criticism of Dunn. Beck already has helped kill the White House career of one Obama administration appointee -- Van Jones.

Jones was the "green jobs" czar who resigned after it was publicized that he had signed a petition that implied the U.S. government had allowed the Sept. 11 attacks to occur.