Alan Colmes promoting his book 'Thank The Liberals ... For Saving America' in New York in October 2012. Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images, file

In his best-selling book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, imagined Colmes' earning his salary by "adding toner to the copiers and printers, loofah-ing Roger Ailes in his personal steam room, and ordering Chinese food for editors working on misleading video packages."

Colmes was aware of the criticism, but he said getting mean wasn't his style.

"People say to me, 'Why don't you fight fire with fire?'" he said in 2003. "You fight fire with water, not fire."

Pundits and colleagues on both sides of the aisle remembered Colmes on social media on Thursday, among them Republican political consultant Karl Rove, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and conservative author Ann Coulter.

"Sad. We had some great times on Hannity & Colmes. Alan Colmes was fair & funny while hewing to his core beliefs. Condolences to Jocelyn," wrote Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump.

NBC News' Megyn Kelly, a Fox News host and contributor for 12 years, called Colmes a "positive force."

"Heartbroken my friend Alan Colmes has died. He lit up the FNC halls w/his kindness & humor. Incredibly positive force. Prayers 4 his family," she wrote.

Colmes continued to appear as a commentator on Fox after his show with Hannity ended. He also was an author of books like "Thank the Liberals" and "Red, White & Liberal."

Link:

Alan Colmes, Sean Hannity's Liberal Foil on Fox News, Dies at 66 - NBCNews.com