On Monday, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell returned to the network after spending several weeks recovering from a motor vehicle accident in which he broke his hip in multiple places and sustained a variety of other injuries. While O’Donnell appeared totally healed from his ordeal, he came back a changed man on at least one issue: the Koch brothers.

In an emotional monologue, O’Donnell opened up about the taxi accident that sent him and his brother to a hospital – a hospital which he praised profusely. That facility was the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, where David Koch is on the board of trustees. In 2009, he donated $25 million to that medical facility.

“The first words I saw when I rolled into the hospital was the name David H. Koch. Yes, that David Koch,” O’Donnell said. “Now brace yourselves please for the first positive words said about David Koch on this program. I agree with Harry Reid’s critique of the Koch brothers’ contributions to American politics, but that is not the only thing they contribute to.”

“You can be outraged by what the Koch brothers do with their money in politics and you can appreciate what they contribute to hospitals and medical research, and you can do that at the same time and still retain an ability to function,” the MSNBC host continued.

The host grew emotional as he talked about his recovery and the medical professionals who walked him through that process. “Yes, I feel some gratitude to David Koch,” O’Donnell confirmed.

O’Donnell may say that he supports Reid’s attack on the Kochs, but all he seems to agree with is the general distaste for their political spending. He does not seem to agree that the Kochs are “un-American” or a “cult,” though he may still believe they are “one of the main causes” of climate change.

When you’ve lost Lawrence O’Donnell, Jon Stewart, and the editorial staff of Mother Jones magazine, perhaps it is time to rethink your grand strategy.