I Guess I’m Dennis Miller

Although I don’t like President Bush as much as he does. Miller’s new talk show on CNBC starts tonight:

Dennis Miller has usually been happy to spray his acerbic wit across the political spectrum, but things will be different on his new CNBC talk program. President Bush is in a mock-free zone.

“I like him,” Miller explained. “I’m going to give him a pass. I take care of my friends.”

….This is the Miller who has appeared at fund-raisers for Bush, ridden with the president on Air Force One, sat in the gallery at last week’s State of the Union speech and was even talked about as a Republican senatorial candidate in California.

His fans didn’t necessarily know that Miller. Now they do.

“Nine-11 changed me,” he said. “I’m shocked that it didn’t change the whole country, frankly.” [AP]

I’d say there is still plenty to mock about the president, and “giving him a pass” seems a foolish reduction of possible material and a rather transparent ploy to stay in favor, but his description of himself politically is about exactly where I am:

Miller cautions against making too many assumptions about his politics. He’s conservative on taxes and defense issues but more liberal on social policy, he said.

“If two gay guys want to get married, I couldn’t care less,” he said. “It’s their business. If some foreigner wants to blow their wedding up, I want my government to eliminate him.”

The United States right now is simultaneously the world’s most loved, hated, feared and admired nation, he said.

“In short,” he said, “we’re Frank Sinatra.” [AP]