On Wednesday’s The O’Reilly Factor, during the show’s regular "Miller Time" segment, Dennis Miller defended the practice of waterboarding terrorists to save the lives of Americans, calling the technique "heaven-sent." Miller: "Something that takes somebody who's willing to strap a bomb on and yet freaks them out to the point where they'll tell you where the next bomb is by pouring water down their nose and they don't even die, I think, wow, this is heaven-sent." He also heaped praise on President Bush for "keeping this country safe in the interim seven years" since the 9/11 attacks. Miller: "That's what I admire about him. He's willing to be hated for the rest of his life to do the right thing. And I just want to look in the camera. This is the last time I’ll be on this show when he's my President and my Commander-in-Chief and say, ‘Thank you, sir. I feel privileged that you were the President during this time in American history.’"
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, January 14, The O’Reilly Factor on FNC:
BILL O'REILLY: Top of the program, as you know, we had this torture debate. And I think these people who are trying to indict Bush and Cheney right now when there's no hard evidence they broke any law are hurting the nation. How do you see it?
DENNIS MILLER: Yeah, I think that, put it this way. Maybe not the 20th, but the 22nd of January, I think if I was domestic help on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I would keep my head on a swivel because there's going to be some angry people walking around with a suppository of hate for George Bush for the last eight years. And they're going to have no place to put it. And I would say underlings, nannies, drivers, housekeepers are about to get laid into. Because I don't think they’ll know what to do without Bush to hate.
As far as the torture goes, I guess the thing is, if Bill Clinton can quibble about what the definition of "is" is, I certainly think fair-minded people can disagree on what torture is. Now, as I understand, according to this article, they're talking about loud music, keeping somebody up all night, and pouring water down their nose. And, you know, if you mix in transporting a Maraschino cherry across the poorly lit break room and depositing it into a shot glass using nothing more than your nether regions, I think we've got a fraternal ritual on our hands here. I don't think waterboarding is torture. And I know John McCain does. I respect him immensely. But I swear to God, John McCain would have probably prayed for days when he was in the Hanoi Hilton that what they did was pour water down his nose. I think if George Tenet says that it sprung something out of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed that saved some innocents, God bless him.
And I oft-times am quizzical, Bill, that people don't get, don't get waterboarding. To me it seems heaven-sent. It doesn't kill anybody, and yet it's able to turn zealots who are prepared to die for their religion into people who want to give information to preclude future terroristic incidents. To me, I look at it and I think I find it odd when somebody says, "No, I'm against that." I think, geez, I can't believe it exists. Something that takes somebody who's willing to strap a bomb on and yet freaks them out to the point where they'll tell you where the next bomb is by pouring water down their nose and they don't even die, I think, wow, this is heaven-sent.
O'REILLY: And their nose doesn't even get, you know, hurt. But anyway, look, it's the irrational hatred of Bush-Cheney that's driving this debate and hurting the nation all over the world. When Bush gave his final press conference earlier this week, I thought he did a pretty good job there. I think he is responsible for the economy somewhat. Therefore, he goes out under that cloud. How did you see it?
MILLER: Today is 2,682 days since 9/11, 2001. After Khobar, after the Cole, after the embassies in Africa, after World Trade Center one and two, to a point after Mogadishu where we were pronounced by Osama bin Laden to be the weak horse, I want to thank George Bush for keeping this country safe in the interim seven years. That is an amazing achievement.
And when I see the bin Laden who deemed us to be the weak horse issue a statement today almost soliciting funds like a PBS pledge break, I realize that George Bush got this right. He continued to press on them like water. He bore on that surface. It flipped A.Q. Khan. It flipped Gadhafi. They're out of funds. And that's what I admire about him. He's willing to be hated for the rest of his life to do the right thing. And I just want to look in the camera. This is the last time I’ll be on this show when he's my President and my Commander-in-Chief and say, "Thank you, sir. I feel privileged that you were the President during this time in American history."
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.



















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Could I love Miller any
January 16, 2009 - 17:15 ET by thebutlerdiditCould I love Miller any more than I do now?? He is so great. He used to be loved by the left, he was never political, but they loved him for his intellect. Now, since he decided he wanted to anounce that he is not a liberal, he is hated. Suddenly he isn't funny, anymore. So this is yet another example of the narrow-mindedness of liberals, our way, or the highway.
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
Thank you, Mr. Miller
January 16, 2009 - 17:39 ET by choselife3xIn order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
We heard this the other
January 16, 2009 - 17:46 ET by bigtimerWe heard this the other night.
Miller is the best!
He spoke for millions of us out here.
"You've gone beyond the law"... Sen. Kerry~ Head of Foreign Relations Committee to Hillary at Sec.of State confirmation hearings~1-13-09
I'm petitioning the local
January 16, 2009 - 17:48 ET by BKeyserI'm petitioning the local community college to offer a "Waterboarding 101" class. I think its a useful technique that when done properly can persuade a defiant teenager into doing his homework, or protect 304 million Americans!
I too love Dennis Miller.
January 16, 2009 - 17:51 ET by QueenMumI too love Dennis Miller. He's no apologist for the Bush administration. But he's more than fair in giving Pres. Bush credit where credit is due. Miller has been steadfast in his belief that Iraq was the right thing to do and he has never waivered on this issue. Miller is one of the most intelligent voices in talk radio.
Queen... So right you
January 16, 2009 - 18:03 ET by bigtimerQueen...
So right you are, he has not waivered one little bit.
I will have to check out his radio show...I keep forgetting.
I am tickled to see you...been a long time!
"You've gone beyond the law"... Sen. Kerry~ Head of Foreign Relations Committee to Hillary at Sec.of State confirmation hearings~1-13-09
WTF?
January 16, 2009 - 18:34 ET by BKeyserLets pretend that I'm not a Harvard Professor (okay, pretending not required) and could someone please explain the following to me:
This from and AP article entitled, Sources: Obama ready to end harsh interrogations.
Now, if Obama declared that (1), we don't torture and (B), we'll end harsh interrogating, what the hell is a "full range of presidential options"? And doesn't "preserv[ing] Obama's flexibility to authorize interrogation tactics he might deem necessary for national security" imply that (A), that flexibility currently exists under President Bush, and (2), that waterboarding could be used in the name of national security?
How many sides of his mouth does this guy have?
Just a guess
January 16, 2009 - 19:53 ET by general company, what the hell is a "full range of presidential options"?
I suppose paying them off and giving them transportation to what ever destination they disire, and of course letting them go.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
gc, I think I have Smoking Hot's SN noodled out.
January 16, 2009 - 20:10 ET by R D HelmI mean, if you were hiding out in in the cave along with Osama, you'd be smoking hot too, from all those incendiaries going off around the entrance.
God bless napalm and the Du Pont Chemical Corporation. :-)
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
Retaining a full range of presidential options
January 17, 2009 - 13:40 ET by Greg ToombsThis may be translated as the NY Times not reporting anything Obama's administration does, unlike they way they reported every hangnail-endangering national security tidbit during the last 8 years.
Take that liberal America
January 16, 2009 - 18:51 ET by ProssPeople forget that since 9/11 there has no shortage of threats against this great country yet none have beeen able to come to fruition. It isn't by chance. Thank you Mr. Miller for being the TRUE voice for the unheard. I would like to thank our Commander in Chief as well. I don't think that history will be as cruel to him as the media today is.
"We will not tire, We will no falter, We will not fail." President George W. Bush, October 26, 2001
No one can wax humor with
January 16, 2009 - 19:33 ET by brerolNo one can wax humor with politics better than Dennis can. If water up my nose is the cost I must pay to watch Dennis run circles around Franken then please strap me down and pour away.
Ignorance is probably bliss
January 16, 2009 - 19:51 ET by Smoking HotI'm going to go out on a limb here and state Dennis Miller has no idea what he's talking about.
"Believe me, it's torture"
We have prosecuted people who have used it.
Ignorance is probably bliss
January 16, 2009 - 20:00 ET by R D HelmThen you must go around farting daisies 24/7.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
“Water boarding” is a
January 16, 2009 - 20:05 ET by general company“Water boarding” is a potentially dangerous activity in which the participant can receive serious and permanent (physical, emotional and psychological) injuries and even death, including injuries and death due to the respiratory and neurological systems of the body.
Funny how this guy goes on to suggest this, but doesnt have any example to give. This is the type of propaganda that doesnt stand up to real life. This same guy would probably waterboard his neighbor, if he thought he could save the life of his loved ones.
After World War II, we convicted several Japanese soldiers for waterboarding American and Allied prisoners of war.
This is a bit different, those we wateboard are not solders, they are not covered under the GC.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Oh, and Smoking Hot, it appears your precious messiah...
January 16, 2009 - 23:50 ET by R D Helm...has been paying attention during his intelligence briefings:
http://hotair.com/ar...
What say you, as it is beginning to look as though BHO isn't quite as ready as you thought to surrender to the 7th Century, illiterate barbarians?
Sucks to be you, I guess.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
I didn't vote for him either
January 17, 2009 - 08:01 ET by Smoking HotBHO won not for who he is but rather for what people chose to project onto him. Just another politician in slightly different packaging was my suspicion. If this story is true it follows obviously from his capitulation on telecom immunity which he made during the campaign. His supporters can't say they weren't warned.
Banning waterboarding (no exceptions) = surrender? Not in my book.
Ok, Ahab, come here and whine loudly.
January 17, 2009 - 01:23 ET by JWFWe all here want to thank you deeply by countering Mr. Miller's PERSONAL OPINION with a link to Mr. Hitchens' PERSONAL OPINION and a weak LEGAL argument against waterboarding.
We waterboarded a TOTAL of 3 guys for a TOTAL of less than 5 minutes. All of whom broke down and CRIED like little girls then proceeded to sell out everything including the location of grandma's secret mad money stash in her cookie jar. So much for torture not working.
And the technique HAS BEEN OUTLAWED since 2006.
So thanks ever so much for attempting to ruin a very fine farewell and thank you from Mr. Miller to President Bush as he was leaving. Now why don't you go find a puppy to kick and come back and tell us all about it when we celebrate "National stop kicking the puppies day!"
Sincerely,
a Veteran of a 1000 psychic wars.
Actually...
January 17, 2009 - 13:38 ET by mizflame98I've seen worse treatment at a fraternity initiation or at a Millitary academy hazing.
Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration
http://www.despair.com/government.html
Kirsten Powers
January 16, 2009 - 19:50 ET by iveseenitallI heard Kirsten Powers (on Hannity) suggest that maybe we wouldn't have had another attack anyway, suggesting that we shouldn't be giving President Bush such credit. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That's like saying a fireman who pulls someone out of a burning building isn't a hero because the person might have gotten out himself. The lack of logic is staggering, even for a "liberal". BDS will be around for a long time.
God Bless President Bush!
NEVER,NEVER traust a "liberal"
isia... I heard her last
January 16, 2009 - 20:12 ET by bigtimerisia...
I heard her last night too...needless to say I was beyond hot.
You can be sure this rhetoric is going to be the newest talking point to trash Bush.
They are not done by a long shot....not at all.
If I hear where's the proof one more time....
This is the beginning of another attempt to get to classified info. via congress, trying to once again slam all involved that worked to keep us safe ect.
Quite sure Conyers is hard at work along with Waxman and others to attempt to have an independent counsel or something to bring charges or indictments...along with Holder in as the AG.
All the while O, Pelosi and Reid acting as if they had nothing to do with this.
Bad enough, no it's a crime we have Kerry as head of the Foreign Relations committee, the one that is going to Ok Hill.
I have to stop...I get too angry.
Nothing we are going to do about this, Matthews, Olbie, Maddow, all of msnbc is screaming for this to be done nightly now..they are the power, along with CNN ect, to get things like this done, with no stopping this anytime soon...
...then you have your Code Pinkers ect that go non-stop....
It never ends.
Soros rules.
Dennis Miller is the best
January 16, 2009 - 20:15 ET by dark_dsI enjoy Millers radio program ... he intelligent, reverential when needed and deserved and irreverent when the subject calls for it....he gets the big picture about so many things .. yet is humble when he is wrong
his comment about waterboarding being heaven sent points out what I have said ... how is it even possible to "torture" someone who welcomes death ....our president needs to have that tool available in special situations ....even if there is a suspicion that there is a plot to abduct Keith Olberman, Chris Matthews, Harry Smith, Michael Moore etc.... I would still use it to save their lives
I save money dumb bombs for dumb people... durka durka ... dark_ds said that
dennis
January 16, 2009 - 20:53 ET by soosanYou can catch the Dennis Miller show mornings online daily via WIND Chicago, he's good background and occassionally hysterical. He's also right about the unappreciated job that President Bush has done keeping those lunatics off of our soil.
I hope that our new powers in Washington DC find something better to do (I can think of a few things) than to try and punish the outgoing President for doing a pretty good job under extreme circumstances.
Put me down as a former Marine who is proud GWB was at the helm. I'm sickened by the way the media and the Left have dishonored him.
And to all you whiners who don't get war and don't get the hate coming at us from radical Islam, and are having such a hissy-fit about the 3 times waterboarding was used in the last 7 years, please shut up.
Thank you Dennis.
Crazy Cats Surrounding Us
January 16, 2009 - 21:11 ET by nofateMiller has a way of saying what I have been thinking but am unable to put into words, especially this:
Ohhh, yeah!
Another example of the same thing is an article that Rush read yesterday off of Breitbart's site, by Andrew Klavan:
There's more. He just nailed it. I think it's just exactly what millions of real conservatives have been thinking about our squishy intellectual "leaders" lately.
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
Rush is the only person saving my sanity at the
January 17, 2009 - 21:45 ET by Cape Conservativemoment! And you know they will attempt to pass the Fairness Doctrine as soon as possible! Let's hope there are enough Dems who understand!
Saw this Dennis Miller statement and wanted to stand up and cheer! I, too, salute you, Mr. President - and thank you for standing strong on your principles and for keeping America free from another terrorist attack.
Now, one last try...PLEASE pardon the border patrol agents, Ramos & Compean. I beg you to not leave office without doing so!
The essence of freedom is the proper limitation of government!
Amen
January 17, 2009 - 23:32 ET by nofateI second that last. It is truly a shame. Do your duty, go to jail. What a disgrace.
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
I've liked Dennis Miller
January 16, 2009 - 21:24 ET by pitter43I've liked Dennis Miller since he was on Saturday Night Live. I like him more now. He just goes ahead and says what real Americans are thinking. I don't always agree with him but he's right on about this waterboarding that ISN'T torture. Only a fool would pass up a little water and kill hundreds of Americans, or maybe Osama Bin Laden would. You can tell which side the opponents of waterboarding are on. My guess is they also think it's OK to cut American heads off too.
pitter43... Sure they
January 16, 2009 - 21:30 ET by bigtimerpitter43...
Sure they do... as long as it isn't their own head.
Sadly, they took Dennis off
January 16, 2009 - 21:37 ET by HockeyKidSadly, they took Dennis off the air here in the DC area. I miss his sense of humor and his just plain sense.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Great Resource
January 17, 2009 - 01:37 ET by stratmanFind Miller and many others via the internet at http://talkstreamlive.com/.
I use the sight to "timeshift" my listening to when it's convenient for me, not just when they're on the radio in my town.
H/t to the original NB poster from months ago.
Thank You President Bush...
January 16, 2009 - 23:14 ET by CapeCodScottMiller's right, It's been an away-game since 09-11-01. Here is a nice graphic to send to your firiends, or Obama worshipers, if you like...Just One Question
www.ScottOnCapeCod.com
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation"... until they get fed-up enough to finally say something about it!
Graphics
January 16, 2009 - 23:27 ET by nofateSOCC: I like this one better. LOL!
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
Thank you Dennis
January 16, 2009 - 23:46 ET by TN MomThank you Dennis Miller!
And THANKS to President Bush for keeping our country safe!
A Roman general would have
January 17, 2009 - 00:47 ET by RR GOPA Roman general would have razed Baghdad and there would have been crucified Iraqi men up on crosses all over the place. And that would have been the end of that. Same in Afghanistan (and Vietnam and Korea).
An American or European general 100 years ago wouldn't have been quite so harsh, but there's no way they'd accept an ongoing resistance.
But, because the Liberals have pretty much taken over we have to be nice to our enemies-because they want to be morally superior and figure we made them our enemies somehow. The Communists stir up the 'brown people oppression' pot because it destabilizes America...they hate religious fanatics anyway but if they're against the Capitalist countries, they're useful...for now.
Apparently 9-11 has faded into obscurity. The vast support for getting rid of Saddam and concerns over WMD no longer exist. What's interesting is that that BS is even spilling over and protecting the Iranian nuclear/terrorist thing.
Is 9-11 and Iraq connected? Yes, because the Left and the MSM and eventually Al-Qaeda itself have made it so...not the Bush administration. But, our military fight, kill and capture the enemy where they are...not where the Press thinks they should be.
It's like saying that we shouldn't have invaded France on D-Day even though there were Germans there, but only have invaded Germany itself because of all the French people that would be hurt and killed. With these knuckleheads running things back then, April 20th would be a national holiday in the Reich.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Nice take
January 17, 2009 - 01:33 ET by reasonsjesterI'll quibble with you a hair.
There's a little bit more to the connection between Iraq and radical Islamic terrorism than most people are willing to admit.
Of course, there is the standard fare support of Palestinian suicide bombers by Hussein. But beyond that, and beyond the bucking of the UN resolutions, which is why the U.S. went to war with Iraq in fact (not possession of wmds, but material breach and evasion of the inspection regime) - there is a connection.
After the U.S. invaded and overthrew the Saddistic tyrant Hussein, all these terrorists started showing up. This in fact proved that Iraq was a sociological nightmare, an unstable mess, a pot ready to boil over without a Tito-like strongman at the helm. This does not mean it was stable ante bellum. And the Iraqi terrorists (who used terrorist, not military, tactics) were in addition to the foreign fighters, which were numerous.
And now the U.S. has set up base there, in the heart of the Middle East, and is really fighting Islamic terrorists. Not random Iraqis. Not the Iraqi military.
In addition, Americans took no oil (which you can bet oil-for-food was partly behind the accusations by Russia, China and France).
And basically, the war is over and we're coming home soon - just like we did when we are at war in Japan, South Korea, France and Germany.
We fought the war in Iraq now to prevent a war in twenty, thirty years. For most Americans, that's a lot of television commercials.
Responsibility is the price of freedom. - Elbert Hubbard
If the liberals in this
January 17, 2009 - 01:47 ET by ConservativeRexIf the liberals in this country do not think waterboarding works (what little we did of it) then I say turn these terrorist loose in the neighborhoods where the majority is liberal. Set them up Section 8 housing, and let them live amongst all of their defenders from this country. The libs shouldn't have an argument against that. They wanted them free, they wanted them out of Gitmo, so I say free them.
It's not like we don't know which states are blue states. Put them in the blue states and forbid them any entry into red states under penealty of arrest and being sent back to Gitmo. If effect, we kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
We make things harder then they have to be. If a blue stater wouldn't accept these poor, poor detainees, they have no business calling themselves blue staters. I am just trying to help them with their consious. To all blue staters, good luck with your new neighbors!
Please - NOT to Cape Cod!!!!! Having the double Ks
January 17, 2009 - 21:39 ET by Cape Conservativerepresenting us is more than enough punishment!
The essence of freedom is the proper limitation of government!
Bush cares about the people
January 17, 2009 - 07:26 ET by GrannyGrump42Bush cares about the people we're supposed to care about -- the oppressed, the forgotten, the downtrodden:
http://wheatandweeds.blogspot.com/2009/01/george-bush-least-of-these.html
Which, of course, makes the Left hate him. You're supposed to applaud and coddle abortionists, convicted murderers, and terrorists, not babies and poverty-stricken African villagers and little old ladies.
DMiller is heroic...
January 17, 2009 - 10:58 ET by sbourghe's a freaking national hero for having the guts to say something that makes so much sense -- but it so unpopular to say. Miller has more common sense on this very important issue, than 100 Hollywood liberals spouting off their personal opinions. Or, for that matter, 1000 liberal college professors living their own style of good life in job-protected, tenured towers.
It's amazing that NBC has no problem putting the BDS lunatic Olberman in front of our face on NFL-game-day with a panel of football analysts. Hey, NBC, what ARE you doing? I'll remember this, putting a national traitor in front of our face when we're trying to watch football!
I don't have much use for O'Reilly except perhaps for his...
January 17, 2009 - 12:05 ET by ThalpyI don't have much use for O'Reilly except perhaps for his judgement in having Miller's musings as a part of his show.
→ That's all?
January 17, 2009 - 12:13 ET by Cool ArrowExposing pedophile protectors in Vermont isn't impoirtant?
How about championing "Jessica's Law"?
How about excoriating the San Francisco Homosexual transvestites who made sacirledge of the Holy Eucharist?
I guess he is worthless, after all.
How about it?
January 18, 2009 - 10:24 ET by ThalpyHow about it? It's a personal thing about his manner in presenting himself, CA. I'd still rather have him with us than not.