The worse it gets politically for George W. Bush, the better it gets for working comedians. As the American president sinks ever lower in public support, standup comics, never ones to miss a passing bandwagon, hop on board with their best barbs aimed squarely at the D.C. doofus.

Not Dennis Miller, though. Once thought of as the foremost political and social comic of his generation, Miller's reputation has taken a hit from his liberal former fans for his soft spot for the Dubya. The Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” alumnus has been quoted as saying that the events of 9/11 forever changed him. But he wants to make clear, despite what some people think, his politics haven't done a complete 180.

“It's not like I woke up one morning a Republican or ardent conservative,” he told the Straight from his hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I'm libertarian on most things except the war.” He says he's pro-choice, pro–gay marriage, and believes you should give 50 percent of your income to the government (but not more than that) in taxes. “I don't have any problems with the Left,” he says. “It's not like I'm not trying to change anybody's mind or I'm mad at them. These are tough times we live in. Everybody's got to make their own decisions. I just think that left unattended, the war on terror will yield another 9/11 in America and I think we have to be pre-emptive.”

When even the right wing is alienating itself from the president's policy on Iraq, Miller isn't so quick to pile on. “I look at Bush and I sometimes don't understand it day to day, but I admire that he's taking a stand and maybe down the road people will think more of him,” he says.

As the deaths mount in the Middle East, Miller chalks it all up to the brutality of war. “It always goes wrong,” he says. “The nature of it's wrong. But I believe this is something we have to do. And I think that radical Islam wants to blow up the West, and I don't want our country just sitting there waiting for it to come to them.”

In California, the 52-year-old comic has been approached to run for the Senate as a Republican, but Miller wants nothing to do with that. “Remember when you were in grade school and it was like two minutes before the end of class and somebody would remind the teacher if they hadn't given homework?” he says. “That's like all those people up there [on Capitol Hill]. I don't know if I'm interested in hanging out with all those people.”

Miller also makes it clear that his standup act, which can be seen at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond on Friday and the Red Robinson Show Theatre in Coquitlam on Saturday (October 13 and 14, respectively), is not an unrelenting political screed. In fact, he contends that in his one-hour show he talks about the war for maybe five minutes.

“When I go out and do comedy, I'm not sitting up there like Al Haig and Warren Christopher talking about the war on terror,” he says. “I'm not looking for applause; I'm looking for laughs.”

And despite what you might think about his politics, the man can still deliver the funny with his literate and metaphorical brand of comedy. You may not get all the references, but you'll appreciate the craft.