During the June 6 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly alleged that an “unbelievably good source” had told him that, because Iran “fear[s] the Bush administration,” its government's strategy is to “make life so difficult for America that people do change administrations and they get a softer president in 2008.” O'Reilly added that according to his anonymous source, Iran believes that this “softer” administration will allow Iran to “expand their brand of Islam throughout all of the Middle East.”

O'Reilly did not explain how his source's contention that Iran is eager for the Bush administration to end squares with Iran's endorsement of Bush over Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in the 2004 presidential election. On October 19, 2004, the Associated Press quoted Hasan Rowhani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as saying, “We should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during the time of (former Democratic U.S. President Bill) Clinton. And we should not forget that during Bush's era -- despite his hard-line and baseless rhetoric against Iran -- he didn't take in practical terms, any dangerous action against Iran.” Rowhani concluded that Iranian leaders “do not desire to see Democrats take over.”

From the June 6 edition of The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: And I gotta tell you one more thing about Bush. I, I heard this last night from a very, very good source. Uh, because I'm following this Iran, Iran thing, and it just occurred to me. Because we had a call that said, you know, the guy's fed up with Bush. He thinks Bush is a dunderhead and he waits -- one of the reasons that, that Iran, OK, is, is acting so deliberately in this, in this whole mess is that they, they fear the Bush administration.

They fear the Bush administration. OK. Because they know that if they did something more than what they're doing now that Bush would take action against them, unilateral action and so would Cheney and Rumsfeld. OK.

What Iran wants to do is make life so difficult for America that people do change administrations and they get a softer president in, in 2008. Because the Iranians say, look, “We can wait for two years. And if we can wear down the American will, if we can get the hard-liners out, all right, then we can get a softer person and administration in. And then we can do what we want to do,” which is expand their brand of Islam throughout all of the Middle East.

That can't, that comes from an unbelievably good source. Just thought you'd like to know. We'll be right back.

From the October 19, 2004, AP story:

Bush gets endorsement from Iran, charter member of his axis of evil

U.S. President George W. Bush made Iran a charter member of his axis of evil, accuses it of sheltering al-Qaida and leads the charge to thwart Tehran's nuclear ambitions -- but still got an Iranian endorsement Tuesday over Democrat John Kerry.

Historically, Democrats have harmed Iran more than Republicans, said Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security decision-making body.

“We haven't seen anything good from Democrats,” Rowhani told state-run television in remarks that, for the first time in recent decades, saw Iran openly supporting one U.S. presidential candidate over another.

“We should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during the time of (former Democratic U.S. President Bill) Clinton,” Rowhani said. “And we should not forget that during Bush's era -- despite his hard-line and baseless rhetoric against Iran -- he didn't take, in practical terms, any dangerous action against Iran.”

Though Iran generally does not publicly wade into U.S. presidential politics, it has a history of preferring Republicans over Democrats, who tend to press human rights issues.

“We do not desire to see Democrats take over,” Rowhani said when asked if Iran was supporting Kerry against Bush.