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I want to play the Devils advocate here.
First, let me say that I rarely watch him, actually, not for years.
Sometimes he’s funny. Sometimes he’s not.

Now, the joke was in bad taste, no doubt. Even if we all agree to that, I’m having a hard time with all the attacks on him and the calls to apologize or him be fired or whatever.

First, it was a joke. A joke, folks. Jokes by themselves are understood to not be “reality”.
Second, why should he not now apologize for every joke he ever told? Certainly, she is not the first one he has made uncomfortable.
Third, she is in the public eye, and is therefore fair game of sorts. Like it or not, America has a long, long tradition of politics where jokes and comments and subtle implications are part of the landscape. Simple searches of historical newspaper political cartoons, etc will turn up tons of stuff that was way, way, way more scandalous than this incident.
Fourth, and this is my opinion, I for one want leaders who can take the heat. If they bend or break when Letterman says a few wisecracks, how are they going to react if Russia decided to send 3 nuke subs our way and our satellites detected them arming the warheads?

Now there are statements like “Should politicians families be immune” and stuff like that.
NO WAY!!

Remember the whole “slippery slope” doctrine, folks? Remember when in order to get a divorce, people had to prove adultery, or physical abuse or whatever?
Now we have “no fault” divorce. Have things gotten better?

In fact over time, comedians have been some of the best at pointing out the inconsistencies and contradictions and even outright lies that politicians have foisted on us.

Yeah, Letterman deserves a kick in the behind. And if a few sponsors balk, that’s probably not a bad thing.

But the whole situation has been over-reacted to.

JMHO.

No need to play devil’s advocate. If you watched Letterman and the rest of the state run media during the Presidential campaign and the way they all treated Sarah up to this day there comes a time when enough is enough. And now was that time. If not now, then when? When he tells a few more sexual jokes about her and her children? Letterman has become what the media represents and this is why the heat is on ol’ Dave.

Fourth, and this is my opinion, I for one want leaders who can take the heat...IMO that's just the point - she did take the heat, and she gave it back in triplicate or better - for once a feisty conservative/Repub didn't slink away, tail between legs and the mockery of the crowds in his/her ears - and she neatly turned the laughter at herself into outrage at him by making the incident into an issue about disrespect and an apology to all young women - would that our side had a few dozen more like her (beyond Cheney and his daughter)......

But the whole situation has been over-reacted to.

I would have to disagree. Giving back to the libs some of same is a good thing. Sauce for the goose, &ct...

They are squealing about the reaction, and some of the squishy right are whining... but that's never the way it goes when the shoe is on the other foot.

So I'm happy to stand here on the elevator with my heel dug into the toe of the oppressor behind me until we get to the top floor.

Smile. ;) It's all good.

/johnny

“First, it was a joke.”

No, it was NOT actually a joke. It was a political attack on a leading conservative leader that was designed to boost Letterman’s ratings with his liberal viewers at a time when Conan O’Brien is struggling over at NBC. If you think that the selection of the “jokes” for late night monologues are picked out of thin air just to make people laugh, you are naive. The final selection of jokes for each night is a serious business decision with careful political consideration. Why do you think that NO obama jokes are ever made? Is it because obama is not funny or because of politics?

“Second, why should he not now apologize for every joke he ever told?”

This was an attack on the politics of the Governor by directly attacking her child. Something new and distasteful, even for Letterman. The fact that Letterman even agreed it was distasteful and apologized, shoots down your point.

“Third, she is in the public eye, and is therefore fair game of sorts.”

Fair enough, but this was an attack on her child. Why not attack the Governor’s politics instead her child?

“Fourth, and this is my opinion, I for one want leaders who can take the heat.”

The Governor stood up for our shared principles as well as standing up for her family, so what is your point?

Remember the whole “slippery slope” doctrine, folks? Remember when in order to get a divorce, people had to prove adultery, or physical abuse or whatever? Now we have “no fault” divorce. Have things gotten better?

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For people stuck in a bad marriage, I'd say yes.

And, assuming you are a Conservative, why is having government force people to stay in an unhappy marriage a good thing? Why or how is it even any of government's business?