David Letterman responds to flap over Sarah Palin jokes

EW ^

[thewarden]

Taping tonight's episode of The Late Show, David Letterman took a few minutes to respond to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who called him "pathetic" in a radio interview after he made her and her family the butt of a recent Top 10 list. The late-night host had drawn particular fire from Palin and some pundits for a joke about one of Palin's daughters being impregnated by New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez during a trip to Yankee Stadium. Camp Palin apparently took the joke to be a crack against Palin's 14-year-old daughter Willow, who had recently attended a Yankees game, but Letterman insisted today that the real target was 18-year-old daughter Bristol.

“We were, as we often do, making jokes about people in the news and we made some jokes about Sarah Palin and her daughter [Bristol]... and now they’re upset with me…” Letterman says on tonight's show. "These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl.... Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No." Saying he hopes he's "cleared part of this up," Letterman extended an invitation to Palin to come on the show as a guest.

[teletech]

If I were Gov. Palin, I wouldn’t give Letterman the time of day much less appear on his show. He isn’t fit to shine her shoes!

[BlueNgold]

Call me crazy - she should take him up on the invitation.

Chastise him a little publicly, and then be gracious.

If he and his writers don’t know enough to know which daughter is which then they shouldn’t be trying to make jokes about current events.
If he and/or his writers did know which it was and thought it was funny they deserve 2 days alone on the tundra with Todd.

She should, and I am guessing she will, take the high road.

[NoGrayZone]

"From David Letterman, this is about as solid an “apology” as one can expect:"

Then you expect too little.

[Theophilus]

That said, just because someone is considered an adult child of a celebrity does not mean crass things should be said concerning them.

He apologized with an another insult!

Look, I know it's good to be gracious and bad to take up offense but Letterman an insincere SOB and that is all there is to it. I can't forgive him because he did not offend me. But I will not forget this and nobody else should either. He is what he is and people will be reminded of his nastiness every time I hear his name. He has done permanent damage to his reputation.

[ConservativeMind]

See posts #53 and #96.

[RSmithOpt]

No, he is a f’n liar...a real POS.

[fanfan]

And he didn’t lose a word on his “Willow is Eliot Spitzer’s whore” joke.

He said that???

[NoGrayZone]

AND you put the word apology in quotes. So YOU don’t even think it’s an apology.

So, why are you defending it?

[trisham]

Call me crazy - she should take him up on the invitation.

*******************

Your wish is my command. You're crazy.

I wouldn't be caught dead on his show and I hope she wouldn't either.

[Big_Monkey]

"Looks like Letterman felt the heat on this one - as he should have"

I hope he did as well, but I wonder if I'm not just projecting - hoping that there's at least one person at that network with a modicum of decency that either asked, told or coerced Letterman to say what he said, even if it was powerfully short on apology and strong on excuse.

I'm afraid if we found out the truth, we'd both be surprised by how little was said to Dave by either CBS or his sponsors. Once again, America slouches even closer to Gomorrah.

[al baby]

Gov. Palin should invite Letterman to go hunting.

Add Cheney to the guest list and im good with it

[mad_as_he$$]

Sarah should of learned her lesson with Katie.

[ansel12]

Letterman Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No." Saying he hopes he's "cleared part of this up,"

To me that is continuing the insult.

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

NOT GOOD ENOUGH LETTERMAN. It WAS the 14 year old who was at the game, not Bristol. Didn't know that? I don't believe you. Either way the joke illustrates what a frikkin scumbag of a coward you are. Fear of Sarah Palin is what is driving these attacks.

I for one filed a complaint with FCC, called N.O.W. and CBS and World Wide Pants, and tonight I will take one for the team and watch Letterman so as to document all his sponsors and will start on them tomorrow.

[SolidWood]

See here:

http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/06/letterman-makes-another-sex-joke-about.html

[Batman11]

“Meanwhile this beast runs around the world making us look ridiculous”

How dare you call Patrick Ewing a beast! Oh!

[NonValueAdded]

Saying he hopes he's "cleared part of this up," Letterman extended an invitation to Palin to come on the show as a guest.

Yeah, Todd should go. That would clear it up reeeeeeeeeeel good.

Is there any definitive proof that he did or didn't say Willow? Can someone spare most of us from having to view Letterman's drivel again?

[SolidWood]

Yes, note down his sponsors. Just in case that one is missing...

So far there is this list of Letterman Sponsors:

TV.com
On The Border Restaurants
Best Western
Intel
CBSports.com
JohnFreida.com
DiTech
Lexus
Earn My Degree
True Credit by TransUnion
Lifelock
Bowflex
Mars Candy
Capitol One
LasikPlus
Embassy Suites
EBay
ancestry.com

[NonValueAdded]

That sounds like a legitimate apology.

That sounds like you're setting the bar pretty low.

[Scotswife]

oh - so it’s about the 18 yr. old girl. That makes it ok - cuz like - he would have said the same thing about an 18 yr. old Chelsea Clinton- or an 18 yr. old Sasha or Malia right?