Gotta keep old Jay in line by tossing him a bone every now and then, that's how you manage your lapdogs.
Actually Jay is no ones lapdog and never has been. He's a down to earth guy who even spends Christmas day with the people at Leno's Garage, for example. He hasn't forgotten his roots and visits them when he can. Leno would rather work without a script, he says; and did during the strike. You don't always get to do what you want to do. It's a job like any other.
The words Jay took heat for:
"You know what I'm doing? I'm doing what I did the day I started. I write jokes and wake my wife up in the middle of the night and say, 'Honey, is this funny?' So if this monologue doesn't work it's my wife's fault," he explained. "We are not using outside guys. We are following the guild thing... We can write for ourselves..." (violating the strike rules).
He also pointed out it was the working people that rely on these shows for their livelihoods - the pizza guy, the cleaners, the drivers, the makeup artists etc...He bucked the union for the aforementioned independent workers while Letterman grew a beard to look like the commie he is in support of the WGA. Screw the little people! We also know how that effected the economy/jobs in California which was added to the unemployment numbers and touted by the Left as Bush's fault.
However, during the Bush White House years there was a reported chatting between Leno and the Administration about an appearance or even with the Vice President, but then the White House decided differently. Barbara Bush was always a favorite.
You can either like Leno's work or not, but he is an "average guy who does appreciate those that work around him.