And there we have it. The Democrats through the Democrat Party Spokesman David Rape-her-man thinks that 62 year old men raping 14 year old girls is funny.

So Rape-her-man is into raping 14 y/o's eh? Why isn't anyone surprised this is coming straight out of the Democrat party?

Letterman used to be funny. He isn't funny anymore - he just seems like a bitter old man desperate for ratings.

Why do people insist on describing his jokes as mentioning "rape". I agree that the comments weren't particularly funny, but he never said rape, the implication was that it would be consensual sex. Learn to read and listen.
Also, if you think that Palin is helping herself by involving herself in ridiculous feuds with comedians, rather than concentratingon real issues that effect everyone, well...good luck in 2012.

A few points.

First, equating Keith Olbermann to Bill O'Reilly is intellectually dishonest. I defy an impartial fact-checker to truly define who the 'smearer' is. It is O' Reilly by a mile. O' Reilly never accepts responsibility for his rhetoric and now another person (the late Dr. Tiller) is dead because of it. Yet you will never hear Mr. O'Reilly discuss how Dr. Tiller performed some late-term abortions to prevent a woman from carrying what would be a dead fetus to term.

Second, Sarah Palin has exploited Bristol over the 'abstinence' issue and is totally fair game. To make her daughter serve as spokesperson for an abstinence awareness campaign is akin to child prostitution, in my book.

Which brings me to my final point, Mr. Letterman obviously mis-spoke. He was referring to the abstinence poster-girl, not Willow.

However, Palin will use this argument, and drag Willow through the press, as a future fund-raising effort. As will other inflammatory right-wing groups.

The man who signed on as David Pervert-man is a coward. If he had any cojones, he would use something akin to his name or Internet presence.

By the way, wasn't it the GOP who keeps saying the Democrats don't have a sense of humor?

Gee David, how could you possibly be offended by anything Letterman said? After all, he's just an entertainer, just like your hero, Rush. Where was your outrage when Rush spewed all kinds of nasty crap about Chelsea Clinton, who was 13 at the time he called her ugly names?

And exactly what "Democrats" have so much as commented on this story? I haven't seen anything, just the cheap, nasty Palin family thrusting themselves into the spotlight again. Can't those people ever stay home? Many of us are sick of them already.

If you don't like Letterman's brand of humor, do what Repukes have been telling the rest of us concerning Limbaugh et al. - change the freakin' channel already!

I recommend you seatch out what I have said about Letterman and Limbaugh elsewhere on the blog to see how unfounded your assumptions about my views are. Thanks. Z

I am a total believer in freedom of speech, we were just saying that in this society it is hard to have freedom of speech sometimes because someone might be offended. However, there is a time to hold your tongue sometimes and not use something that will be obvoiusly hurtful to get ratings or whatever. Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it is the right thing to do.

Letterman is boycotted in my household forever. A guy jokes like that about another's daughter on my street, he would be eating a concrete curb. Child rape isn't a joke period.

The wing-nuts are going crazy again.

For Sarah to claim that the remark was about Willow either demonstrates that she's monumentally stupid, or that she thinks all of us are monumentally stupid, or both.

No one knows who Willow is. Comedians don't make jokes about obscure children no one's heard of. The joke was obviously about Bristol, the adult child of Palin who has a national reputation for her inability to keep her legs together.

Sarah's either being disingenuous, dense, or both - which is pretty much par for the course for her.

the most entertaining element of all this is seeing republicans suffer an attack of what they usually condemn in others: political correctness. i thought nothing was sacred to the party of rush limbaugh and ann coulter. hey, lighten up GOP! or could it be that you can't take it as well as you dish it out?

The big difference, of course, is that Letterman's job is to be stupid and crazy.

That said, I can believe that Gov. Palin was truly offended by the joke. I can also believe she may try to milk this for everything she can. That milking is a free-speech right, but if it is visible that her focus is more on the milking than on the offense she brings that about herself, is responsible for exposing what she is.

Hi, I agree about the "milking" and what it might have to say about her priorities. Thanks. Z

Not funny to joke about a politician's young daughter's sexuality. Obama had the class to say she was off limits. He got my vote. More of this "acceptable" insults and I will be voting republican again. Hasn't everybody learned that MEAN is a loser strategy whichever side you're on?

Letterman only used the word "daughter." The Palins claim it was 14-year-old Willow who attended the game with them.

I'd like to see a photo of Willow at the game. Surely one must exist. If not, then the Palin's are using this dishonestly - turning a joke that implied it was about Bristol (the one who did get pregnant) into something it was not.

If Palin is saying Willow and it was reewally Bristol, do you honestly think that won't come out? I do. Thanks. Z

Now that there's actually a funny alternative in the same time slot, perhaps it's time to check out Conan. I used to follow Letterman since his days on NBC, but now he's just turning into an obvious perverted partisan hack. I'm fed up with the cheap shots below the belt. Goodbye Dave.

BTW, I watched both O'Reilly and Olbermann's coverage last night on this issue. O'Reilly was dead-on, while Olbermann was trying to rationalize Dave's comments as being directed toward another daughter. Enough with the rationalizing. Wrong is wrong.

Hi, Thanks for the update on Olbermann working the talking points. Z

Top 10 reasons Letterman shouldn't apologize to Palin:

10) Who?
9) People that name their kids after inanimate objects and horses have already set their kids up for bullying.
8) Palin is too insignificant to warrant an apology.
7) Sarah's husband would have been watching the kids, but he was too busy chasing balls.
6) Trig and Bristol...."what is hard math and NASCAR's next stop?"
5) He thought the kids were at the game to solicit political contributions from the Yankees.
4) Letterman's been doing the Late Night show since Palin was dreaming of one day working up to hawking snowmobiles to locals in North Faraway Alaska.
3) At least he didn't mention that Sarah was pressing Arod to date her daughter to get more TMZ face time.
2) Palin went to the game because she thought the "Yankees" would be shootin guns at the Southerners and wanted to see a good old fashioned shootout.
1) One word..."condom"

This kind of crap is exactly why I am no longer a fan of Alec Baldwin. It was also on Letterman's show that Baldwin declared that a certain Congressman (sorry the name escapes me at the moment) Henry something's wife and daughter be beaten and raped right after Henry had being drug into the street and whipped. (or words to that effect. That was the night that Letterman became persona non grata in my household. Would Letterman just stand idly by while similar remarks were made about his beloved son, Harry?

As much as I absolutely support free speech, when you go on network TV and get paid for it, there are certain limits you are voluntarily agreeing to. No doubt about it -- there are limits under those circumstances. Z

If Barrack Obam had a daughter 14 or 18 years old and anyone made this statement ..... the entire liberal media, politicians and citizens would be calling for that person's head. It was not funny. Just a disgusting comment from a OLD 62 year old idiot and ....... moron.

I think it is a fair question to ask. Z

If Letterman had made this joke about one of the Obama girls, would he still have a job? or life?

"The joke was obviously about Bristol,"

Not true. Why don't you take a look at the facts before making an assertion like this?

Letterman said "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.”

Willow, the 14 year old, was at said game. Bristol was not. Any person with half a brain would see that the joke is about Willow.

Letterman is a liar and a creeper.

I think the Palins are just acting like professional victims here. It was a joke. Get over it.

Well isn't this bit of controversy interesting. Missy Sarah has found someone to bash in such a misdirected way. This is the old Republican Party stance of misdirect by taking the focus off of her and her inability to connect with "mainstream" Americans. Sarah brought her kids into the public eye during the campaign. If she did not want the American public to judge her values then she should have kept her unwed teenage daughter at home and ride out the campaign and remained a private citizen. The minute she became 18 and became the spokesperson for teen sex, the gloves were off. Bristol became a public figure. Dave's little joke was not directed at some 14 year old and now Sarah wants to label him as some sexual pervert. It is Sarah's anger to CBS and Katie Couric that is at the crux of her vendetta. If she cant't go after Katie then Dave will substitute as a surrogate for her vengeance. Sarah can't have it both ways by wanting the public spotlight to promote her prospective bid for the White House in 2012 because if she truly wanted to go back to Alaska and take care of the business of the state, then why does she have a political action committee raising money for her future campaign? It is she who is keeping her name in the public eye and as such, all's fair in love and politics.

Letterman's "jokes" -especially the garbage "apology" - are much worse than what Imus got kicked off the air for. And Imus was speaking off the cuff, unlike the carefully penned and rehearsed bits that Letterman did. I found Letterman's actions here to be indefensibly offsensive but it would be too much to expect CBS to hand down any suspension.

By the way, please don't put O'Reilly in the same category as Olberman. The latter passes off ugly and hateful diatribes as discourse while O'Reilly is far more even-handed and balanced than people like Olberman, Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow. McCain never would have gotten as fair a shake on Olberman's, Matthews' or Maddow's shows as Obama and Clinton did on the O'Reilly show.

I agree with "ugly and Hateful" assessment of Olbermann's words, but O'Reilly goes there, too, I believe. Thanks for the comment. Z

Sorry -- making fun of a pregnant teenager is poor form, independent of whether that teenager is 14 or 18. Saying Palin looks like a "slut" is poor form, as well. For shame on anyone who would defend Letterman's misconduct with respect to these two comments.

This is rich. A woman is offended by a comedian and threatens to "vote Republican again" because of it?

Either this woman is the shallowest voter in history, or is a 'plant.' Either way, not too much in the way of credibility.

if sasha and malia get pregnant anytime soon, then by all means, make jokes about them.

the joke was obviously about bristol. letterman just assumed that she was at the game, and the fact that willow was there instead has nothing to do with this. if if was just palin and her newborn baby at the game, nobody would be upset because it would be obvious who the joke was meant for. the joke should have been researched more, this is true. but besides that? it was just a joke.

and i'm glad she's offended. maybe this will teach her to stay out of my city.

Z....you obviously have a bone to pick with Mr. Olbermann. Since you now have officially assessed Mr. Olbermann's words as "ugly and hateful," please provide some instances of this. If you can.

What words that he spoke would you define that way? He does have transcripts available, so i am sure you could provide some examples.

How would you feel if it was your 14 year old daughter being joked about getting knocked up?

Many of the posters on this blog that vigoriously defend sex crime jokes should talk to a victim of a sex crime, and see how funny it is.

No matter what your politics are, you are warped in the head if think defending jokes like this helps your cause.

The hypocrisy and classism of the leftwing in this country is appalling.

To the idjit who referenced the daughter who "couldn't keep her legs together" -- shame on you! How does that make her different from daughters all over America? Is she now a slut it is okay to slander?

To the man who reference Palin "prostituting" her daughter in the abstinence movement -- isn't it a contradiction to say that she is old enough for random sex but not old enough to make her own decisions? Where is your evidence for this nasty allegation?

If this had been the Obama daughters, would you still be saying a joke is a joke?

Evidently, hate speech is okay if directed towards your opponents or to win an election. I have been a feminist all my life -- but the movement seems to go blotto when the target is conservative, not liberal.

I have also voted Democrat all my life. Never again. You folks stink to high heaven. I am ashamed I ever considered myself one of you.

Hey, have any of you ever seen Mrs. Letterman? Google "Regina Lasko" and you will see why Dave is the miserable human being that he is. I know for one thing, A-Rod would definitely choose the Palin women over Mrs. Letterman any day. I truly think Dave keeps Regina around to scare the wild predators from entering his beloved cabin! She's that scary and he has no right to judge others. Warning: If you do Google Mrs. Letterman, make sure you are prepared because you may never get that awful sight out of your head. Uuugh!

There is another way to respond to the Letterman matter. Don't loose your temper. simply call up the advertisers that support CBS and Letterman and tell them what he said. Ask them if they want to be associated with CBS/Letterman.
Reverend Sharpton did that to Imus after he insulted the Women s Rutgers Basket Ball team and it was effective. Imus drove to the team and apologized in person to them and listened to what they had to say to him.
Don't complain here - complain where it will have the most impact.

Hyde, the Congressman's name was Henry Hyde; and it took place during the Clinton impeachment hearings.

No real reason for the update other than I'm thrilled my little senior mind had a clarity moment.

I agree with the Mr. Zurawik's assertion that a straightforward blanket apology was called for, rather than a partial 'gosh, what a wacky misunderstanding!' one embedded in a snide defense of the intended "joke".

But I disagree that it's a free speech issue. No actual censorship has occurred, been threatened, or been called for by any government agency.

In fact, the closest thing to censorship that Letterman has been subjected to is his OWN NETWORK editing out the statutory rape 'joke' from the show's transcript BEFORE it was made available to media outlets like the NYT.

To the 'joke' defenders, which do you believe? A) that the Letterman staff couldn't possibly have foreseen that the remark would be taken as referring to Willow, even though she was at the game (while Bristol was not) B) that the Letterman writers used the generic phrase 'her daughter' instead of 'Bristol' because they thought people wouldn't know who 'Bristol' was, even given the context which many here claim makes the remark so obviously about her? and... I hate to give anyone the option, but... C) you're cool with a joke about the statutory rape of a 14 year old girl.

If you chose C) get counseling immediately. Seriously. If you chose A) then how do you account for CBS being so worried about the remark that they removed it from the transcript before its release? If you chose B), how do you reconcile the contradiction that Bristol is too obscure to reference by name, yet she's a public figure open to the most vicious attacks that anyone can muster?

Finally, for ANYONE who defends joking about an 18 year old girl being 'knocked up' by a 34 year old stranger on the basis of the girl being a de facto public figure due to a parent's fame, put your money where your Palin-hating mouth is:

Approach Mike Tyson and his 18 year old daughter and spew as many 'knocked up by Alex Rodriguez' jokes as you can.

Bonus points if you can call him a "Fascist!" with your dying breath.

What is it about Sarah Palin and her family that brings out the worst in Democrats and Media? Could this still be fear based? The election is over, ACORN sealed it rather well, and President Obama was elected The people have spoken. The chances of Palin running in 2012 are limited, her campaign was greatly mishandled and her running mate McCain because he is a gentleman first and a politician second did not fight dirty and lost as a result. Get over it Dems - You won.No big deal.. Gov .Palin, however, should be angry! These scurrilous attacks are neverending. No one has the right to denigrate someone's children (adult or otherwise) particularly on a national TV show. Would Letterman appreciate public commentary on his taking 23 years to legalize his relationship and actually marry the mother of his then illegitimate child. How would he feel if degrading terms were used to describe his son as a result of being born out of wedlock? Would it not be offensive if someone pandered that it took almost a quarter of century to make Mom Mrs. Letterman as opposed to random girlfriend with child. Letterman is no longer funny, he's a waste of airtime and clearly has some unresolved issues with women.This abortive attempt at humor has backfired and it appears that Letterman and his ilk are simply moral cowards who are afraid to take on Gov. Palin's politics, and choose instead to attack her and her children. His ratings won't increase as a result - Sadly he has become a greater joke than anything on his TV show. As for so many of the bloggers on this site - what a malicious group you are. This isn't free speech it's poor speech and notoriously badly written.

To Brian in Bel Air,

In answer to your question regarding using the term "rape," let's remember that given the assumption that it was the underaged 14 yr old who was the target (since she was the daughter in NY), then sex with ANY underage individual is considered "statutory rape" regardless of consent. The term is being used correctly. Maybe you should read (a dictionary or legal statute) or listen a bit more yourself.

Was Bristol even with the Palins on this NY trip? If not, put yourselves in the shoes of two parents traveling with their daughter who hear this joke as it was worded, and be honest about what your own reaction would be. If there were any photos in the paper of the Palins with Willow by their side at the game, then Willow ended up being the target. If it was not Letterman's intent, then he should have been a little more informed. That's his job.

I don't think craven means what you think it means.

It does, at least according to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). Thanks. Z

Letterman makes a sick crack that attacks the teenage daughter of a politician he, as a sissified inadequate liberal tw8t, just cannot stand ... then has to spend the next 48 hours "explaining" the joke ("No, I meant the OTHER teenage daughter ... what, you're still not OK with that? Cantcha take a joke?") and dealing with the sun-blotting amount of flak.

Yep, THAT'S what I call "humor." That's really some spot-on funny stuff, "Dave."

Letterman's comic instincts are really just razor-sharp.

Seriously, this crusty, hate-filled, twisted old fool needs to hang it up and scurry on into the sunset like the cockroach he is. To think I actually used to *like* this guy and lose sleep watching his show throughout the eighties and nineties. Now he's about as funny as a urinary tract infection.

I really am over everyone that is using the word rape..Letterman did not say "Rape" the word rape was introduced with typical Palin indignation..by the Palins...because that is what they chose to hear..
I agree bad judgement on Dave's part since he knows that playing the victim has become a second career for Sarah..

Children should be off limits as the punchlines for jokes. Period. Being a parent, one would assume that to be true. Unless, going for a cheap laugh is all that matters to you. Bristol Palin was about four time zones away from that game. Anyway you look at it, it was a very cheap shot at an underage girl by someone who being a parent, should have known better. I gave up on Letterman about 7 years ago when his "humor" gave way to his ego and attitude. Have to say, (and I don't give a rat's a$$ who the kid's parents are) if ANYONE made a "joke" like that about my daughter, their dentist would become extremely wealthy.

Oh for Pete's sake. The man is a comedian. Whether it's funny or not is a matter of taste. He said that he wasn't commenting about the 14 year-old; his claim is that the joke was about the older daughter. He should have just said that and been done with it. I seem to recall certain jokes about Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton, and it wasn't this much of an issue. Frankly, who really cares about Sarah Palin and what David Letterman said, and will we remember it in a week?

"what makes America such a grand and special experiment in democracy"

Lol, I wonder what you have been smoking. America has a great deal of censorship. Everybody should have a right to say what they want without fear of getting fired and censored. Which is what happens all the time.

"things journalists couldn't find a way to say within the strictures of mainstream journalism? "

Lol, they could if they were real journalists and media was really fair and balanced, and not just about making money and screw the truth.

I'm glad he didn't make an apology, it should be clear to anyone with an IQ larger than a dead rat he wasn't referring to the 14 year old, but the 18 year old.
Whether or not you think it was funny is totally irrelevant.

Let me clear all this up for everybody.
Most liberals are not veterans, do not believe in God, do not love their country, think everything must be changed simply for the sake of changing, are basically spoiled children at heart, can not win arguments based on facts, that's why they name-call, do not know their history, are racists deep down and are very scared, especially by the likes of Gov. Palin. That’s why they like what Letterman said and continue to berate the Palins instead of address the issue.
Conservatives, real Americans, are just the opposite on all those points. That’s why we think Letterman’s remarks are reprehensible.
Unfortunately, the bad guys have dumbed down our schools and get their guys elected with MTV. Any questions?

For an old man to bring children into their sexually oriented jokes repertoir is, simply, wrong. If Letterman cannot have better jokes, he should think of retiring. For sure, I would keep my daughters away from this creep. Now, anyone who laughed at the joke, is equally culpable. We felt sorry for this man when he had the heart problems. I never though I would be wishing well to a devious pervert

"it should be clear to anyone with an IQ larger than a dead rat he wasn't referring to the 14 year old, but the 18 year old." - RIckyG

The 14 year old daughter was at the game. The 18 year old was not. If Letterman meant Bristol, why did he say "her daughter" instead of "Bristol"? If you're smarter than your dead rat intellectual yardstick, maybe you can come up with an honest, sensible answer for that.

And again, for all the people who think it's ok to joke about someone's teenage daughter "getting knocked up" by a stranger twice their age because their parent is a public figure: Mike Tyson has an 18 year old daughter. Let me know how the "your daughter got knocked up by ARod" schtick goes over when you perform it for him in person.

@JOe

you are seriously uneducated. the level of stupidity in your comment is just overwhelming. i do hope you get over that.

The reason people insist on calling it "rape" is because there is no consensual sex that could be had in New York with a 14 year old. Under 17 is statutory rape. Under 15 is 2nd degree sexual offense in New York.

Bristol is 18 and can have consensual sex. Palin introducing the word "Rape" into the equation is silly. Palin trying to change the story so it's about her other daughter and not Bristol isn't working and no one believes it.

To suggest that Letterman is better than this comment is either naive or biased. He has attacked Sarah Palin from her entry onto the political scene. I will accept that he thought he was talking about her older daughter, but why are Ms. Palin's children at all fair game. Did not the comedians and the media leave Al Gore's son alone when he was charged with a drug related crime? Would the media not have been outraged if Rush Limbaugh had made an inapproriate sexual comment about Chelsea Clinton during Bill's sex scandaled presidency?

And to lump Ms. Palin, who has every right to defend her daughters, with Letterman and his intentional attack of one of her daughters is like equating the Isaerali counterattacks on Hamas leaders as the moral equivalent of a bomber walking into a cafe and purposely killing civilians.

Finally, to the author of this piece, what was your position when Don Imus made his clearly offensive, but likely unplanned, comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team? Was he given the same defense that he is entitled to speak freely? If not, can you honestly say that your defense of Letterman is not motivated by your bias against Ms. Palin -- that you have moral outrage unless the unfair, unjust and inappropriate comment is leveled against someone you don't like. This is not to say that Mr. Imus did not deserve his punishment, rather it is intended to say that moral (like legal) justice must be blind, and offensive speech should be punsihed whether directed at innocent althetes of color or innocent children of a conservative Republican woman.

Isn;t Bill o'Riley's rating at no.1?

The fact of the matter is, Letterman's lame attempt at a joke was neither funny nor appropriate no matter which young girl he was joking about. It could have been anyone under 21, not just a Palin daughter. Young girls make and will learn from their mistakes; but they shouldn't have to be ridiculed by old, overpaid comedians who haven't been consistently funny for more than a decade.

Letterman's 8 minute response was pathetic! Almost as bad as the original remarks.
He ridiculed, jokingly repeated statements to draw laughter from his audience, and never attempted to apologize or indicate any failure or inappropriate actions on his part.
If Letterman thinks this is funny and deserves national attention by calling a Governor a "slut" and by saying her 14 year old daughter was raped by a baseball player, then he should say exactly the same things about President Obama, his wife, and his 2 daughters.
What if he said the same things about you and your family? Do you think this would also be funny? Do you think he would get away with Presidential family "humor" of this type without a huge outcry from the TV and Press media including you!
Remember Imus was fired for a much less serious charge!
Letterman is a bully, a coward, a dirty old man, has no values of any type, and does not deserve to be on TV let alone being a national icon!
Letterman should be fired Friday am!

Mr. Letterman's parents should have instilled a better moral compass in his youth. Those that find this kind of nonsense humorous seem to be following the same damaged moral compass as letterman.

There is a loss of civility and chivalry in todays society. Good manners and polite social conduct has been replaced by rudeness and vulgarity.

I pine for a more genteel time, where women are treated with respect, men act like men and children are protected from the.harsh realities of adulthood. We have become a way too mean society.

I just "muted" Sarah Palin's appearance on Friday's Today show. Letterman's joke about her daughter was in poor taste, but Palin has been trying to prolong her outrage, and the publicity she gets from it, for as long as she can. She has exercised poor taste in calling Letterman names, and her conduct only reinforces the perception that she is totally unsuitable for national political office. I just hope that Alaskans turn her out of office.

Disgusting comment. He obviously has no clue as to how fragile young girls are. A comment like from a peer would have been devastating let alone and adult celebrity on national T.V. It is no matter whose child it is. Look what happened to Don Imus and his comment, which was tasteless, but nowhere near this pig's comment. And Matt Lauer, what a jerk you are. I can't belive your comments to Sarah Palin.

This is not a free speech issue. The government is not trying to limit Letterman's speech. To the extent his employer decides to do so because of concerns about losing advertising, it is a market-based decision, pure and simple.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to be free from governmental limitations on speech. It does not guarantee the right to say whatever you want withour repercussions from the public in general or the marketplace.

I love Letterman's defense: "Oh no, I wasn't attacking the 14-year old girl, I was only attacking the 18-year-old single mom!"

Yeah, that's much better. Instead of a perverted slimeball you're just a slimeball.

I used to be a Letterman fan, but the last 5 years are kind of like "Godfather 3" - I wish he had quit while he was ahead. Now he's just a crotchety old ratings slut who will stoop to any level to beat the tonight show. Don't think this whole thing wasn't orchestrated to generate ratings - after 2 decades of Leno slaughtering him in ratings, he finally has a chance to cut into Tonight Show dominance, and after Monday and Tuesday went to Conan he decided he'd step on a young girl to get a boost. Pathetic.

I hope Conan clobbers him. Me, I'll be watching Kimmel.

It makes no difference age 14 or 18, Bristol or Willow. Palin being a policial figure or whatever. Ask yourself and answer truthfully.... How would YOU feel if those comments were made about your child. I know that if Letterman said them about my daughter, he would have a larger space between his front teeth. Kids are always off limits.

I take issue with the poster who said Letterman has talent......If he had talent, he could make people laugh without doing it at someone else's expense....some people think that is clever....not even close.....All I can say to the liberals who excuse this b.s is....."If I thought you were intelligent enough to understand, I would explain it to you, but since you obviously are not intelligent enough, I will pray for you instead..." Is that okay?.....Oh, I just can't help myself.....Here goes....it's called CLASS..... maybe you should look it up.....before I exit....trust me, I am not a Palin fan....she is just an opportunist and is not right for the country for one very simple reason (among others) .....the constant war of words is not at all presidential and she needs to stay above the fray..... and a truly exceptional leader understands the fundamental truth that you don't fight a war you can't win....she has waged war on the msm and she will never win it....for that reason, she needs to go back and study the issues to become politically legitimate and/or viable.

Someone PLEASE reply to Joe...I cannot even believe his comment about liberals. It is hard to believe he is serious...he is the kind of person who really frightens me. Wonder how he was brought up, sounds like a hate monger.

" . . . I should just sit back and enjoy the spectacle of them savaging each other . . ."
I'm pretty sure I got this right as I pasted it from the column.
The above quote would mean to me that the "savagers" got what they wanted, our attention.
And guess what . . . It's hard to ignore these savagers, as ubiquitous as they are.
In sum, this is part of what our species is all about, columnist or not.

Sorry, Mac, I have no idea what you are trying to say. Maybe you can calrify. Z

Are you people a bunch of idiots? The joke was clearly about Palin's 18 year old ADULT daughter, who is a public figure ON HER OWN when she started doing the talk show circuit speaking about teen pregnancy. Bristol Palin is fair game. Save the right wing talking points for the other morons at the bar.

Gramma,
Here is a liberal veteran. As a response to Joe above.
http://www.michiganliberal.com/diary/10643/

Why is it that when Bill Clinton was in office no one was allowed to say anything about Chelsea. Even Saturday Night Live. And even when Hillary Clinton was running for office of president when something again was said about the now ADULT Chelsea it was not allowed. Even though Chelsea was "a public figure ON HER OWN when she stared doing the talk show circuit speaking about" her mother becoming president?

Hey jj......Got some good stuff in Your Top Ten List. You may just have a future as a comedy writer in the Big Apple. Of course, that is assuming that you are either gay, Jewish, alcoholic or for your sake, all three together !!!!!!

Oy Vey!!

Once you have a baby you are no longer a lil girl....She up for game....Funny as ... to me....

TRUTH HURTS...Even in joking.....
LOL.......This not a political issue at all learn to seperate the 2.

The person who wrote if Letterman was funny he could do it without doing it at someone's expense has got to be kidding. Leno's last show he thanked Michael Jackson and others for 17 years of jokes. Get real. Late night has always been jokes at other people's expense.

Palin is nuts! If everything is her way she is fine with that, if on the other hand someone says something negative about her or her public family that is bad! Gov. Palin is a walking time bomb. She is not afraid to degrade what/who is around her. She needs to call on the evil spirits to get rid of Letterman. I see she wears the pants in that family!!!!

If someone can, please list the advertisers for this POS's advertisers. Anyone that uses the weak argument that one wrong makes a right (but Ruuusssshhhhh made fn of Chelsea) needs to be checked out closely. An old man making "jokes" about young girls being pregnant is nothing short of pathetic.

Let's see, conservative politicians children are hard targets for cheap shots, but the liberal politicians are off limits.

No wonder the Sun will die. It cannot offer a balanced approach. The networks will follow soon and wonder why as advertising dries up.

Yes, deliberately alienate half your readers and half your listeners and half your viewers and wonder why advertisers won't pay full price for a half-price product.

RIP Baltimore Sun. RIP all other press who refuse to balance the stories. The end is near.

Good luck and Godspeed Z, the press apocolypse is nigh. But you knew that.

Sarah Palin has set herself up as the "Taliban policeperson" of America and now wants to "cut off the hand" of the person who dares to point out that her family is not perfect and she is not the most beautiful person in the world or point out that her children have not led the perfect Christian sexual life (which she invited by pushing her unwed child into the media ring). Dave does push the envelope to point out the weaknesses and inane comments of our high and mighty leaders and want-to-be leaders. We need him right where he is doing that. He does not spare anyone. On the other hand Sarah recently introduced Reagan's son with the comment that politcal correctness had to be forgotten to get out the truth. She can dish it out but she can't take it and she is so good at talking out both sides of her pretty little mouth. I for one do not want to bring her style of "taliban-like" rule into America. She thinks she can call Obama a terrorist by saying he pals around with them and it is OK when people yell "Kill him" at her rallies but just let a comedian make a joke about her make-up or her family and she wants him fired. GOD SAVE US ALL

I'm 46, and had been a fan of Letterman since his morning show. I enjoyed him on Late Night through college too.
But now his show is filled with partisan attacks and little humor. His mean spirited attacks on Sarah Palin and her children are a sign it's time for him to go.

Sorry to disappoint you Grammy, but Joe's right on the money! I should know, I was a Democrat for 25 years before I finally woke up to what the party had truly become.

The dirty old man letterman should go. he's a pervert in his old age, i've heard old men get that way when they get old and can't perform. they get their kicks talking dirty. he didn't have to use a wonderful family like the palins to get his kicks. one day when Sarah is president, he can crawl under a rock in shame, as he should do now. i will never watch cbs again until that pervert is gone (fired). if you prefer to keep him , then watch the ratings fall. KICK HIM OUTTTTT!!!!!

One thing is for sure, Palin knows how to keep her own name and face in the pubic eye -- even at the expense of exploiting her own family. I grew up in a trailer park and this all sounds strangely familiar. If Palin did not want want to turn this into political hay, she would have simply said it was terribly distateful no matter which daughter he was referring to and move on. But, just as she did with her was-soon-to-be-son-in-law, she has publicly knocked someone else for trying to capitalize on her precious family name. Of course, they are. She is just the political equivalent of that Hilton girl who will do anything to stay in the news.

Comedians ought to rise up and come to Letterman's defense...because now the speech police will continue to take their rights away...I mean Rush Limbaugh and his ignorant minions have the right to slander and defame anyone he damn well pleases but a freaking comedian can't make a stinking joke?? If he had of been that wild eyed Manson lookalike Dennis Miller not one Neo-con would have uttered a word of dissent. They would have said " oh he is just telling a joke" yadda yadda... And I am tired of the Neo-con minority running it like they own it...sorry you lost the last election get the over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a conservative, and I must say I'm so tired of the self-righteousness of both political sides. When I heard the joke, I laughed. That's right, I laughed. I guess I must be into statutory rape or something like that because, dammit, I laughed.
Letterman was JUST JOKING! IT WAS HIS MONOLOGUE! This controversy is all political. No one really cares about the daughters. If there were any angle to this, SOMEONE out there would ask about the "forgotten man," A-Rod. I wonder how he feels, since what was originally intended as a joke has now become so serious, with David Letterman guilty of such an egregious sin. Why doesn't someone ask how Letterman could be accusing A-Rod of statutory rape? BECAUSE IT WAS A JOKE--THAT'S WHY!

I remember not to long ago a shock jock named IMUS, made off color comments about the Rutgers Womans BB Team, and Al Sharpton and other womens group called for his removal regardless of any apology...I fail to see the difference, if a comedian would make fun of the Presidents daughters their would have been outrage...We have a constitutional right of free speech, we do not have a constitutional right to hate speech at the expense of anyone...as much as people will voice their favor, "it was a joke", it does not make it right...we as a society need to learn about respect and dignity, qualities the President spoke of in his campaign, qualities letterman has never had or adheres to... he is of the same culture as are the rest of late night talk show host, who choose to cross certain lines at the cost of ratings...I have never watched letterman, I don't think he is funny and I could care less if he disappears tommorrow...

it was a joke, glad palin wasn't old enough to catch Redd Foxx, Prior, Bruce,
Leonard, Rivers and the rest of the older good comics.

how sad not to be able to laugh at what is ridiculous.

Don't compare Palin and O'Reilly to Letterman and Oberman! THERE IS NO COMPARISON. Letterman is a washed up, not funny, doddering(sp?) old fool who only attacks Conservatives. He should talk- he got his "significant other" "knocked up" and lived with her for years before actually getting married. What he said about Palin looking like a "slutty stewardess" was despicable and so unclassy and just wrong! A MISUSE OF FREE SPEECH! Olberman is mean spirited, and jealous that he has poor to no ratings. O'Reilly tries to be in the middle somewhere and tries to see both sides. I LOVED IT BEST WHEN HE VERBALLY ATTACKED AND STOOD UP TO THE ABUSE OF BARNEY FRANK!