David Letterman Vs. Sarah Palin

To excuse [David] Letterman by saying he is just a comedian is a lame cop-out ["Sarah Palin Matches David Letterman in Cheap, Classless Jokes," usnews.com]. Nowadays the activist comedians have more effect on politics than just about anyone. Letterman has insinuated himself in the political fracas and is well aware of the power he has over his audience. There are no more free passes to say whatever he wants without backlash.

Comment by Eric G. of NY

Governor Palin might have done better to leave it at, "The family has no intention of appearing on the show." But, I think she felt outraged as well as the need to protect and defend her daughter (what loving parent wouldn't strike back?). To imply that Governor Palin was making a sick joke of her own, and/or that Mr. Letterman is really harmless and therefore deserves an apology, is twisted. It was a tasteless thing for Mr. Letterman to do, to make an insensitive (and unprovoked) joke at the expense of a teenage girl who's not even there to defend herself. It doesn't matter which daughter was being maligned. Leave it to the media to put Governor Palin (whom I didn't vote for) on trial, instead of Mr. Letterman.

Comment by Gina of CA

Sarah Palin needs to find a new way to make herself popular. If she can't handle the jokes and comments about her and her family now, just think of how she would have been if she had made it to the White House!

Comment by Terri of PA

This is not a Democrat/Republican issue. It is a matter of Letterman's poor taste and disrespect toward women. Letterman was out of line. He owes Sarah and Todd Palin and their daughters a sincere apology. I am not a fan of Sarah Palin, but I agree with her 100 percent on this issue. Palin's older daughter had a baby from a teen relationship. That could happen to anyone's daughter, and when it does, the young woman does not deserve to be the subject of trash talk by anyone, let alone a talk show host old enough to be her grandfather. The "joke" was cheap, and it was not funny. It was directed at an 18-year-old young mother. In America we have many such mothers struggling to get by and move on with their lives. They need our compassion and support, not juvenile locker room jokes and derogatory labels. While working on the Obama campaign last fall, I was very proud when my candidate told the public that families of the candidates are off-limits. It appears that David Letterman does not respect the example of the president of the United States.

Comment by Mary of MI

Anyone who has children would do the exact same thing if it were their child. I'm a mother myself and if someone said something like that about my child I'd be all over them before they knew what hit them. And by the way I no longer watch Letterman.

Comment by Elizabeth of TX