Letterman apologizes for joke, but Palin supporters vow to continue fight

Under fire for a risque joke last week, David Letterman has apologized to Gov. Sarah Palin and her supporters. But a group urging CBS to fire the host says it's still not enough. 

On CBS' "Late Show" tonight, Letterman says he's sorry about a monologue earlier this month in which he joked that New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez impregnated Palin's daughter during a game. Letterman has said he intended the joke to be in reference to Palin's 18-year-old daughter Bristol, but Gov. Palin actually attended the game with her 14-year-old daughter Willow. Some critics have accused Letterman of joking about statutory rape.

"I told a bad joke," Letterman told viewers at an afternoon taping. "I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception.  And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke.  It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault."

He concluded, "I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future."

However, the Los Angeles talk radio host behind the group firedavidletterman.com told The Times that Letterman's apology falls short.

"I'm glad he's acknowledged we're right," said John Ziegler, a creator of the film "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted" and who this month began a new show on KGIL. "I think it's a good first step in the right direction, but I don't think it's enough." Part of the problem, he added, is that Letterman made a "horrendous attempt at an apology" last week, when he devoted several relatively light-hearted minutes to the controversy, invited Palin on his program and repeated the joke.  

Ziegler said he was not sure what sanction Letterman should face, but options should include suspension and firing. The host could also donate to a charity of Gov. Palin's choice, he said. Meanwhile, the group is still planning a rally Tuesday outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, where Letterman tapes his show.

CBS did not respond to a request for comment beyond Letterman's remarks.

-Scott Collins  

Comments

[Bush is a Criminal]

Fired? no we want Dave to be given a raise! job well done Dave! You have exposed Palin for the brainless shill she is, she has no other news or media exposure being the clueless pinhead she is on the critical issues facing our country, so she has to resort to gossip like this for attention. Give Dave a promotion and raise!!

[bobb]

I will never watch letterman again... knocked up jokes, sluty stewartess jokes, does he think they are sluty too?? enough of his bitter angry jokes they are not funny.

[Tom]

get a life!!!!

[Dan]

What does John Ziegler think about GOP activists comparing Michelle Obama to a Gorilla? Or is he ok with that? That guy needs to just stop talking, he's making the entire situation worse.

[dmcg123]

Anyone remember a little thing called the first amendment?

[al]

grow up and stop your pissing and moaning people

[Hoosier]

I used to like David Letterman. While this "joke" sealed the deal for me, he has gotten increasingly left-winged cocky in recent years--too bad.

Does anyone ever remember ol' Dave joking about his bastard child?

[Stan]

Fire Dave? No way! I don't think it's even a bad joke in the first place. Tasteless, maybe, but that's why I listen to late night standup comedy in the first place. No apologies are needed. Maybe someone should have checked out if it was the 14 year, not the 18 year was at the game, but Letterman uses writers for his jokes and this one slipped through. Excuuuuse me! Attaching statuatuary rape and other sanctimonious crap to this is ridiculous.

[Douglas]

I am old enough to remember when a "joke" such as this would never have been told and, if it had, the host would have been immediately canned after providing an immediate apology. It seems our standards have dropped way below what they were even in the 70s. I am glad that Letterman has apologized, I wish he had done it immediately (after the show aired and then again on his next show). I also wish he had apologized for the tasteless remark about Gov. Palin's clothes sense.
It's called being polite, being sensitive to others, and common courtesy. Things that are in all too short supply these days.

[Ashleah Wilson]

Alright, maybe David Letterman went over the top. But he's a comedian. Isn't that what comedians do? Isn't that their purpose? This group is intentionally misunderstanding Letterman's joke for political purposes. And instead of engaging him in dialogue, they're lobbing insults and demands for his firing. I don't think this does much for political discourse.

[liz]

Thank God someonen is acting to get this JERK off the air! He was funny 20 years ago -- now he's just an OLD GREY HAIRED DUDE -- time to go! He should be replaced by someone with talent -- like Craig Ferguson!! Now, he's funny. Letterman's so boring I'd rather watch an infomercial!

[palin crazies]

David Letterman needs to stand his ground. These people are psycho.

[George]

This pretty much shows the mindset of Palin and her supporters. Petty and vintictive with a flare for making mountains out of molehills..

[Steve Ball]

Compared to the months of insults and character assassination that spewed forth from the Palin camp during the elections, Letterman's joke pales. Palin, the self appointed promoter of "family" values is a pathetic joke without Letterman's help. By trying to tell everyone else what family values are supposed to be, Palin placed her own dis-functional family in the public eye, and therefore absolutely fair game for ridicule.

Palin is an embarrassment, when will she finally crawl back in an Alaskan hole somewhere and do us all a favor, quit making public appearances... no one cares!

[Aaron]

Cut him some slack. He's a comedian, that is what he does. Besides, from what I have seen, his jokes are far more appropriate than many of the other late night comedians. This is just a political move by the Palin supporters to get publicity for Palin. He apologized, now lets move on. Aren't there more important issues in the world to worry about? Like the whole nuclear threat from North Korea? Or the 40,000 children that die each day from starvation? Lets find a real problem to solve, not some misunderstood joke from someone whose job is to tell jokes.

[Nunya freekin business]

Awwwwwww,....the poor little facist neo-cons are upset that one of Palins' slut daughters was made fun of. Puuuuuuuleeeeese!!! Visit ANY political chat room and read what these right wing wackos say about everyone that doesn't lock-step with their ideology.
A lousy housewife soccer mom that didn't even know prudent facts about our country runs for office as the counterpart to the black male that democrats put up and we're not supposed to make fun of her?
Last I remembered, Freedom Of Speech is one of my rights!!!!
All the neocons can go screw themselves

[Stew Strauss]

Governor Palin and her supporters should find something important to complain about. David Letterman has been on the air for how long? Give him a break. A joke is a joke is a joke. It wasn't on in the afternoon, early evening or any other time that young kids should be watching. It's a late night show with a mature audience who can make up their own minds. We don't need a publicity grabbing politician interfering. If you don't like Dave change the channel or go to sleep and in the morning get a life...

[Wow]

It pains me how bizarre some people are. Nothing will come of this, it will blow away as it should and yet this Zeigler fellow keeps moving forward. I guess that keeps him from actually pondering the stupidity of his actions and utterances.

[basementfrog]

They can vote by turning the TV channel to some other station.

Otherwise, shut up. Is this the murderous anti-choice, anti-free speech, anti-american group of wingnuts?

Sounds like it. Chasing non-issues in a world of corruption run by right wing politicians, focusing again on meaningless things to preoccupy their pathetic notion of serious issues.

Go out and get universal health care for all by getting the profit factor out of healthcare and making it available to all people.

Go out and attach the NRA for supplying the guns that kill out children.

Go out and protect God's creation by ending distructive business practices that pollute our environment and destroy our country's natural beauty. Attach politicians like Palin who support the destruction of one of our most beautiful states and supports the dismantling of the United States.

As a communist subversive how can people support such a women as Palin.

The woman is the mother of dirty little girls with loose morals. How pathetic.

[Lance]

Talk about people that need to get a life. It was a joke...deal with it.