In case anyone cares, Letterman's on McCain's case again

It's really true, life is high school. After those four years everything else is the same thing, only older.

When we last left David Letterman, he was really, like, angry at Republican presidential candidate John McCain because he (Letterman) said that he (McCain) had begged off at the last minute from an appearance on his (Letterman's) show, which everyone especially Letterman knows, is a really, really big deal.

Look what it did for Hillary Clinton's campaign!

Not many people in the world are strong enough to take the heat of an upset Hoosier talk-show host, let alone stand him up so he has to invite a substitute guest, that also-angry tall talker whose days are numbered over at MSNBC.

So anyway, Dave was going on that night about how terrible McCain is when he feigned being alerted that instead of rushing back to Washington to address the financial meltdown, which Dave said John said he was doing, Letterman "discovers" that the Arizona senator is really in another CBS building preparing for an interview with a woman, the CBS news anchor, Katie Couric.

Who wouldn't be furious over that? Choosing primetime news over late-night entertainment? With a female? A truly outrageous thing during a presidential campaign! 

So ever since that day, during 6th class period Letterman hasn't sat with McCain in the cafeteria.

But the whole flap was great pub for the show. So guess what? There's more.

Our colleague Kate Aurthur has learned exclusively over on the Show Tracker blog, that Letterman went on about it again at tonight's taping. But he also let slip that he's talking -- without preconditions -- with the McCain camp about a retry on the senator's appearance.

And, get this, the next one might include the real ratings celebrity of the fall campaign, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

But Dave still takes some more out of the hide of McCain, just for good measure and ratings. Good thing those six years of POW torture in North Vietnam prepared the former attack pilot to endure Letterman's totally tough treatment. Anyone else would be lost, right?

Or they'd go talk to Jay Leno and his larger audience on NBC's "Tonight Show."

Kate has the fuller story over at Show Tracker right here.

--Andrew Malcolm

Speaking of talking politics and abusing politicians, have automatic alerts of every new Ticket item flashed straight to your cell by registering here at Twitter. It's free.

Photo credit: CBS

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

I wonder why Dave is not upset with the CBS News they stole McCain from him. But I guess he can't.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Jaded]

David who? Does anyone in their right mind even give on moments thought as to whom David Letterman and his inane show likes or dislikes. Grow up!

[SAM]

"...to invite a substitute guest, that also-angry tall talker whose days are numbered over at MSNBC."
Andrew,
I hate to break it to you but MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is there to stay. His ratings kept on going up and up. His show is one of the top 10 most watched...
I know you know all that but you are Conservative Republican; that why you always twist the facts!!

Andrew,
My question to you is why are Conservative Republicans so DUMB and CONFUSED??

[Jim NIckel]

Dave is great - and totally correct (and hilarious) to rip McCain as the dishonest, cowardly weasel he has regretfully become.

[nick]

this is a story?

you are a a patheitc reporter

[slinkybender]

Does Letterman still have a show? Who knew?

[Dan]

I think it's funny when Repub's say he's a liberal etc. If he is such a liberal why did McCain announce his running on Dave's show?

[peter]

Letterman thinks the only way to win the white house is by going on his show. What a laugh. What he thinks he is the answer to everything? Sounds like Obama. Why would anyone vote for someone who tells his followers to fight for him to win and he post to be this honest and clam man. here is a statement he made at a rally...Obama at a rally in Las Vegas last month, in which he urged supporters to talk to their friends and neighbors, saying "I want you to argue with them and get in their face... He is starting to show his real face. He isn't as god like as you all want to believe. Don't say he has to defend himself. No one has the right to tell people to get in other peoples faces if you don't believe in him or if your not voting for him.. He is fake and he is making mistakes..I wonder how many fights will happen when his people do what he says. Sure the media didn't cover that statement it would have made their man look bad. But i was there and heard it along with many other people. Go find his speech on line if you can find it from what i see they took it down because of that statement.

[bill]

Remind me again: Who's David Letterman?

[hutch]

Now McCain sees the importance of David letterman show?! I hope david Letterman will stand him up as a pay back!

[jack]

Dave is the real deal. Has ALWAYS been better than Leno. Dave is one of the smartest, funniest people on TV.

[Christopher Johnson]

Dave? If you're reading this and I know you are, start being funny again and I'll start giving a damn. What a baby.

[TeeJ]

McCain is still the sorry little spoiled brat that he was when he was little. Never lived up to his family's expectations, allowed them to pull his fat outta the fire over n over, damn near flunked out of the academy, wrecked numerous planes before Nam cause he couldn't fly worth a damn anyway. Now he's evolved into a mean old curmudgeon who has given up on the honourable path that might have actually meant something. Kinda the same as GWB, a spoiled child of priviledge. Not impressed.

[Politcaleye]

Its not Lettermans loss that McCain did not appear on his show. He got good press and he went after McCain with a gusto.
In any case McCain is not funny anymore .... that is if he ever was....

[Brian]

This "news" story takes me a few logical steps to understand:

1) I saw the original show featuring Olbermann stepping in for McCain. Letterman ripped McCain for standing up the show for false reasons (he said he needed to go to D.C. to help with the economy, yet went to another show instead). It's Letterman's show, and he can make any opinion statement that he wants, especially when the guest miffed him. I would have done the same regardless of who stood me up for "emergency" reasons just to go to another show.

2) Now, I'm reading this story, packed full of opinion that Letterman and Olbermann are just a couple of windbags. What new information did I glean from this story? McCain is considering returning to the show again. OMG; shocker! You don't have to be a genius to figure out that regardless of Letterman's "pull" with the electorate, McCain needs a lot of help right now.

3) There is a simple and important lesson to be learned from all this: don't deceive a television personality, and don't give him or her personal reasons to despise you. That applies to everyone, not just Letterman.

[Fontessa]

Letterman has exhibited classic clinical depression since his heart attack. I don't know why the network and his doctors don't do something about it, but he is spiraling out of control and right on the edge of losing it. He is a disgrace and will seriously damage CBS if not reined in how. Honestly CBS must have a death wish what with Couric and Letterman.

[BigAl]

Nice play, Dave. Give up 50% of your potential audience and ask your network for more payola. No wonder you're number two.

[steve rodriguez]

I don;t care about David Letterman!!! Who's he?

[Ive82]

I think what McCain needs is the Colbert Bump, Obama and his wife have been on the Colbert Report, and look what it's done for him.

[Sportin' Life]

Andrew Malcolm, this is useless.

If you want to write something about this situation with Letterman, you have to include the important part. The reason McCain canceled in the first place is because he was trying to keep Palin's disastrous CBS interview from being aired. He was hoping that by interviewing with Couric himself, he would upstage Palin. And that CBS (and the rest of us) would forget about her bumbling, fumbling exposure of herself as completely unqualified.

The commenter above is correct. McCain lied about going back to DC to "solve the financial crisis". The guy is unfortunately one failed gimmick after another, intermixed with lies about how honest and honorable he is.

[Kathy]

I never cease to be amazed at all the people who ask "who cares?" about stories like this and the celebrities involved and yet take the time to read the story and post a comment. That does not compute. Plus the implication that other readers are supposed to care about what you think when there is absolutely no thought.

Being a troll must really pay well.

[McCain was right - so is this article]

As one time Letterman fans, finally someone nails Dave for his sad antics. It's a transparent attempt to get a ratings edge on Leno [which Dave would have every night if he replaced his awful writers - they've all become so complacent on that show - including Dave.]

You might not believe it, but we're Democrat.

McCain did what he had to do.

Sorry, Dave, but in these times we want candidates on news programs [CBS News is news relative to Dave], not yukking it up with vapid scripted chatter on your show.

It's not as if he no-showed a Middle East peace talk, it was a lousy talk show. If Dave isn't pro enough to take it with grace and seamlessly, these are the pitfalls of a daily show taping at 5 pm.

Dave whining and carrying on and grinding this rather irrelevant incident has become outright irresponsible. His show is an ENTERTAINMENT show, not a political show.

It's an abuse of public airwaves to turn it into a campaign show for Obama because Dave got stood up for a date.

Dave, Oprah, all of you "entertainers", keep your political views to yourself.

[Robin Landseadel]

"Letterman thinks the only way to win the white house is by going on his show. What a laugh."

Uh. . . . . .Peter?

David Letterman is a comedian, ya know?

Peter?

[Benighse]

Maybe McCain should bring Tina Fey with him===Then they can do the "Angry Old Man and The Palin Witchdoctor" routine!! WoooooHooooo, you betcha!!!

[EmperorWatch]

Hey Dave! Your lack of integrity is showing. McCain dissed you in his phony "campaign suspension", you busted him, called a spade a spade and now suddenly you've had a change of heart? Smells fishy to me. Sounds like you're in it for the ratings.. Wow.. just like John himself in becoming a "Born Again Maverick" when the Rovians noticed that "change" sells.. what the heck, its only a word.. you don't have to actually DO anything.