No one here has stated that Lettermann didn’t have the legal right to go after the children or family of Palin’s. No one is arguing that Palin has some sort of legal redress for the jokes.

The issue is the propriety of the act.

I’ll note again that when it was initially thought that the joke was directed at the 14-year old – since she was at the game and not the 18-year old Bristol – you stated it was “fair game.”

You think it’s okay to mock and ridicule the underage children of public figures.

I, and many others, don’t. Not legally wrong; just ethically wrong.

End of discussion

Perhaps he did apologize to Mrs. Clinton & if he did I give him a lot of credit for doing the right thing. It’s tough enough being a kid without being mocked on the nation’s airwaves.

David Letterman seems to have an obsession with Governor Palin. Perhaps he should sit down with a trained mental health professional & discuss his issues.

Oh that comment is so ridiculous it’s beyond the pale. Whatever you thought of Brewer’s behavior today, and yes it wasn’t perfect (but was a heck of a lot better than I’ve seen from others who’ve tangled with Ziegler), Brewer is not even in the same league as Olbermann when it comes to partisanship and cherry picking facts to fit the story.

DVS…Just because it may be supported by media law it does not make it right to go after Palin’s 18 yo, 14 yo, or any of her children. When can I expect someone mocking/ridiculing of the President’s children? It’s despicable for any comedian/commentator to mock a politician’s child.

To me it doesn’t matter… ALL CHILDREN of politicians should be off limits. They sure as hell didn’t sign up to be ridiculed.

I’m a fairly regular viewer of David Letterman & I certainly don’t remember him mocking Al & Tipper Gore’s son for his speeding, drunk driving & drug issues. Based upon his previous missteps, he certainly hasn’t followed dad’s “environmentally friendly” footsteps.

BR…I have to agree with Joe, Rush did make some pretty crude comments about Chelsea Clinton during President Clinton’s first term.

And I don’t remember any late night comedian making any jokes about Chelsea.

and have you never hear anything negative about c. clinton? really? or is that too much to deal with? hypocrisy can be like that

Their children too? Underage ones? Sex jokes?

All of that is “fair game”?

Even Lettermann had to apologize and explain that he wasn’t directing it at the 14-year old daughter.

But I assume you think he didn’t need to apologize?

Because it’s “fair game”?

um, public figures are fair game. in journalism and in comedy. but of course you are distracting from what i actually said. And if you have never heard a negative comment about chelsea then…I actually am not sure where you have been. the gop candidate is on record saying something way harsher.

“Good grief, the things that people write on the internet is mind boggling sometimes. Simply incredible.”

you are correct. this episode upset you so much, but when he made h. clinton seem like a man because she was “powerful,” I don’t remember your comment or the right wing’s “outrage.” It is comedy. I like clinton. i wasnt offended. she obviously wasn’t because she went on the show, what?, 5 times after? and he never stopped making fun of her. don’t make it a left v right issue cause anyone who would do that would obviously be looking at it from one side only, with an agenda, and biased eyes.

How can any objective person defend Contessa’s comments?

I would remind people that David Schuster was suspended for the Chelsea Clinton “pimping out” comments. (Granted, he just attacked the Clintons because he is an Obama supporter).

Letterman went over the line. Any mother would be upset.

Contessa is about on par with Olbermann when it comes to being an objective “journalist”.

MSNBC is just slanted opinion all day. They don’t even try and do any actual news at all.

Well, neither one will ever wind up being President, that’s for sure.

Thank God.

As I said above, I’m nonplussed as to why my conservatives friends think she’s great or why my liberal (occasional) friends think she’s such a threat.

She ain’t going nowhere folks.

Also for the record, as I’ve stated in previous posts: I don’t blame Palin for being insulted by either joke. One was a little below the standard we should be applying to public figures (KO’s opinion, too, by the way), the other was even worse (that one’s unanimous).

I originally thought she made a poor political decision in responding, but after hearing her audio, then Dave’s “apology”, I think it was well played. Of course they both win anyway. Sarah gets some (sorely needed) public goodwill, and Dave gets a ratings boost tonight during his second week against Conan.

Once again, Bristol wasn’t at the game. Willow, the 14-year old was.

Lettermann couldn’t have been referring to A-Rod having sex with Bristol at the stadium since it was Willow who was there.

I just read that Lettermann now says he didn’t know this, that he believed (or his writers) that Bristol was there.

If true, he gets a partial pass.

Still, it’s unseemly and ugly and only the Palin hating loons think it’s no big deal.

And I’m not a fan of Palin’s by any stretch.

Ridiculous!!!

Are we trying to create an urban myth here? Apparently the Palins made this accusation, too. The joke was about Bristol, the older daughter. You know, the one with a baby. Why would a “knocked up” joke be directed at the 14-year-old?

It’s a tasteless joke. We don’t need the added creepiness of turning it on the 14-year-old. The joke doesn’t even make sense that way.

Also, Spud, you might want to watch that entire interview again.

Brewer questions why Palin would be offended when she’s called a slut, and her daughter basically is too……. but ends the interview saying SHE FEELS INSULTED because Ziegler railed against MSNBC.

So, today’s lesson is……..it’s ok if you call someone, and her daughter, a slut, but it’s not ok to criticize the slanted coverage of a news network.

Bristol wasn’t at the game. It was the youngest daughter Willow, who is 14, who was there.

That’s who everyone thought Letterman was referring to.

Good grief, the things that people write on the internet is mind boggling sometimes. Simply incredible.

dvs, you didn’t hear Letterman, or anyone else, going after Chelsea Clinton. She was considered off-limits, as it should have been. Even now, other than MSNBC’s David Shuster saying she was being pimped out, she’s been off-limits.

But because Palin is a conservative, everything is fair game for the lefties, even her MINOR CHILDREN.

Very low class on Letterman’s part.

It was also low class on Brewer’s part to grill Ziegler on “why would she be so offended”? How ridiculous. Wouldn’t you be if someone said that about your daughter?

Letterman’s jokes about H. Clinton and her “cankles” or her being a man etc in his top ten never bothered the right? get over it.

If she was going to respond, her best bet would have been, “I don’t want to know about Dave’s fantasies.” (insert wink here)