Letterman Finally Apologizes to Palin Family for Crude "Joke"

A week after he made an "indefensible joke" about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, late night talk-show host David Letterman finally apologized.

Palin accepted the apology, and encouraged "men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls" to "evolve."

A week ago Monday (June 8), Letterman made several jokes about Palin's visit to New York City. The governor was in town to support an autism charity. While in the Big Apple, Palin and her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, took in a Yankees game. Letterman "joked" that during the seventh-inning stretch, Yankee third-baseman Alex Rodriguez "knocked-up" Palin's daughter. Later that night, he made Palin the butt of his "Top 10 List," saying she was in town to update her "slutty flight attendant look."

Last night, Letterman made no mention of the "flight attendant" joke and claimed he had no idea Palin's 14-year-old daughter was with her at the baseball game. He said the joke was intended to be about Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who gave birth last year (at 17), just before her mother was nominated to run as Arizona Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running-mate on the 2008 Republican ticket.

"Doesn't make any difference what my intent was. It's the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it's not a very good joke. Well, my responsibility -- I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. Since it was a joke I told, I feel I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke."

After addressing Palin's daughters individually, and then the Palin family generally, Letterman then said, "I'm sorry about it, and I'll try to do better in the future."

In a statement to FOX News, Palin responded to Letterman's apology.

"Of course it's accepted on behalf of young women like my daughters ...," she said, before giving credit to the members of the US military for laying down their lives to protect the American right to free speech.

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to," Palin said in the statement, "and, thankfully, we have the right to express our reaction."

Letterman's apology came less than a week after he attempted to diffuse the public outrage being expressed by conservatives and liberals. Letterman stopped short of an apology last week, and was careful not to make the same mistake Monday night.

Despite the apology, many people are still angry with Letterman, believing his apology was fueled not by sincerity but by money, since sponsors have reportedly pulled advertisements from the network over the flap. There is also speculation his apology was motivated by job security. New York Assemblyman Brian Kolb, joining a chorus of women's rights groups, sent a letter to CBS president Les Moonves calling for Letterman's removal. There is no reason to believe, however, that Letterman's job is in jeopardy.

Letterman said he made sure Palin's older daughter was indeed 18 before including them in his June 8 monologue. Both jokes earned the comedian generous applause from members of his live studio audience.

Which means whether he meant it or not, Letterman's apology was necessary.

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Letterman Photo © Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Palin Photo © Joseph Connolly/Getty Images

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