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Old Man At CBS Fixates On Sex With Teen Girls, Audience Delighted

(This story has been updated below)

Has Chris Hansen ever been a guest on Dave’s show? Just askin.

Fresh from calling Sarah Palin a slut and joking about her 14-year old daughter being raped and impregnated in front of a bemused stadium, David Letterman thought it would be hilarious to follow up by calling her a prostitute:

Letterman’s pursuit of Palin and her daughters has been as relentless as it has been creepy. Of course, it’s also perfectly logical.

Letterman thinking sexual assault or prostitution is funny when it comes to Sarah Palin’s children is merely the obvious next step in the likewise relentless and creepy assault by the left at large that began the moment McCain chose her for his running mate. The left has made dehumanizing Sarah and her family their national pastime, the sport of choice. As I said last week, there is no line too far when it comes to Palin, or conservative women in general. There is a cottage industry cashing in on Palin hatred, and a roaring left prepared not merely to tolerate, but to indulge and financially support it.

So who can be surprised at Letterman chuckling about the myriad ways in which he fantasizes that Palin’s children might be sexually exploited? Dave doesn’t think it’s over the line. His audience doesnt either. And I’m not holding my breath for genuine digust from any lefty corners … just listen to the approving audience.

The Palins, you may imagine, are decidely less OK with Letterman’s lurid interest in their daughters. Sarah and Todd both have released statements regarding his verbal molestation:

“Any ‘jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too.” – Todd Palin

“Concerning Letterman’s comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he’d ever dare make such comments about anyone else’s daughter): ‘Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands – that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone’s daughter, contribute to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.’”
- Governor Sarah Palin

Pretty much says it all right there. If you are so inclined, the general CBS contact form can be found here, and the “Lateshow” feedback form can be found here. Conservatives4Palin lists a number of additional contacts at CBS and their sponsors that you may wish to get in touch with.

Previously: Moe Lane, Hot Air, Treacher, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, Instapundit.

See also: MSNBC to Ziegler/Palin: What’s the big deal?

Update: Letterman: No no no. I meant to call her OTHER daughter a whore. Yeesh! Guessing maybe you should have checked on who was at the game then, Dave. OR you did and are walking it back.

Allahpundit says:

Don’t you see? He’d never condone statutorily raping a girl who’s underage. All he meant to do was goof on the idea that Palin’s eldest daughter, a single mother with a baby, is a whore. Everything cool now? Let’s move on.

COMMENTS

  • Brian Faughnan

    I find David Letterman’s ‘jokes’ about Sarah Palin and her daughter to be extremely offensive. Perhaps Letterman is too old to really know what his people are writing for him; it’s clear after all, that the man has lost his fastball. Still, someone ought to tell him to apologize.

    • duke

      he’s reading the jokes off a teleprompter?

      What other doofus hipster do we know who does that?!

    • armyaj09

      Please recall that it was CBS radio that fired Don Imus (nappy-headed hoe comment). Funny thing is, it was Proctor & Gamble to first pull advertisements from the Imus show. Coincidentally, this company also advertises on the Lat Show!! Call, write, and e-mail P&G, reminding them of their hypocrisy. Then pass it along to friends, and each of you threaten to boycott until they respond in the same manner as they did with Imus!

  • Sharp_Right_Turn

    Considering that Letterman’s TV ratings are so abysmal to begin with, boycotting the program wouldn’t do much. From what can be made of Letterman’s recent conduct, he really doesn’t seem to care whether he offends anyone anyway.

    The best way to stick it to him is to through pressure on his sponsors and advertisers. Absolutely nothing makes TV producers cringe like unhappy sponsors. They can do without viewers but they can’t survive without advertising dollars. As much as it pains me to admit, Rev. Al Sharpton used this maneuver brilliantly when Don Imus made his off-color remarks on the radio. Rev. Al went directly to the Imus sponsors and said “You can kiss our patronage goodbye if you keep supporting Imus’ show.” Ultimately, no matter how much and Imus apologized for his statement, the number of sponsors pulling out of his program made his firing imminent.

    Letterman isn’t likely to mend his ways. But it would be nice to see him squirm at least a little bit for making such offensive remarks.

    • Sharp_Right_Turn

      I’ve already emailed a dozen complaints and statements of boycotting products and services from businesses who sponsor Letterman’s show. I’ve already received several responses. I plan on emailing the same complaint to CBS.

      • FJG

        As promised, below is a list of sponsors who advertise on Letterman’s show from conservatives4palin and free republic.

        I think Hillbuzz had a good idea on focusing on kid friendly companies and hotels. They are the ones least likely to want to be associated with rape.

        TV.com
        CBS Interactive, Inc.
        235 Second Street
        San Francisco, CA 94105
        Main: 415-344-2000
        support@tv.com

        On The Border Restaurants
        Brinker International
        6820 LBJ Freeway
        Dallas, TX 75240
        (972) 980-9917
        Contact at:
        http://www.ontheborder.com/contact/contact.asp
        Phone:1-800-983-4637

        Best Western
        Best Western International, Inc.
        Customer Relations Department
        Telephone: 1-800-528-1238
        Fax: 623-780-6199
        Email: customerservice@bestwestern.com
        Regular Mail: PO Box 10203
        Phoenix, AZ 85064
        Attn: Customer Service

        Intel ? Website contact page: http://www.intel.com/feedback.htm?iid=ftr+contact
        Corporate Mailing Address
        2200 Mission College Blvd.
        Santa Clara, CA 95054-1549
        USA
        (408) 765-8080

        CBSports.com ? Contact page: http://www.cbssports.com/help/contactus/usersspeak
        Headquarters
        2200 West Cypress Creek Road
        Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
        Phone: (954) 351-2120

        JohnFreida.com ? Contact page: http://www.johnfrieda.com/event.asp?action=entry&EventCode=jfcontact
        Consumer Relations Dept
        Kao Brands Company
        2535 Spring Grove Ave
        Cincinnati, OH 45214
        Phone ? 1-800-521-3189

        DiTech ? Not sure if this is Ditech financial , or Ditech networks and don?t know if they are one and the same.

        Lexus ? Contact info page This has their corporate address, their phone number and a link to email them ? http://www.lexus.com/contact/

        Earn My Degree
        WCS
        157 Yesler Way Suite 200
        Seattle WA
        United States 98121
        206-812-4653
        information@worldclassstrategy.com

        Lifelock
        60 E Rio Salado Pkwy
        Ste 400
        Tempe, AZ 85281
        480-682-5100
        Contact page has names and email addresses of executives.
        http://www.lifelock.com/about-us/about-lifelock/contact-us

        Note from Erick: We just received the following from Lifelock:

        At no time has LifeLock ever sponsored David Letterman or any other national CBS talk show. It is possible, however, that depending on where you live that your local station inserted one of our advertisements into an open slot. We have no control what these stations do with the open slot or where the station places our approved advertisement.

        I would like to assure you again, that we have no affiliation with Mr. Letterman?s show.

        Bowflex ?
        Nautilus, Inc.
        Global Headquarters
        16400 SE Nautilus Drive
        Vancouver, WA 98683
        1 360 859 2900
        PublicRelations@nautilus.com
        Contact page- http://www.bowflexrevolution.com/nautilus_incorporated/contactus.jsp?lid=Contact+Us+-+ContactUs

        Mars Candy
        Mars North America
        100 International Drive
        Mount Olive, NJ 07828
        Tel:
        1 973 691 3536 [Media],
        1 800 627 7852 [Consumers]
        Fax:1 973 691 3829
        http://www.mars.com/global/News+and+Media/Media+Contacts.htm
        email ? form ? http://www.mars.com/global/Contact+us/Media+contacts+North+America.htm

        Capitol One
        Capital One Financial Corporation 1
        680 Capital One Drive McLean, VA 22102
        1/703-720-1000

        LasikPlus
        7840 Montgomery Road
        Cincinnati OH 45236
        Telephone: 513-792-9292
        Toll-Free: 800-688-4550
        Fax: 513-792-5620
        Email: bkise@lca.com
        Contact page- http://www.lasikplus.com/ir/contacts.html

        Embassy Suites
        Dawn Ray/Nancy Gearin
        Embassy Suites Hotels
        901-374-5954/ 901-374-6423
        dawn.ray@hilton.com
        nancy.gearin@hilton.com
        Contact page ? http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/customersupport/index.do

        EBay
        eBay Inc.
        2145 Hamilton Avenue
        San Jose, CA 95125
        Media relations ? (408) 376-7458
        Contact page ? http://news.ebay.com/about.cfm

        ancestry.com
        The Generations Network, Inc.
        Attn: Customer Solutions,
        360 W 4800 N Provo, UT 84604
        Phone: 801-705-7000
        FAX: 801-705-7001
        mediarelations@ancestry.com
        Contact page ? http://www.myfamilyinc.com/default.aspx?html=contact

        True Credit
        TrueCredit
        100 Cross Street, Suite 202
        San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
        866-212-2170 (only contact number I could find)

        Someone also mentioned seeing the American Dolls advertised on his website. I believe they are owned my Mattel and I doubt Mattel would like to be associated with Letterman rape jokes.

        • JadedByPolitics
          • Right_Again

            I have sent messages to these sponsors and encourage others to do the same. We need to stand up to these misogynists.

          • Flagstaff
        • http://www.AmericanThinker.com Hammer2008

          http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php

          • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

            I left the following

            David Letterman has become more and more of a POS over the years and this finally tops it…. I stopped watching more than a decade ago, but have been watching Craig Ferguson… It is my understanding that DVR systems contribute to Ratings – therefore I will NO LONGER watch/record anything on your Network and contribute to the garbage you allow on air… Shame too, becuase I greatly enjoyed a few of the shows you had FINALLY started to get on air over the last few years…. But I’ll no longer be watching any of them.

            I will wait and RENT at the video store seasons once they pass to watch.

  • extirpates

    didn?t mean to disparage Gov. Palin, or her daughter on his show,
    he had tested the remarks on his boyfriend who thought they were ok.

  • Dencal26

    Lettermen is simply acting out his OWN pedophile fantasies and projecting them through humor. He should certainly be watched closely around children and any child he has had private contact with should be examined by a physician asap for signs of sexual abuse.

    • izoneguy
      • mom2oneson

        if you don’t allow your kids to watch his show.

    • WarEagle01

      A guy who talks that much about child molestation and thinks it’s funny is a serious perv. I am very concerned about Letterman’s son.

  • Joe_Cor

    should publicly denounce Mr. Letterman’s comments and demand a public apology. It would have a strong impact seeing as he’s been a frequent guest on Letterman’s show. He of all people should be denouncing such trash.

    • randy streu

      I think the campaign taught us that much.

      Still, it’d be nice if he grew a pair and did so.

      • Paul_In_Houston

        After nearly constant sniping from his OWN campaign people about what a “drag” she was on the ticket (when in fact she appeared to be the only one of them actually running), he was asked about it (by Lettermann if I recall correctly) and laughingly replied, “Hey! These things happen.”

        HE picked HER to be his running mate. Campaigners should have each others’ back. He didn’t have her’s. This would be contemptible in anyone’s case. For a former lifelong military man, it is unforgivable.

        -

    • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth

      By denouncing them at every opportunity and making it clear that he held the Obama campaign responsible,

      Instead, he was too concerned about his image. It was always about him and never having Sarah’s back. Which the American people saw too in time.

    • Flagstaff
      • Sharp_Right_Turn

        If only McCain defended Gov. Palin with the same fervor he did Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers and Professor Khalidi.

        Kool-Aid and water from the Potomac do strange things to the brain.

  • Josh Painter

    at FRee Republic:

    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2268894/posts

    - JP

  • angryred

    jokes about raping Malia or Sasha!

    That my friends, would be outrage.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    I just wanted to say that. Don’t worry she’ s cool with it. she doesnt understand why Palin would call Letterman pathetic. She says she gets called out like that all the time and is cool with it. She probably slep with the producer to get her job and her mother was a whore. Again, please don’t be offended Contessa Brown is cool with it. Really:

    • Flagstaff

      She was insulted. by what? He didn’t call her a slut. Oh right, that would have been ok. She was insulted by being reminded she’s on the classless Obama Support Network.

      She considers herself a “common sense” thinker.

      Relevant listen here.

      Who the heck is “Contessa Brown” and what is MSNBC?

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      I heard the exchange and it was great…. caught part of Rush’s show and he was playing the audio…. Clearly demonstrates how PATHETIC the Liberal MSM is in bending over backwards to try and narrowly focus the questions and hoped for responses to downplay and cover for their Liberal friends while still “covering” the story….. She was destroyed….. Reminds me of the twit CNN reporter at the Tea Party that was trying to “focus” the narrative rather than “Report.”

  • fisk2521

    Letterrman is still on TV???? Frankly I’m surprised. Watched the video, however, and found him to be an old reprobate. I know he likes young girls…. how old is his wife?

    You’d think that a man who is finally a Father would have more respect for other people’s children.

    He’s beneath contempt….. I’d say I won’t watch him, but I haven’t done that in years.

    • Swamp_Yankee

      He may think this will help him in his duel with Conan. But he is an insular New Yorker now. He has no idea how much sway Palin has with middle America. This could and should backfire on him

      • 6eorge Jetson

        While this controversy will likely give Letterman a temporary boost, once this train wreck is old news, he’ll just be boring old Dave Letterman again, but with 1/3 of his dwindling audience refusing to watch.

  • ocleverone

    I just googled obscenity+ media and found an article.

    One of the steps used to define obscene programming is

    “Decide whether the programming in question features “sexual activity specifically defined by the applicable state law” that could be considered “patently offensive.” This can be the easiest of the Miller criteria to establish in an obscenity case.” The case is Miller v California.

    http://www.ehow.com/how_2140128_meet-fcc-regulations-broadcast-decency.html

  • Flagstaff

    Exactly the right word.

  • Flagstaff

    She isn’t a public figure in any sense except as a relative of a governor.

    • Caleb

      This is directed at 14 year old Willow Palin.

      • Flagstaff

        without a doubt.

        I think even implying that Sarah is a slut is open to litigation. That’s beyond the pale, too, even against a public figure.

      • Flagstaff

        He implied he’s a pedophile; that’s below even Spitzer, I think.

  • Deskpilot

    David Lettermans abhorent jokes regarding Gov. Sarah Palin and her 14 yr old daughter have lost your netwrok yet another viewr for ANY AND ALL material and source.

    Rather than watch another minute of CBS just to determine which sponsor to complain to, I will rely on other sources.

    CBS has been set as a locked channel on all 3 cable boxes on the house. No member of the Morris family will be entertained or miled by any CBS program. I have shared Internet clips of this vulgarity with my neighbors who are equally disgusted.

    Furious and gone!

    Liam Morris
    Bear, DE

  • DefendUSA

    Letterman, who JUST married his Baby Mama, calls out Palin’s daughter and that is entertainment? Pot and kettle, double standard.
    Over at MSNBC there is a clip Brewer vs. Zeigler (Palin was on his show).
    Brewer the anchor, was totally full of herself while Ziegler spanked her with what she left out. Naturally, miffed, she cut the mic.

  • http://janicecantore.com Janice Cantore

    why Letterman is on TV. Frankly he’s unattractive and unfunny, and this has always been so. Who’d he sleep with to get that job? And whos butt has his nose imprint on it that he keeps it?

  • Big Apple Infidel

    David Letterman has his own personal charity umbrella organization, which is registered as American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming. This foundation is funded by Letterman and makes contributions to his pet charities. The single biggest recipient Child Advocates of Indianapolis, Indiana, which advocates for abused or neglected children in order to provide children with a safe and healthy environment.

    Now we have this Democrat hero cracking jokes about raping 14 year old girls. When confronted he tries to deflect by saying he thought it was 19 year old Bristol Palin in NY with the Governor, as if that excuses the comment.

    Bottom line: when it comes to right wing people and their families, there are NO boundaries.

    It wasn’t that long ago (last year actually) when David Shuster was SUSPENDED by MSNBC for making a comment that Hillary Clinton was “pimping out” her 27 year old daughter Chelsea at campaign events. Gooses and ganders don’t mix in this brave new socialist world.

    • Big Apple Infidel

      If this moron had any he would donate a chunk of change to autism research, which Palin was in NY raising money for.

    • Tbone

      mailto:fnigro@nksf.com

    • 6eorge Jetson

      There is no way he and his writers were not aware by June 9 that it was Willow that was in attendance.

      • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

        If the word “AGAIN” followed “knocked-up” they would STILL HAVE NO EXCUSES FOR THE POOR TASTE JOKES (but would have that little caveat of truth about which daughter…. we all know this is post-joke SPIN and complete BS) …. Alan Colmes is one of those in the “they” of which I speak… PATHETIC!!!!!

        • molybdanthan

          That might also be a slight against the Palins for having so many kids. Like, he can’t keep track of them all.

          Libs don’t like people having big families, especially conservatives. That’s not being a friend to the planet.

        • antisocial

          He and his cohorts like Alan imply that rape of a woman is OK above a certain age. Rape Promoter parasites.

  • slmiller

    Look up the word “subhuman” in Webster’s Dictionary and you will see a picture of David LAMErman

  • Flagstaff

    Imus didn’t say the Rutgers team “was” anything. He said something about how they looked, but didn’t come close to implying that they were what they looked like. And he made no reference to anybody personally.

    Letterman, OTOH, made personally disparaging remarks about a 14-year-old girl. Even if he got his targets mixed up, it doesn’t make any difference. It was disgusting.

    Letterman should lose his show, for a longer period than did Imus.

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      the double standard in big bold flashing letters across the sky… and people still pretend to not see it….

      The Imus thing was NOT premeditated either… DL were a planned/written jokes…

  • Josh Painter

    So much for the “I meant to call her OTHER daughter a whore” defense:

    “It doesn’t matter whether he was talking about Willow or Bristol, what he said was unacceptable,” responded Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow.

    http://tinyurl.com/lpk7ur

    - JP

  • Flagstaff

    Little Miss Attila.

    It includes this perceptive observation:

    This is American Sharia, assholes. The practitioners of Sharia in Muslim countries are at least consistent in their contempt for women and in their practice of gender apartheid: you, on the other hand, want sexual slavery for some women in this country; others, whose opinions you prefer, can live in relative peace and freedom. You will allow it.

    If you are giving women and girls the ?gift? of not being badgered for being female, and threatened with misogyny and sexual assault, they are not truly free?only living in a state of grace, contingent upon performing the right tricks, spouting leftist verbiage like seals at Sea World, balancing balls on their noses in the hopes of getting fish thrown into their mouths.

    And any woman who doesn?t understand this fundamental truth about the misogynists living among them could be in for a rude awakening at any point, because that attitude will infect those who harbor it.

    (my emphasis added)

    I will forever after see Kirsten Powers as a trained seal, because the leftist verbiage does come spouting out of her.

    • http://beaglescout.wordpress.com LJ “Beaglescout” Miller

      Go Little Miss Attila!

  • Jeff Weimer

    I did a Letterman show as an audience member a while ago (pre 9-11). They are little more than a live laugh track, seriously – everything is prompted and pumped to the audience as “giving Dave energy, he feeds on it”. They didn’t know what he was going to say, and they were prompted to applause, no matter what.

    From what I saw on youtube, it was a VERY weak applause and that’s why he acted the way he did after the “joke” (that and he KNEW it was in poor taste).

    He needs to fire his writing crew if he knows whats good for his show, They are so far gone as to be on another planet. Unfortunately, he has editorial control over their jokes and he hasn’t even seemed to try. It’s a shame, his 9/11 soliloquy was excellent.

    But I digress. Don’t hate on the audience, they didn’t know what was coming.

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      that there are plenty of people completely asleep at the switch when it comes to politics and steer completely clear of it…. They may have known Palin by having heard her name but no little else besides that…. It hardly excuses the reaction, but it is also potentially true they weren’t paying much attention from one joke/comment to another and did indeed just react as prompted as you point out.

      Let us hope some of those folks walked away and may question just what they got “caught up in” then because they were SO CLUELESS!!!!!

      It would be great if someone could get their hands on a list of those in the audience and do some interviews.

  • Josh Painter

    What are the people in audience – Pavlovian dogs? Just because an “applause” sign lights up it does not excuse applauding something beyond the pale. And Lecherman’s lame jokes were without question beyond the pale.

    Having the courage of one’s convictions means not going along with the crowd when they are wrong like some mindless sheep.

    Every audience member who laughed at and applauded the jokes, was putting his or her stamp of approval on what Lecherman said. Anyone in that audience who rejects misogyny should have stood up and walked out. I doubt anyone did.

    - JP

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      you’re assuming most of the clowns that would land up in a DL audience have any ot either of those things….. They are Liberals and often by definition lacking both.

      That certainly makes them worthless moronic sheeple…. exactly what explains the last couple of Elections.

    • Jeff Weimer

      But have you been a Letterman audience?

      Many of them in that audience that night didn’t agree with what he said – he even saw it (if you look at his reaction). Yes, the CBS people work a Pavlovian response, they work hard to link a good experience for the tourist with Dave having a good day – and it’s all up to you. I’m not defending it, but trying to explain it. It literally is “showbiz.”

      The audience response sounded fine on TV, but it was a lame reaction to the joke live, he expects much more than that. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the audience stood up and left (and he saw it). it’s a very small theater – much smaller than you think from watching on TV. His stage takes up half of the space, and seats the rest.

      I mean literally the audience is part of the show – they indoctrinate you from the time you are in line outside the theater to love Dave. But then again, you wouldn’t be in line if you didn’t like his show.

      It’s taped in the afternoon, BTW. Twice on Thursdays for the Friday show.

      • gekster

        am i spelling “sighns” right?
        some reason it doesn’t look right.

        • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

          .. but I’m not interested in a out “righteous indignation” all other RedStaters over this either, like it’s some contest (would make us nothing more than Right wing versions of DailyKooksters)….. “Some” in the audience probably don’t deserve to be thrown under the Bus…. I have ZERO DOUBT, however, that some of them are as Pathetic as DL and why they land up at his shows and actually did laugh and thought it was OK and funny! Again, just not all of them.

          • Jeff Weimer

            Some in the audience are with Letterman, for sure.

            Just don’t go after them as a group when Dave and his writers are the true problem. The audience had nothing to do with what they decide is “funny”.

    • Doc Holliday

      too many sheeple around. that is the goal of the left dominated MSM, Hollyweird, NEA, and Demonrats. You put up an applause sign and a group applauds.

      I have this theory, the iq of a mob is that of the lowest iq in the mob, subtracted by the numbers in the mob. I believe the theory to be correct.

      this of course does not excuse them, it indicts them.

      • Achance
        • Doc Holliday

          i guess i am getting soft, thanks for setting me straight!

      • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

        ‘Sheeple’ is what the Ronulans go around whining.

        They’re not just blind followers. They’re *wicked*. They’
        re the kind who support mass infanticide, harbor malignant racism in their hearts, and have problems with women who don’t “know their places.”

        They’re truly antisocial people.

        • Doc Holliday

          they are like trained seals, they clap for the ball. these people don’t have an introspective bone in their bodies, they are mush brains fed low protein gruel by the MSM and NEA. But we who care about this country have done squat to change this structural disease.

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
          • Doc Holliday

            the same thing I said about this issue a few posts up in this thread:

            “this of course does not excuse them, it indicts them”

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

            I suggest you not compare them with sheep, who are born and bred to follow, if you want to hold them accountable for following :-)

          • Doc Holliday

            I know what people are supposed to be, but they are not. We can lament their failings and continue to lose or we can find a way to wake them up. I am sure we are on the same side, we are just disagreeing on the proper nomenclature. I do know if our side is going to prevail, we need to change hearts and minds.

            I was watching a political show today and someone hinted at the real issue. They did not spell it out, but it was trying to come out. So many of us are arguing for purity, for a smaller tent because we just think most people don’t believe in what we do. But that thinking is one of a martyr, of a failure.

            It is not our ideas that need to change, but we need more effective messengers. If our leaders only speak to us in the words only we can appreciate, then they are not our best leaders. Reagan won 49 states, many of them liberal states not because he was moderate, but because he found a way to connect and win people over. We all love our Levin’s, Limbaugh’s etc, but they have shown they can NOT win over people not like us. If we are going to win, if we are going to get a mandate, we need to demand more from our leaders.

            Both the hard right and hard left are entrenched. They promote only those who speak only to them. I just recently realized we need to demand more from a leader, we need a leader who CAN persuade, who can break the red vs. blue divide. If we ask for less, we will fail. Some people enjoy being the smartest man in the room, they enjoy being martyrs. But if our side is going to wake up the sheeple we need someone who can do such a thing.

            All these arguments about purity and platform show we do not have that leader. A leader such as this, a Reagan, may be a once in a generation figure. But if we do not shoot for the stars we will never come close. The battle lines are drawn, and the usual suspects can do nothing but keep them that way. We need to find someone who can transcend this morass, if not we will be arguing over the same crap four years from now. We can defeat the left with a message of hope, but it is time we realize that the we need an innovator, a transcendent figure like Reagan. If we do not start looking, we will never find him. If we do not find him, we will be continuing this self defeating blather fest for years to come.

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    Newsday’s front and back covers are posted online for next morning’s paper. Tomorrow’s front cover gives about 2/3 to the Holocaust Museum slaying, and about 1/3 to pictures of Governor Palin and Letterman. The tabloid recently reduced its overall size to save money, so these spaces aren’t what they used to be.

    • Flagstaff

      Pretty soon newspapers will come on cardboard rollers and be water-soluble to make them once again able to serve a dual purpose, only the second of which is productive.

      • Sharp_Right_Turn

        Palin vs. Letterman.

        How convenient. Isn’t that implying that she’s attacking him?

  • snewb098

    Big time but have the 14 year daughter’s
    lawyer do it not Sarah.

  • the_economist

    …everyone who is outraged over Letterman’s joke voted for Bob Barr, because you could certainly never vote for the guy who said:

    “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.”

    Look, the Palin joke is borderline offensive anyway, but let’s be honest. It never would have made it out of the writer’s room if it alluded to ANY 14 year old having sex, much less the child of a former VP candidate. Clearly, he was referring to Bristol Palin. She’s in the public eye, by choice, and the only Palin daughter anyone would reasonably think of given the context of the joke (pregnancy).

    It’s a manufactured controversy coming soon to a fundraising e-mail near you.

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      Because laughing at the idea of the rape of a 14 year old is just like saying somebody?s ugly.

      Good to know where you stand on that.

    • Martin Knight

      There’s nothing “clearly” about Letterman referring to Bristol Palin. He and his writers knew it was the 14 year old daughter that accompanied Governor Palin to the game – they just decided that she was “fair game.”

      They’re just surprised at the furore – after all, none of their liberal friends found it offensive.

      And you’re certainly just as vile yourself for “clearly” believing that the target being Bristol Palin is okay.

      PS: Ashley Biden is on video snorting coke. Bristol Palin got pregnant. Where are the jokes on the former?

    • 6eorge Jetson

      stemming from “an accusation of attempted sexual assault and receiving a caution for a public order offence.”

      President Obama’s Half-Brother Abo Denied Visa to Enter UK

      Those are facts. In this case, the fact was that Willow was the only daughter in attendance.

      Do facts mean anything to you?