Trayvon Martin, Obama's 'Son,' and Hoodies

Obama had the audacity to declare Trayvon Martin to be like the son he never had. He went on to lecture us on our need to do "soul-searching."

From Reuters:

President Barack Obama weighed into the controversial killing of a black teenager in Florida in very personal terms on Friday, comparing the boy to a son he doesn't have and calling for American "soul searching" over how the incident occurred.

Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin, dressed in a "hoodie" sweatshirt, was shot dead a month ago in Sanford, Florida by a 28-year-old white Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer who said he was acting in self-defense.

"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said in his first comments about the shooting, acknowledging the racial element in the case.

"Obviously, this is a tragedy," Obama told reporters. "I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids."

The case has rippled across the nation and prompted rallies protesting the failure of the police to arrest the shooter, George Zimmerman, and, more broadly, a pattern of racial discrimination black leaders cite in Sanford and elsewhere in the country.

It's tragic that Trayvon Martin is dead.

My heart breaks for his family.

I don't know the facts of the case, but I want to see justice done.

Sadly, too many teens die senseless deaths in this country. Sadder, their deaths don't receive the sort of recognition we're seeing with Trayvon Martin.

Obama doesn't comment on the epidemic of lives lost through violence. He doesn't say something as ridiculous as, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." He doesn't say a word about all the others. He doesn't talk about what they look like. They're nameless and faceless. Don't they matter?

I can't help but think Obama is inserting himself into this high profile case for political purposes. He seems to see it as an opportunity. I believes he thinks "wars" will help him get reelected.

We already have the fake "War on Women." He had to call Sandra Fluke because he was so concerned about her. Never mind Bristol Palin or Sarah Palin and the abuse they've endured. No phone calls for them.

Now, it appears Obama would like a "War on African Americans." He thinks of Trayvon Martin as his son. Never mind all the others, the ones who wouldn't look like his son if had one.

It's so weird. It's cringe-inducing.

I don't think AMERICA is need of "soul-searching" because of the death of Trayvon Martin. Why does Obama think that is in order?

It's wrong to take this very tragic case and turn it into a national problem, as if it's an indication that the entire country is dysfunctional when it comes to race.

We aren't all to blame for Martin's death. We have nothing to do with it.

We aren't a nation of racists because racially motivated crimes occur in the U.S.

We need perspective on this. Obama should be careful not to stoke racial tension. It's wrong to move the country backward and create division where none exists.

Who isn't troubled by the shooting death of a 17-year-old?

Obama would be wise to stress the importance of unity in the country, respect for others, and liberty and justice for all.

I guess if Obama really wants to score political points, he should wear a hoodie, too. What a great photo op!

Bristol Palin at Saddle Ranch (Video)

Here's another example of those peaceful Leftists.

Bristol Palin defends her mother, Sarah Palin, after a 47-year-old man at Saddle Ranch in West Hollywood shouts out derogatory, demeaning comments.

From Hollywood.TV:

Bristol got on the mechanical bull and rode it. But, as Bristol fell off the mechanical bull a man from the bar started shouting things to Bristol such as "Your mother is a whore," "Did you ride Levi like that," and "Your mother is a f***ing devil."

Video.

*Explicit Language Warning*



I give Bristol credit for confronting the guy.

Bristol Palin and Jay Leno (Video)

Bristol Palin was Jay Leno's guest on Thursday's Tonight Show. She was promoting her book, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.

Don Rickles was also on the show. He was the first guest and remained during Bristol Palin's segment.

While Leno interviewed Bristol, Rickles was interjecting his comedy/commentary here and there.

The camera frequently caught Rickles mugging and rolling his eyes.

Sometimes, he was mocking Leno. At other times, he was reacting to Bristol.

Here's video:

Part 1: Bristol Palin talks about her new chin and her mom, Sarah Palin, running for President.

Part 2:Bristol Palin talks about new reality show and living with two guys.

It's funny how Palin haters responded to the interview on Twitter. They expressed their pleasure at Bristol being ridiculed by Rickles, as well as voicing their own insults.

Watching the segment, I found Rickles to be relatively restrained. He made fun of Leno's stupid questions. It's not as if he were on a mission to attack her.

In general, Leno treated Bristol with respect, and Rickles was being Rickles.

There was no real cruelty.

Nothing like the sort of stuff that David Letterman does.

Sarah Palin Brings 'Hairdresser' to Haiti

Kristinn shares a story about Sarah Palin on her recent humanitarian mission to Haiti.

Read about that mission here:

Palin Urges Americans to Remember Haiti

A caption to an Associated Press photo of Sarah Palin in Haiti, taken by Dieu Nalio Chery, creates some controversy. Liberals and Palin critics seized on the image to attack her.

The AP caption suggests that Sarah Palin brought a hairdresser with her to Haiti. Leftists jumped on Palin's alleged vanity as she tours the nation hit by cholera while still recovering from that disastrous earthquake.

From the Daily Mail: Ready for Her Close Up...Sarah Palin Lands in Haiti (where they don't care what her hair looks like).

From the Huffington Post: Reading the Pictures: Palin Does Haiti Cholera: How's My Hair (and did AP lend a curl?).

From Palingates: BREAKING NEWS: Palin Looks Good in Haiti.

They don't mention that the 'hairdresser' is Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol.

The AP caption identifies her husband, Todd Palin. It certainly should have identified her daughter, Bristol, by name.

"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, center, has her hair done during a visit to a cholera treatment center...."
Daughter Bristol is fixing her mom's loose strand of hair. Sarah Palin isn't having her hair done.

Good grief.

The photographer captured a nice mother-daughter moment, not proof that Palin cares more about how she looks than the suffering of the people of Haiti.

Bristol doesn't travel with her mother to serve as her hairdresser.

This is clearly an instance of the AP attempting to make Palin look bad.

More idiocy from the lib media.

SNL: Obama, Stockholm Syndrome (Video)

Saturday Night Live opened with an address from the president of the United States, played by Fred Armisen.

Obviously, poor Obama has been under great strain. He's changed.

Blame it on Stockholm Syndrome.

Transcript

ANNOUNCER: The following is an address from the president of the United States.

OBAMA: Uh, good evening. In the next few days, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate will be voting on a vital piece of legislation. Uh, it is a tax package worked out by this White House and Republican Congressional leaders. And it is absolutely essential that it pass, both to extend unemployment benefits to those out of work and to prevent a massive tax increase on the American middle class at a time when the economy can least afford it.

Now, I know that many of you are unhappy with parts of this proposal, especially that it includes tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. But, the simple fact is this White House had no choice. Republican leaders insisted on tax cuts for the wealthy; and as I said in my press conference Monday, they had decided to hold us hostage. Literally.

They held us hostage in all for about three days - bound, gagged, blindfolded, in a dark room somewhere outside Washington. It was a terrifying experience. Uh, hard to put into words. I don't think I'll ever get over it really.

And here's something else: The Stockholm Syndrome - where hostages come to identify and agree with their captors - that's a real phenomenon. It really is. I learned that for myself when on the fourth day, I suddenly decided that I kind of agreed with the Republican philosophy of trickle-down economics. That's why to me, the tax cuts for the wealthy aren't a big problem. They're the best part of the bill. You watch. I predict the rich will use that extra money to go out and create jobs, millions and millions of jobs.

It's like Rush said on his show the other day: 'I never got hired by a poor person.'

(Chuckles)

So, if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or as I now like to call her, 'San Francisco Nancy,' would just stop her obstructionist tactics and let this bill come to a vote, we can get our economy moving again.

Now 'San Francisco Nancy' and her Democrat pals need to understand that six weeks ago the American people went to the polls and overwhelmingly rejected their San Francisco values and their class warfare politics.

Now, one more thing: I would be remiss were I to appear before you tonight and not express my extreme disappointment, perhaps outrage is a better word, at the unjust treatment accorded Bristol Palin recently on Dancing with the Stars. The judges' decision was a travesty, and I join the first lady, as well as her fellow Mama Grizzlies, in condemning it.

Well, that's all for tonight. I will see you next week in Tampa, Florida, when I join Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly as part of our Bold Fresh Tour.

Now, in closing, let me reassure you that however long it takes, this nation's current troubles will pass, because you Americans never have and never will give up. I say 'you Americans' because even though I always thought I was born here, uh, lately I've begun to have my doubts.

Thank you, and Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

Troops Boo Kathy Griffin, Bristol Palin Fat Jokes

The USO presents VH1 Divas Salute the Troops was hosted by Kathy Griffin.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ - This year VH1 is giving the "Divas" franchise a military makeover by partnering with the USO to bring the iconic event to America's troops and their families. Drawing from the tone of the original USO shows and using Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego as home base, this year's "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops" show will be a unique and uplifting version of VH1's high profile signature event. Katy Perry, Sugarland, Keri Hilson and Nicki Minaj will perform in front of thousands of men and women in uniform at MCAS Miramar. Taking the effort overseas to thank troops serving in remote locations, Paramore will visit Marines, soldiers, airmen, sailors, coastguardsmen and reservists stationed at an undisclosed military base in the Middle East. The USO Presents "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops" premieres on Sunday, December 5 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on VH1.

A few of Griffin's jokes didn't go over too well with the troops.

Making fun of Bristol Palin's weight earned Griffin boos.

Video.



Transcript

KATHY GRIFFIN: Let's talk about Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars. Yes, yes. We're gonna talk it out. We got two words: Bristol Palin. Yeah, that's right. Come on, come on. You're gonna like this. She's the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight.

(Boos)

No, come on. Come on. She gained like 30 pounds a week. I swear to God. It was fantastic. She's like the white Precious. She's like the white Precious.

(Boos)

You can boo louder than that. Come on, boo me. I love it. I love it. War is hell. War is hell.

To clarify: "Actress Gabourey Sidibe played the role of 'Precious,' a 350-pound black woman in the hit Lee Daniels film which was released last year."

Griffin prefaced the joke with "You're gonna like this."

Obviously, the troops didn't.

From E!:

So the comedian attacked a conservative teenage mom at an event honoring both women and the U.S. military? Way to know her audience.

"The audience's reaction to this ‘comedian' spoke volumes, and the decent people I know would probably have booed her, too," Bristol said in a statement to Fox News' Pop Tarts blog. "I hope people didn't have to pay money to hear her negativity and criticisms."

VH1 didn't comment, but Fox heard that producers considered editing Kathy's crack out of the show, which taped Friday and aired Sunday, but decided a little on-camera controversy wouldn't hurt...the ratings.

It was a cheap shot for Griffin to mock Bristol's weight, especially given Griffin's history of body image issues and what looks like her dependence on plastic surgery.

Just last year, the “Suddenly Susan” star admitted that she fell prey to some serious body image issues while seeking out her “big break” in Hollywood. Not only did Griffin get a nose job at the age of 26 in an attempt to improve her appearance, in addition to liposuction that she claims almost killed her, she also reportedly exercised obsessively, starved herself during the day and binged at night.

Having experienced the pain and pressure of show business first-hand, might one think Griffin would be a little mores sensitive to such issues?

“It is quite surprising, given her own experience," [body image expert and author of Love Your Body Love Your Life, Sarah] Maria said. "One would hope that her own difficulties would awaken a sensitivity, understanding, and compassion regarding the difficulties of body weight and image in today’s culture."

Griffin show compassion and sensitivity?

That's a joke.

Bristol Palin: Keith Olbermann's 'Worst Person in the World'

I don't know why MSNBC puts up with Keith Olbermann's brand of journalism. Why would the network want his face to carry the NBC News brand?

His "Worst Person in the World" segment may be popular in the Leftists' bubble, but it really is rubbish.

Last night, Olbermann named Bristol Palin as his "Worst Person" because of her abstinence/safe sex public service announcement.

Talk about old news and stupid news!

Video.



Mediaite comments:

Viewers of Countdown might have thought they had tuned in to a rerun tonight, as host Keith Olbermann pegged his retrofitted “Worst Persons in the World (Not Really)” award to a two-week-old abstinence and safe sex PSA starring Bristol Palin and Jersey Shore’s “The Situation.”

Worse than that, though, Olbermann criticizes perhaps the only redeeming thing about the cringe-worthy spot, and makes a tone-deaf comparison to George W. Bush and 9/11.

Olbermann is seriously in need of some catchup. Not only is the PSA in question old-ish news, but after watching a clip from the spot, he exclaims “She’s the Candies spokesperson for abstinence?”

Actually, she has been for a year-and-a-half, now. Also, we have a black President.

Olbermann is such a hack.

Perhaps his "Worst Person," or at least a runner-up, should have been Mohamed Osman Mohamud, the Somali-born, naturalized American citizen terrorist wannabe.

A 19-year-old Somali-American man was indicted yesterday on federal charges that he tried to blow up a car bomb at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in downtown Portland.

Mohamed Osman Mohamud was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction following his Friday arrest after a months-long FBI sting operation.

Mohamud was busted after he and an agent drove downtown in a van carrying six 55-gallon drums with detonation cords and plastic caps, all inert.

From KVAL News:

To his friends and colleagues, Mohamed Osman Mohamud wasn’t a religious extremist, he was simply “Mo-mo.”

“He was an average American student,” said Corvallis Imam Yosof Wanly.
Wanly said Mohamud was a student, a Muslim and a man wanting to make a change in the world.

Yeah, "Mo-mo," just an average American student, wanted to change the world. He wanted to murder lots of innocent people.

This guy expected to kill families, including children, taking part in a Christmas tree-lighting.

But "Mo-mo" doesn't make Olbermann's "Worst Person" list.

Olbermann reserves his wrath for Bristol Palin.

That's twisted.

MSNBC is allowing Keith Olbermann to destroy the last shreds of credibility of NBC News.

Palin derangement syndrome is killing the network and eating away at the Left.

They condemn the Palins while they ignore a potential killer.

Not cool.

Tom Bergeron and Bristol Palin Conspiracy Theorists

The host of Dancing with the Stars, Tom Bergeron, self-described "liberal Democrat," has no patience for those whining about Bristol Palin still being on the show.

In a recent interview, Bergeron is very blunt about the anti-Bristol contingent.

Tom Bergeron to Bristol Palin Conspiracy Theorists: 'F*ck You.'

Let’s talk about this season of Dancing with the Stars. Can you gauge audience reaction during the taping? Is there noticeable commotion when Bristol Palin gets the lowest scores but isn’t eliminated? Or when—

Here’s the thing. Let’s address the Bristol thing. That’s the thing I get the biggest kick out of on the show. I’m going to put on my political hat. I’m a liberal Democrat, and I state that proudly. But I have no patience with my friends who believe there is a conspiracy keeping Bristol on the show. They’ll say, and they’re friends of a similar political persuasion though I have friends across the spectrum, “Oh, well! She’s still on the show! She’s obviously not the best dancer! She gets the lowest scores!” My response to that is similar to my response to the midterm elections. I’ll say, “OK, right. So who did you vote for instead of Bristol?” “Uh, well, I don’t vote!” “Well, then, f*ck you.” I mean, basically! You can clean that up. I have no patience for that! If you don’t participate to create a different outcome — and this can be true in national politics or a TV reality show — then don’t piss and moan if you don’t like the way it’s playing out. You know, I’m sorry! I think Bristol is clearly not the best dancer here, but she’s a charming young woman who’s shown an incredible growth from week one to this week. If she happens to get more votes for whatever reason, more power to her. If you don’t like it, vote for someone else. But that’s been the part of the show that’s amused me, how quickly people are to seize on conspiracy theories when people aren’t involved in the process.

Enough said.

Leno: Sarah Palin and Obama 2012

JAY LENO: In an upcoming interview with Barbara Walters, Sarah Palin says she believes she can beat Obama in 2012. The way things are going right now, Bristol Palin could beat Obama in 2012.

Steven Cowan

Wisconsin does seem to have more than its share of troubled Leftist individuals.

The latest to get national attention: Steven N. Cowan, a Dane County town supervisor.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A rural Dane County town supervisor believes Bristol Palin should not be on "Dancing With The Stars."

He demanded his wife get his pistols to emphasize his point.

The result: A 15-hour standoff Monday and Tuesday involving hostage negotiators, a dog team and other law enforcement authorities on one side and the Town of Vermont man on the other.

The only casualty: The man's television.

Dane County prosecutors have charged Steven N. Cowan with second-degree reckless endangerment in the incident that made his wife worry that he would shoot her, according to a criminal complaint.

Cowan, 67, and his wife were in the living room Monday night, watching the dance competition program that has featured the daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin this season as one of the competitors.

As Bristol Palin danced on the screen, Cowan raged.

"The (expletive) politics," he yelled, according to the complaint. Cowan was upset that a political figure's daughter was on the show when he didn't consider her a good dancer, his wife told authorities.

The Journal Sentinel is giving this story a rather light-hearted treatment.

"The only casualty: The man's television."

I doubt this violence would be seen as funny if a crazed man shot out the TV when a Democrat's daughter was on the screen.

This was a dangerous situation, really not a joke. Thankfully, Cowan didn't shoot his wife or himself.

Cowan went to his bedroom and came back about 20 minutes later, demanding that his wife find his pistols. Cowan's daughter had taken two handguns away for safety reasons, according to the complaint.

Cowan had tracked down a single-shot shotgun in the house, he "slapped" bullets down onto a TV tray, loaded a round and took out the TV, the complaint says.

Cowan's face was bright red. He loaded the gun again. His wife put a blanket over her head, thinking that if her husband decided to shoot at her, she didn't want to see it.

Cowan then demanded his pistols. His wife grabbed her purse and left the house and went to the local police department and the standoff ensued.

Cowan's wife told authorities that he has been taking medication for bipolar disorder and that the family's finances have caused stress. He had been drinking at a bar before he came home, according to the complaint.

This is an awful story. It had to be terrifying for Cowan's family.

I think it's wrong to make light of an armed, unstable man suffering from bipolar disorder.

Cowan appeared at a hearing Wednesday where his bail was set at $1,500 and a status hearing was scheduled for Dec. 6. Meanwhile, Palin advanced to the finals of "Dancing With The Stars," which will air next week.

Larry Ziemer, a fellow town supervisor, said he has known Cowan for about 20 years.

"I have nothing but good things to say about Steve," Ziemer said. "It was totally out of character for this to occur. He just does an excellent job on the town board and in his private working life."

Ziemer said Cowan is a talented carpenter and is well-respected in the area. Ziemer said he had never heard Cowan speak ill of Sarah Palin or her family before.

“He and I agree pretty much on politics,” Ziemer said. “We would probably lean both to the liberal side.”

Yes, Cowan is a town supervisor and a liberal.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went wobbly on informing its readers of Cowan's political leanings, first including Ziemer's quote about Cowan's liberal bias, then removing it from the story online and not including it in its printed edition.

The information was returned to the online article after talk radio host Mark Belling complained.
_______________

Read the criminal complaint.
_______________

More:

Standoff ends after 15 hours; man taken into custody

Bristol Palin’s dancing on TV set off man in standoff, complaint says

Authorities: Wis. man shoots TV over Palin dance

Meghan McCain and Jay Leno, November 3 (Video)

Jay Leno had Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, on the Tonight Show to discuss the midterm elections.

Both Leno and McCain enjoyed mocking Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party.

There wasn't much discussion of the country's dramatic swing to the Right and how the Democrats really got trounced. No talk of Russ Feingold, John McCain's buddy, getting booted out of the Senate by the people of Wisconsin.

Here's video:

Meghan McCain, Part 1: "Meghan McCain talks about new House Majority, the Tea Party and Christine O'Donnell losing."



Transcript

JAY LENO: Like, see, the Sharron Angle thing - I don't live in Nevada, but everything I saw was just negative. All these people ran these campaigns showing, you know, showing illegal aliens with tattoos sneaking in, and nobody had any solution for anything. It all just seemed to be negative stuff. And as someone, to me, I just, I was turned, I don't know Sharron Angle, never met the woman, but I never saw what are you gonna do. Don't tell me how bad the other person is. Tell what you're gonna do. And I think that's why a lot of these candidates lost.

MEGHAN McCAIN: I agree. I think the Tea Party movement is a very, is a huge force to be reckoned with and no one can deny that. However, now that we have these candidates that are gonna be in office, Rand Paul being one, I am curious to see how they're gonna govern, and if it's not just gonna be 'we hate Obama,' pro-Constitution, anti-spending. I completely agree with that. However, we need to start working together. And the partisanship is what's killing this country in every single way.

The past two years, Obama and the Democrats have been governing in a totally partisan manner.

Why is it that the Tea Party is being called on partisanship when Obama and Pelosi and Reid are as partisan as can be?

Furthermore, many more Democrats across the country lost on Tuesday than Republicans. Leno doesn't bring up why they didn't win their races. He doesn't point out their negative ads. He's incredibly one-sided.

LENO: Yeah. Are you glad that the nuttier, far-Right people did not get elected even though they're Republicans? Like Christine O'Donnell.

McCAIN: I was never a fan of Christine O'Donnell because I think again it belittles all the great people that run for office. Um, and, you know, she's out of her fricking mind, so I'm glad she's not in the Senate, you know?

LENO: She will actually have to get a job now.

McCAIN: I know. She's actually gonna have to work. And you know, it's, I don't know how you have a job...

LENO: Maybe something in the fast food industry?

McCAIN: Yeah, or maybe continue your anti-masturbation platform. That was sure popular, little lady.

LENO: You thought the war on drugs was unwinnable. Oh, my God!

McCAIN: I know.

This is really offensive. "Nuttier"? "Far-Right"?

What about the far-Left loons? Good grief, California just elected Jerry Brown to be governor. JERRY BROWN!

This constant bashing of Christine O'Donnell is completely uncalled for.

At know point in her campaign did she declare herself to be running on an anti-masturbation platform.

That's a talking point of the Leftists bent on discrediting her.

What's wrong with working in the fast food industry? Why would Leno belittle the thousands and thousands of people who work in those jobs? He owes them an apology.

LENO: Now, how about Karl Rove, and there's a bit of a backlash there. Why, I mean, he said some things about Christine O'Donnell that he had to backtrack on, which I don't quite understand.

McCAIN: Yeah, he's also said sort of negative things about the Tea Party, saying it's not a sophisticated movement yet. There's no real leader. I agree with these things. The day that you thought that Karl Rove and I would be agreeing on something, I thought that would be a cold day in hell but we do agree on that. But there's been a total backlash and he's actually rescinded his comments, but...

LENO: Now, he went after Sarah Palin. He said Sarah Palin did not have the gravitas to be president.

McCAIN: Yeah, um, I think she's a lot more powerful than he's giving her credit for. Um, but, I guess he would know better than I would.

LENO: I mean, is she a king-maker? I mean, can she anoint? I think her percentage was pretty good of the people she backed.

McCAIN: It was like half and half. I mean, I think we'll know whatever happens in Alaska. Um, I don't know if she's a king-maker. I still think it's all to a point. I think the reality show is really gonna be a make or break. I also think it's just unpresidential to do a reality show. But America, agree or disagree with me. I have no idea.

McCain's comments about Christine O'Donnell were really cruel, and completely in line with the liberals' take on her. O'Donnell may not have been the strongest candidate but she's not "out of her fricking mind."

That's a ditzy remark.

Leno, of course, was on the same page.

Here's more video:

Meghan McCain, Part 2: "Meghan McCain talks about Sarah Palin, gay marriage and marijuana."



Transcript

JAY LENO: I thought this was interesting. Bristol Palin said today she didn't vote. I mean, if you didn't vote, don't tell people that.

MEGHAN McCAIN: Yeah, I mean, if you didn't vote in my family that was like bad news. I've been voting since I turned eighteen. I guess it's only important to Bristol Palin to vote for Dancing with the Stars. I don't know. I think a lot of women worked really hard to give us the right to vote and I think it's, anyone that doesn't vote, it's just ridiculous.

LENO: I agree. Now, I think Sarah Palin called them... what did she call them? 'corrupt bastards.'

McCAIN: Yeah.

LENO: She called the media 'corrupt bastards.' But isn't she sort of part of the media now or no?

McCAIN: Yeah, she's a FOX correspondent which is, you know, part of the media. So, I guess, I don't know if she's calling herself a corrupt bastard. I think it's a strange comment. I have no idea. I think that there's a symbiotic relationship between politicians and the media, and both just can't reject each other.

LENO: Do you think she will run in 2012?

McCAIN: Oh, yeah. Hell, yeah.

LENO: You think she will?

McCAIN: Oh, yeah. She's getting that ready right now. Of course. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

LENO: See, I don't know. I think to me, you can sorta, she seems to like to make money, so she can give speeches. once you saying you're running, you can't make that $100,000 talking to his group.

McCAIN: One thing I know about it is it's an addiction. Running for president is an addiction, and that's not going away. That girl is running for president.

"That girl"? McCain isn't exactly showing respect for women.

The interview continues. Leno continues to get in his shots. Leno calls McCain an "unusual Republican." He says there's really no place for her in her party anymore, and McCain agrees.

I'd like Leno to discuss the extinction of the moderate Democrat.

Leno has really taken a cruel turn when it comes to harassing conservatives and their children.

He won't shut up about Christine O'Donnell and masturbation.

And why bother with Bristol Palin at all?

Leno makes it sound like Bristol put out a press release to declare that she didn't vote.

She was asked about voting in an interview and she told the truth.

Bristol Palin apparently isn't swept up in the Tea Party frenzy along with mom Sarah Palin. She didn't vote. But who can blame her? Week after week, she's been her own Tea Party -- the improbable, unqualified, ostensibly unelectable wild card who keeps defying all odds by making the "Dancing with the Stars" cut.

On Wednesday, Palin -- daughter of the one-time GOP vice presidential nominee and erstwhile governor of Alaska -- admitted to Inside Edition, "I did not send in my absentee ballots to Alaska."

"I'm going to be in trouble," added Palin in an interview set to air Wednesday. "Sorry, mom!"

And mom may indeed be a bit steamed since Tea Partier Joe Miller, who she endorsed, looks to have been shut out of a Senate race by write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Asked if she'd support her mom for a 2012 presidential bid, Palin replied "I know she is great, and she is great for our country."

Both Meghan McCain and Leno have a mean streak that's very unbecoming.

Bristol Palin and Jay Leno (Video)

David Letterman has been taking swipes at Jay Leno this week.

Only two days after mocking [Leno] on his 17th anniversary at CBS, [Letterman] returned to his favorite subject Thursday with some sly swipes at the rivalry that took place between Leno and Conan O'Brien earlier this year.

What did Letterman like best about that? "I loved that it has nothing to do with me," he quipped.

Then he proceeded to skewer Leno for projecting an average-Joe image despite his luxury automobile collection. "Leno has more cars than Hertz," he said. "A regular guy with 600 cars--explain that!"

Could Letterman be sweating the fact that Leno has been soundly beating him in the ratings all summer even as "The Tonight Show" experiences record audience lows?

It must have really sent the spiteful Letterman over the edge when Leno had Bristol Palin as a guest on his show Friday. Letterman is positively obsessed with Sarah Palin and he certainly is obsessed with Leno.

From the Associated Press:

Bristol Palin said she didn't think twice before waltzing into "Dancing with the Stars," though she's barely danced in her life.

In an appearance Friday on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the 19-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she learned about the invitation through a text message and signed within a week to appear on the new season starting Sept. 20.

Leno asked if she had gone to her high school prom. Palin replied "No, I was pregnant!"

That pregnancy put her in the spotlight during her mother's campaign for vice president in 2008. She had son Tripp that year, and recently she called off her re-engagement to Levi Johnston.

Here's video of the complete interview.

Bristol Palin interview, Part I.



Bristol Palin interview, Part II.

Levi Johnston Apologizes to Sarah Palin

This must be so hard for the Sarah Palin haters to swallow.

It turns out that those scandalous things Levi Johnston had to say about the grandmother of his son were lies.

From the Los Angeles Times blog:

Levi Johnston, who famously insinuated awhile back that Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, were on the verge of divorce, has told People exclusively that, shoot, he might've been a little bit angry at the time over his breakup with Bristol Palin and might've engaged in a little bit of, you know, fibbing and stuff.

Which means that all or part of what he said in October 2009 in a clip from "The Early Show," above, may or may not be true.

So, maybe it's not technically "lying" if you're just saying things that are just "not completely true"? That's what Johnston says he was doing. Because he was upset about breaking up with Bristol. Which happened in March 2009.

Must've been a hard breakup to get over, because in an October 2009 interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Johnston was asked if he thought the Palin relationship was headed for divorce -- rumors that a Palin representative denied at the time.

"I'm sure it is. Just like she decided she was going to quit [being the] governor [of Alaska], just was waiting for the right time, they're gonna wait it out. They're gonna be smart, they're do it when the time is right."

That coming after a September 2009 interview with Vanity Fair in which he'd trashed ...

... the former governor over other things -- including an allegation, repeated on "The Early Show," that "she called her kid retarded" and repeatedly joked about her son Trig having Down syndrome.

"[A]gainst my better judgment," Johnston said in the Tuesday statement to People, "I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true."

This guy is a disgrace.

Johnston has apologized.

I think The Early Show's Maggie Rodriguez should apologize as well. CBS and Entertainment Tonight and Vanity Fair should apologize for giving Johnston a forum to spew his lies.

Now that Johnston has come clean, these outlets should spend as much time retracting and covering Johnston's lies as they did hyping and spreading them.

David Letterman, Sarah Palin harasser extraordinaire, should draw attention to Levi Johnston the liar. Unfortunately, Letterman, like Johnston, is seriously lacking character.

Andrew Sullivan, too.

These sleazemongers were so eager to believe Johnston.

Time for the media to set the record straight on Palin.

____________________

Watch the CBS interview:

David Kernell and Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin testified today at David Kernell's hacking trial.
David, son of DEMOCRAT Tennessee state Rep. Mike Kernell, is suspected of being a cybercriminal. He knowingly violated Sarah Palin's privacy. His alleged crime had negative consequences for her entire family.
Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's daughter, testified on Wednesday, relaying the fall-out from Kernell's actions.

Sarah Palin's daughter testified Wednesday against a former college student charged with breaking into her mother's e-mail account, saying she got anonymous phone calls and hundred of text messages after her cell phone number was posted online.

"There was one that really scared me," Bristol Palin testified in federal court. She said she was concerned when a bunch of boys called, claiming they were at her front door and needed to be let in.

"We live in the middle of nowhere in Alaska ... in the middle of the woods," Palin said.

Palin said her number was included with a photo she snapped of her brother Trigg taking his first bite of solid food and e-mailed to her parents while they were away during the 2008 presidential campaign.

This wasn't a prank. It was an illegal act with far-reaching consequences. Kernell was attempting to influence the presidential election. (He should apply for a job at CBS.)

There is no justification for what cyber-thug Kernell did. None.

Sarah Palin wants Kernell to be given an appropriate punishment for his illegal acts.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Sarah Palin testified Friday against a 22-year-old man accused of hacking into her e-mail account, saying later it's up to the judge to decide whether he should serve prison time if convicted.

Palin testified that the hacking compromised one of the main ways she communicated with her family back in Alaska as she campaigned in 2008 as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Outside the courthouse, when asked whether she thought community service was punishment enough rather than prison, she said, "That's up to the judge."

...Asked outside court if she thought the charges against Kernell were excessive, Palin said, "I don't know, but I do think there should be consequences for bad behavior."

I think Kernell should serve some prison time, but I doubt that he will. A slap on the wrist is an inadequate punishment for this cyber-thug and those of his ilk.
Kernell was ruthless.

The indictment alleges he reset the account's password and read Palin's e-mail, then posted screenshots and the password to a public message board.

...Kernell could face five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 if convicted.

Cybercrime needs to be taken seriously.

The long-term, lingering effects of this sort of breach of privacy must be considered.

If you had your e-mail account hacked and your personal information shared and posted on the Internet, you'd understand how serious this is.

Perhaps Kernell will get the punishment he deserves.

An egregious breach of privacy deserves a hefty sentence.

But once your privacy is violated, it's too late.

Nothing, no sentence, no settlement can undo that damage.

Family Guy: Sarah Palin and Trig

UPDATE, February 16, 2010: Palin, daughter lash out at 'Family Guy' episode
___________________

UPDATE, February 15, 2010: Sarah Palin -- Facebook: Fox Hollywood – What a Disappointment

Bristol Palin's comments are included.
___________________

Seth MacFarlane pushes the envelope. Same old, same old.

But did he push too far on last night's Family Guy episode?

I think so.

From Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters:

In the most recent episode, Chris Griffin, the overweight and largely unintelligent son of the family, took a very rude girl with Down Syndrome out on a date.

With a little prompting, Chris asked her, "So what do your parents do?"

She responded, "My dad's an accountant, and my mom is the former governor of Alaska."

Why?

I don't get the hate directed at Sarah Palin and her family, especially her youngest son, Trig.

It's unacceptable. It's beyond cruel.

It really has to stop. It's so ugly.



Complete episode here.

Andrew Sullivan, Sarah Palin, and Trig

As Mark Hemingway, the Washington Examiner, notes, this blog post by Andrew Sullivan is positively disgusting.

It is so bizarre that one wonders why The Atlantic keeps Sullivan on board.

Sullivan writes:

Did she really just call for Rahm Emanuel to be fired because he allegedly used the term "fucking retarded" to refer to fellow Democrats in a private meeting? Last summer? Did she really?

I don't like the term myself. I think it is offensive. I think Rahm Emanuel is offensive. But at least he's real. And he has now apologized. And at least he used the term metaphorically.

Palin, in contrast, called her own campaign prop "her retarded baby" in private, according to an eye-witness account from the father of her own grandson who lived in her house for months and knew her intimately. "I was just in shock the first time I heard it," Levi Johnston told CBS. Unlike Sarah Palin, Johnston has not been caught in multiple indisputable lies. I believe him over her. In fact, in any factual dispute, I believe anyone over her.

Right. Levi Johnston is so credible.

Sullivan is being kind here compared to what he goes on to write. What follows is shockingly offensive.

The medical term for Down Syndrome is Trisomy-21 or Trisomy-g. It is often shortened in medical slang to Tri-g.

Is it not perfectly possible that the very name given to this poor child, being reared by Bristol, is another form of mockery of his condition, along with the "retarded baby" tag? And does the way in which this poor child was hauled around the country on a book tour, being dragged out in front of flash photographs in the middle of the night, barely clothed, suggest someone who actually cares for children with special needs, or rather sees them as a way to keep the spotlight on her?

C'mon, Levi. Write that book. Expose this fraud.

Sullivan is sick, and all those who adopt his slop are sick as well.

This is absolutely deranged.

Sullivan is a disgrace.

No one needs to write a book to expose Sullivan. His own writings expose what sort of human being he is. Not pretty at all.

Conan O'Brien: State Quarters (Video)

On Monday, Conan O'Brien resurrected a bit from Late Night, New State Quarters. He did the segment several times on the old show.

The bit is based on the series of commemorative state quarters. O'Brien's offerings, of course, have joke designs.

Wisconsin has a new state quarter. It has the image of a morbidly obese man and the saying, "Wisconsin - Where Toes Are Just A Myth."



O'Brien has a habit of making fat jokes about Wisconsinites. It bugs me.

Apparently, Harvard graduate O'Brien really doesn't know it all. He certainly doesn't know that the people of Wisconsin are not among the fattest in the nation.

Just released obesity rankings in the United States put Mississippi on the top of the list for the fifth year in a row.

Wisconsin ranks 25th.

Note to O'Brien and Tonight Show writers: WISCONSIN IS NOT THE FAT CAPITAL OF THE NATION, NOT EVEN CLOSE.

In addition to O'Brien doing the obligatory "Wisconsinites are fat" joke, he once again showed a new state quarter for Alaska. For nearly a year now, there always seems to be one for Alaska.

Can you guess whose face was on that quarter?

Of course, it was Sarah Palin. The saying on this quarter was so lengthy it took both sides of the coin.

Side 1: "Putting Positive Building-Upping And Not Politics-As-Usual On This, Both, You Know, In This Great Providential State And In Our Great Nation Also, And Calling The Right Play On 3rd And Long,"

Side 2: "Because It's What's Best for Alaska And Not Special Interests, And For Values Reasons, Going In A Positive Direction, Not Retreating But Advancing, And Knowing When To Pass The Ball And Hunting And Fishing And Oil And Security And Smaller Government And So On And I Quit."

A joke about Sarah Palin? I didn't see that coming.

Here are some past Alaska quarters featured on O'Brien's show, from September 17, 2008:

O'BRIEN: Alaska's quarter features Alaska's new state slogan: 'Alaska, Commemorating Two And A Half Weeks Of National Relevance.'

Now, that quarter narrowly beat out this runner-up for Alaska's quarter: 'Alaska, Number One In Drilling.'

...Horror mixed with applause. My... my favorite stew.

How classy of O'Brien to mock Bristol Palin, who was 17 years old at the time!

Illinois' new commemorative quarter celebrates Obama -- "Proud Of Barack Obama, Embarrassed About REO Speedwagon."

More Obama love. No surprise there.


___________________

Video.

Maureen Dowd and "Sarah's Secret Diary"

Maureen Dowd is obsessed, as are many on the Left, with Sarah Palin. She is absolutely obsessed. Maybe possessed is a better term.

What will it take for the Left to let Palin go? An exorcism? It's as though Palin has embedded herself in their souls and taken over.

I guess they see Palin as a very powerful woman and a very threatening woman. Dowd certainly wouldn't bother to devote column after column to trashing a bimbo.

In her column in today's New York Times, "Sarah's Secret Diary," Dowd exercises her Harlequin romance novel skills. Again, Dowd plays as the pulp fiction princess, a frustrated novelist.

Dowd writes:

Dear Diary,

I know. Incredibly lame.

No one understands me. It’s like I’m speaking some Eskimo dialect or something. Andrea Mitchell follows me all the way to Kanakanak Beach and I get a French manicure and set up this huge photo op for her, even though she spooked the salmon.

Todd and me are in our cool fishing bibs. Piper’s helping out on the boat. It’s an amazing day that shows how our Creator favored my beloved Alaska, gatekeeper of the continent, and makes a great shot for all the network reporters up here to milk. This progresses me away from my image as some kind of flaky “rogue diva” and back to my image as a tough huntin’ and fishin’ gal.

But Andrea makes such a darn big deal about how I’m quitting in the middle of my term.

“You’re not listening to me!” I snap.

She says maybe I didn’t want to go back to the nitty-gritty of Alaska politics after the bright lights of the national campaign.

“The nitty-gritty, like, you mean, the fish slime and the dirt under the fingernails and stuff that’s me?” I said. Awesome response, huh?!!

It’s the same old double standard. I am not one of those who would whine and cuss. It’s just not how I’m wired!!! But the minute I start to whine and cuss, the mainstream media totally misunderstands my verbiage and the combination of things that brought me to this place of knowing. And I know that I know that I know those crappy bloggers will put out more confliction stories.

I keep explaining what impacted me, but everyone seems more confused and ironic than ever. What is it about average, hard-working Americans like me that Americans can’t understand?

I love Alaska too much to waste any more time on her Bridge to Nowhere. I need to be able to go forth out there and fight for what is right. And what is right is for me and my First Dude to take that big fish run to the White House.

So people should stop being so stinkin’ mean to me because this is a goal-setting thing, a full-court press, a sub-four marathon. Karl Rove thinks I’m not prepared for the national stage??? Pundits think I should read a book before I write one??? Man, I feel a grizzly rising up in me!!!

Every mom we know multitasks. And I am one to believe I can use an all-of-the-above approach, too. I can abandon Alaska and ambition myself for the presidency. I can get bored with my job and fight apathy. I can take the easy path out to work hard on a path for fruitfulness. I can move on selfishly and call it altruistically. I don’t need a title now when I can shake up the good ol’ boys and get a better title in the end.

Actually, this isn't the stuff of a Harlequin romance novel. It's not like pulp fiction. This column is far less sophisticated.

This pretend diary has all the depth of a child lashing out in a tantrum.

I wonder if Dowd wrote mock diaries of her junior high and high school nemeses.

Her column reads like the spiteful mockery spewed by a really mean girl.

Rather than write a straight analysis, Dowd takes shots at Palin's life, her family, and her intelligence.

It's pathetic. It's not clever or insightful. It's all very weird.

You didn’t really think I was going anywhere, did you? I’m one of Google’s hot trends. We’re doing a fund-raising push this week on SarahPAC to destroy Obama’s attempt to destroy capitalism. And forget about Obama’s youth revolution. I posed for a cheesecake shot in Runner’s World with short-shorts and a crumpled American flag that’s destined to be on the bedroom wall of every conservative 12-year-old boy. It’s the metaphor, stupid! Heck yeah, I’m running! As I learned when I was a beauty contestant — flags and gams show you it’s about country.

And before you say anything though about the glam shots of me stretching and preening on the waterfront in my cute running outfits, don’t bother. That would be a sexist double standard.

Nobody said anything when Obama walked around in Hawaii without his shirt, showing off his washboard abs. Well, maybe they did, but I betcha they say more about me because, of course, we know by now, for some reason, a different standard applies to my decisions.

It’s just like when Obama, the One Who Must Be Obeyed, said his family was off-limits so everyone left them alone. But they never left mine alone. Thank goodness for that though because we hate being out of the limelight! It was a blast to see Bristol with my grandbaby Tripp on the cover of People as the ambassadress of abstinence!

Good grief. This is really nasty.

It's very clear that Dowd has no respect whatsoever for Palin. None.

Is it Palin that Dowd disdains or is it people like Palin?

Whatever, it seems that Dowd just isn't happy unless she has someone to hate with every fiber of her being.

I think it's possible that the Leftists hate Palin more than George W. Bush. That's saying a lot.

It’s the same different standard with the dirt-digging behind these frivolous ethics complaints. As I told the reporters who chased me up here, if I were in the White House instead of Alaska, the Department of Law down there would look at some of the things that we’ve been charged with and automatically throw them out. Later, the media brats began making a big, fat ugly scene about there being no Department of Law in Washington.

I say, tell that to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who are risking their lives to protect our system of laws. How sad that the unpatriotic, godless media picking away at me will never understand it’s about country.

It’s about me running the country.

It’s about me running.

It’s about me.

The media doesn’t get Sarah Palin. I hear planes buzzing. Oh, no!! Have they all left?? Even that Time reporter who I showed how to smoke salmon???

Obviously, Dowd has issues. It's sad.

Instead of making Palin look bad, I think this column boomerangs on Dowd.

This column is a cry for help. She needs to talk to someone about her inner torment.

Perhaps Dowd keeps her own secret diary, Are You There God? It's Me, Maureen.

Keith Olbermann and Lawrence O'Donnell: Letterman's Apology

UPDATE, June 16, 2009: Olbermann and O'Donnell are WRONG --again.

Sarah Palin accepts David Letterman's apology

Sarah Palin says she accepts David Letterman's apology for the joke about her daughter.

The Alaska governor, in a statement issued Tuesday, said the apology was accepted "on behalf of all young women, like my daughters, who hope men who `joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve."

__________________

What a load!

Transcript

KEITH OLBERMANN: We're hearing tonight that David Letterman, on this topic that was so big last week, he's going to make a really, a lengthy apology to the Palin family on the show that is broadcast tonight. And I wanted to get your reaction to it. Let me just read a little part about this.

He said he saw something on TV, saw Mark Shields about the joke.

He said, 'Oh, boy, I'm beginning to understand what the problem is here. It's the perception rather than the intent. It doesn't make any difference what my intent was, it's the perception. I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed. My intent is completely meaningless compared to perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that they need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke.

'I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who's outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future.'

After something like that is broadcast tonight, is there anything left to this stuff?

LAWRENCE O'DONNELL: I don't think there is. I think this should be, and sounds like, the final word on it.

And this is really David Letterman. I have a lot of friends of mine who've worked for him over the years. I don't know him personally, but this is my understanding of him. And I've heard that over the weekend he did have time to think about this. He's a father himself. He had some cool time to think about it, and he could have left it where he had left it. He could have left it, getting laughs at his original version of an apology and just leave it there. But I think both as a father and a responsible guy, having had a weekend to think about this, he decided he wanted to go to this extra point of clarification of a serious apology.

And you know, actually, Keith, in the last couple of days from a lot of professional comedy writers, I've heard more analysis of that particular joke than any that's ever been written. And there's a large group out there who say, 'Hey, it was a bad joke.It had a wrong concept in it. It was a bad joke.' And these are Letterman supporters and former Letterman writers, many of them.

And so, I think Dave reached a point that makes perfect sense. And I think he's making perfect sense in what he has to say tonight.

OLBERMANN: Any chance, briefly, that the Palins try to outclass him and just say, 'Accepted.'

O'DONNELL: Boy, if there's anyone in Alaska who can make them, you know, handle one of these things correctly, we haven't found that person yet. So, let's see what happens. That is the suspense here. If Dave Letterman does something completely reasonable like this, what is the Palin reaction? I have no ability to predict that.

It's disgraceful that Olbermann and O'Donnell are taking shots at Sarah Palin and her family.

They're dissing her lack of class and inability to handle a situation correctly.

The Palins did nothing wrong. Letterman and his apologists, like Olbermann and O'Donnell, are the jerks.

I don't know why O'Donnell is praising Letterman as a father and for taking a weekend to think about the matter.

Any decent human being would not have needed a weekend. A decent person would never attack Palin's kids to begin with.

O'Donnell's assessment that Letterman could have just left his original version of an apology stand and said nothing more is ridiculous.

Letterman's orginial remarks were woefully inadequate. He was defensive and continued to mock the Palins. He didn't make an apology. His comments were inappropriate.

Olbermann and O'Donnell and Letterman live in a different world. They feel justified in mistreating Sarah Palin and her family.

They are out of the mainstream.

Video.

Letterman Apologizes, June 15 (Video)

Tonight's Late Show with David Letterman could be entitled: "Letterman: The Apology."

On Wednesday, June 10, Letterman addressed the issue of his disgusting, twisted, sick jokes about Sarah Palin and her daughters.

Transcript and video here.

Obviously, Letterman's smart ass remarks and his non-apology didn't quell the uproar.

A protest is being organized for late tomorrow afternoon at the Ed Sullivan Theater, where Letterman tapes his show. More details at FireDavidLetterman.com.

I don't know if Letterman's June 15 apology will alter plans for the protest; but this time, Letterman didn't dance around the issue.

From the New York Times:

David Letterman directly apologized to Gov. Sarah Palin and her daughters on his program Monday night, saying he took responsibility for a joke that had offended Ms. Palin, her family and her supporters.

Mr. Letterman opened the desk portion of his show with the apology, in which he said he wanted to say he was sorry to “the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke.” Two weeks ago on his “Late Show” program on CBS, he had joked about Governor Palin’s attending a Yankee game with her daughter.

...Last week Mr. Letterman somewhat defiantly said that there was a misperception going on and that he would never make a sexually charged joke about a 14-year old. But he never expressly explained that he had inadvertently confused the two Palin daughters.

Monday he acknowledged that as the host of the program it was his responsibility to get the joke right.

As I wrote previously, about his June 10 remarks:

Letterman didn't take any responsibility.

He acted as if he had been judged unfairly....

Letterman continues to do damage to himself. He seems very stubborn. He's not funny anymore. His ugly and demeaning jokes overshadow any bits of witty, enjoyable material. He's bitter and twisted. If he has always been like that, I didn't recognize it years ago. I think he's changed.

I don't know why Letterman decided to really apologize tonight.

I don't know if he was sincere.

I suspect the audience was told not to laugh, that Dave was going to be serious. That was a departure from Letterman's June 10 clarification, when he was mugging and still going for cheap laughs. The audience obliged with hearty laughter and applause.

Actually, I think CBS is milking this controversy for all it's worth. Letterman has become the Donald Trump of late night TV, only instead of feuding with Rosie O'Donnell, Letterman is going after Sarah Palin and her children.

In the end, this matter is about three things: Money, money, money.

When advertisers start jumping ship, it's time to get serious.

I think Letterman's explanation, that it took Leftist Mark Shields' comments on PBS to make him realize how despicable his behavior has been, is rather sad.

The man is clueless. Did he really not understand until then? Can he really be that immature? Is he really so self-absorbed that he didn't get why people are upset and disgusted by his inexcusable treatment of Sarah Palin and her children?

Although he did apologize tonight, Letterman still was playing the victim card with all his "intent" and "perception" crap.

Yes, he took responsibility and blamed himself for the misunderstanding.

But this isn't just about a misunderstanding. This is about a relentless pattern of disrespect that goes far beyond the "knocked up" joke. That was the final straw.

Letterman and his writers come up with ugly, ugly stuff.

I used to be a diehard Letterman fan. That ended years ago, toward the end of the last century. I can't watch him anymore.

For the record, I don't think Letterman should be fired, just as I didn't think the remorseful Don Imus should have been fired.

There's no way in hell that CBS would ever fire Letterman anyway. In fact, he's being rewarded with a contract extension, and $30 million a year to do what he does.

$30 MILLION!

If Letterman committed a double murder like O.J. Simpson did, I think CBS would stand by their man.

Transcript

DAVID LETTERMAN: All right, here – I’ve been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week – it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don’t know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There’s no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can’t be defended. The next day, people are outraged. They’re angry at me because they said, ‘How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?’ And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani … and I really should have made the joke about Rudy.

(Laughter and applause)

But I didn’t, and now people are getting angry and they’re saying, ‘Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make these horrible jokes about a kid who’s completely innocent, minding her own business,’ and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she’s now at the ball game, and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I’m wondering, ‘Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?’ I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself.

And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer Newshour – this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy, now I’m beginning to understand what the problem is here. It’s the perception rather than the intent.’ It 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. And I’m certainly –

(Applause)

Thank you. 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. 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 that it was misunderstood.

(Applause)

Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.

(Applause).

Video.