Comments on: Time for CBS to boot Letterman

By: Rick Garrett

Rick Garrett — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:04:33 +0000

I think just as disgusting as Letterman are those who try to defend him. Truth be known most of them are only defending him because they hate Palin as much as he does because they see in this lady a decency they do not have and so they hate it when they see it.

Never in my 55 years have I ever seen anyone even half as mistreated as Palin has been. It is amazing to me how the Democrats prat on and on about hate speech, wanting to pass laws against what they define as hate speech and then they spew such hatred and venom as we have seen directed at Palin and even her children and family. It has proven to me that the Democrat party is not for me. I would be ashamed to have Democrat attached to my name.

And people, please get your facts straight before you try to defend this piece of vermon that calls himself Letterman. Willow Palin is not a “spokesperson for an abstinence only campaign”. That would be her older sister, Bristol. But I am amazed that anyone would think that a 14 year old girl should be fair game for this sick, disgusting attempt at comedy even if she was such a spokesperson. A joke about statutory rape? Where has our sense of decency gone? It is sad when we let politics cloud our reason. Democrats and Republicans alike should be calling for Letterman’s termination and they would be if it was Obama’s child who was the brunt of Letterman’s “joke”.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:10:41 +0000

I find that this shows Letterman’s true colors. He is obviously a “horny old man”. His infatuation with Sarah Palin is being played out through his scrutiny of the family itself. Sort of if I can’t have it I will destroy it philosophy. It just shows how little of a man that he is. Palin’s response to this is quite admirable. I believe that mine would not be so subtle or lacking its fair share of jail time. I don’t know the full extent of libel and slander laws and don’t ever want to need to know them, but I do know what is decent. Those not able to acknowledge decency should also refrain from insulting his opponent when his argument fails.

By: Sandra Buchin

Sandra Buchin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:30:31 +0000

For a “so called” comedian to joke about a baseball player impregnating a 14 year old girl is beyond the pale. For joking about such a perversion, Letterman should be fired. Perhaps media types like him consider flight attendants and conservative female politicians fair game for their putdowns,but adolescent children??!!! Appalling!

By: BenG.

BenG. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:43:02 +0000

Willow Palin sought to become a spokesperson for an abstinence campaign?

Really? When?

Even if she was (she isn’t), Letterman’s comment would have been classless and disgusting. At 14, she’s still a child.

And I’m pretty sure that a lot more than two people will agree that getting on national television and joking about the statutory rape of a 14-year-old child is indecent. In fact, I would think that pretty much everyone would agree on that.

By: Tom Paine

Tom Paine — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:26:42 +0000

Gee, the “unspoken code of human decency” is an awfully tough standard to enforce, given that you probably couldn’t get any two people to agree on what it was.

And I have less sympathy for a 14-year old who is a private citizen than one who seeks to become a public figure by, let me see, perhaps becomes a spokesperson for an abstinence only campaign?

Also, to say that the courts look at the standard for libeling a private citizen and a public figure as the same is simply disingenuous.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:22:45 +0000

This is just a “little” different than someone questioning Obama’s citizenship or religion…..come on….that’s ridiculous!

This is someone blatently belittling a teenager on television…a grown man at that…..

Reverse the roles and if Palin said something about Mr. Letterman’s child, the media would crucify her…or even if someone like Bill O’Reilly said something about Obama’s children it would be the end of the world!

By: BenG.

BenG. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:45:39 +0000

Actually, Tom, slander and libel laws make no assumption about public office. Politicians or other public figures are afforded the same slander/libel protection as you and I. The SCOTUS has ruled that public figures must prove that alleged defamation was committed with malice, but that’s really the same burden of proof that every slander/libel plaintiff is subject to, regardless of their celebrity status.

But this has nothing to do with libel or slander. Letterman wasn’t guilty of slander. He was, however, guilty of violating the unspoken code of human decency. A 14-year-old child isn’t fair game for crude sexual jokes just because her mother is a politician.

By: Tom Paine

Tom Paine — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:30:09 +0000

Only one problem.

Palin is a public figure. Slander/libel law assumes that when you run for public office you do so with the tacit understanding that you’re going to be the object of scorn by some segment of the populus. The Rutgers basketball players weren’t public figures, in fact, 99% of people couldn’t name a single one of them.

Also, the First Amendment protects Letterman’s right to lampoon public figures just as much as it protects the right of conservative wing nuts to label Obama a Muslim or question his citizenship.

It’s the price we pay for living in a democracy.