AP wonders: In hindsight, wasn’t it hypocritical of Letterman to mock politicians for infidelity?
posted at 9:49 pm on October 2, 2009 by Allahpundit
Why … yes. Yes, I suppose it was.
Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards and Larry Craig came in for their share of abuse, as did the governor of South Carolina. “Gov. Mark Sanford didn’t really enjoy this year’s Fourth of July. He left his favorite firecracker in Argentina,” Letterman wisecracked…
Not that Letterman falls into quite the same category of unfaithful officials who hypocritically spouted family values. After all, comedy — not moral guidance — is Letterman’s aim. And he is not facing re-election, though he did briefly fret on the air about keeping his job.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who had a run-in with Letterman over jokes made at the expense of her teenage daughter, declined through a spokeswoman to comment on his admissions. But visitors to Palin’s Facebook page did not hold back.
One Palin supporter who posted under the name Linda Aragona wrote: “Amen! God said you will reap what you sow. Letterman tried to destroy Sarah personally and professionally. Looks like that wagging finger was turned right back on him. Who’s laughing now Dave?!!!”
Being blackmailed by an avaricious scumbag is God’s revenge on Dave? Hmmmm. In any case, Verum Serum was way ahead of this meme last night, chronicling some of Letterman’s greatest side-splitting hits at the expense of Larry Craig, David Vitter, Eliot Spitzer and others. I’m assuming he’ll skate on the hypocrisy unless the mysterious “creepy things” that he did turn out to be even creepier than what those turds were charged with doing, in which case this’ll be a source of content for months on end. Are you looking forward to post after post about Letterman’s skeevy behavior? Me neither.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
I am thinking pretty sordid and a career killer.
seesalrun on October 2, 2009 at 10:40 PM
I’m thinking this is the end of Letterman’s career.
Not because of outrage over his affairs …
But because the dude just killed whatever “funny mojo” he has left. He’s a comedian – in his business – he has to be funny and from here on out – he won’t be.
Think about it. If he tells an Elliot Spitzer joke – what’s the reaction from folks? To laugh at the joke or to become fixated on the hypocrisy of the guy? I submit it’s the latter.
A lot of us out here believe that Dave was really allowing his inner pedophilia to creep out when he made the rape jokes about Sarah Palin’s daughter. Now – this episode kind of cements the conviction in my mind that Dave is a creepy dude with creepy sexual fixations.
He’s not the guy you’d put at the top of your dinner invite list.
For this reason – I think he will now begin the fade away.
HondaV65 on October 2, 2009 at 10:40 PM
I bet Bill O’Reilly is having a big laugh and a little deja vu over this:
Remember a few years back when O’Reilly made some embarrassing statements about massages and other sexual related matters to one of his female staffers who apparently taped the phone conversations. That staffer was smart: She did not resort to illegal extortion, but what amounted to legal extortion by threatening to file a sexual harassment suit against O’Reilly in which she would divulge all his comments to her.
Many of O’Reilly’s embarrassing comments had been made public, and even though O’Reilly never even had sex with the gal, he ended up paying her millions of dollars to make the whole thing go away.
As he did with Palin, Letterman at the time got a week’s worth of jokes at O’Reilly’s expense. O’Reilly probably thinks it is karma.
However, Letterman has ended up in a much better position than O’Reilly. Even though Letterman has apparently had sex with multiple female employees, he has not had to shell out any money and has seemingly suffered little embarassment, turning the whole sordid affair into a crowd pleasing vignette for his audience, which had lapped it up.
guest77 on October 2, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Yeah kinda like your hero Dave making his career out of making jokes about those R’s and their misdeeds, while ignoring any dalliances of folks with D’s after their names.
conservnut on October 2, 2009 at 10:41 PM
TheBigOldDog: See,and it only took less than an hour!!
canopfor on October 2, 2009 at 10:33 PM
I feel blessed. I almost hate to see the day end.
TheBigOldDog on October 2, 2009 at 10:36 PM
The BigOldDog: I hope this helps!:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yz5dP4m9tY
canopfor on October 2, 2009 at 10:41 PM
You’re kidding.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 10:42 PM
I’m thinking you may be right.
bloggless on October 2, 2009 at 10:43 PM
That’s rich.
Letterman went after Palin’s daughter suggesting she was a prostitute. Turns out Dave is the little whore in his office, doing it with anything with a pair of legs and then paying them off with college tuition money.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 10:43 PM
So legal makes it right?
Fighton03 on October 2, 2009 at 10:44 PM
it is so tough for the libs to watch another icon going down in ashes.
I say, long overdue.
The media is corrupt. In so MANY ways.
seesalrun on October 2, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Pure supposition.
Enough of all the god talk. This is a political blog not a damned Jimmy Baker rally.
Anders on October 2, 2009 at 10:44 PM
You did the impossible! You nailed it! I’m grinning from ear-to-ear!
Got the 350 purring. The tunes cranked and I’m taking the Long Way Home Baby!
TheBigOldDog on October 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM
Again, that’s because there is humor to be found in the self-righteous falling from grace in hypocritical splendor. Democratic politicians generally do not make it a central feature of their appeal to be “family values, bible-reading, holier-than-thou” types the way Republicans do.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM
“You vote for me and I’ll give you family values.”
– Bill Clinton, 1992
Ronnie on October 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM
I’m curious. Gingrich, foley, cunningham vs Studds, Barry, and Clinton (not necessarily in that order).
On the surface it certainly seems that GOP does a bit better job of policing it’s own than the democrats.
Fighton03 on October 2, 2009 at 10:46 PM
That’s absolutely right. Letterman never made any jokes about Clinton.
http://gawker.com/5372869/letterman-haunted-by-the-ghosts-of-monica-lewinsky-jokes-past?skyline=true&s=x
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 10:47 PM
Teachable moments come at the damndest times and in the most unpredictable ways….Dave gleefully and destructively persecuted not just Palin, but her WHOLE family.
Poop happens…What goes around, comes around … and sometimes God is just an interested bystander.
marybel on October 2, 2009 at 10:48 PM
I ask that all Americans demonstrate in their personal and public lives…the high ethical standards that are essential to good character and to the continued success of our nation.
– Bill Clinton, 1997
Ronnie on October 2, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Ohw hell no – you’re right. Liberals believe I have a right to copulate with any animal regardless of sex or heartbeat status.
They just try to tell us what we can eat, how much we can get paid, where we can send our kids to school, what kind of guns we can own, which unions we can join, what radio shows we can listen to, what freedom of speech limits we have.
But hey … being able to copulate with a carrot is something huh?
HondaV65 on October 2, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Letterman made jokes at her expense because she’s the daughter of a bible-thumping Christian conservative politician and still got knocked up as a teenager by her white trash boyfriend. That’s funny for many people (myself included).
It’s hard to tell sometimes, isn’t it? The god squad loves to come out in force and do their song-and-dance routines about religion, morality, evolution, whatever tickles their fancy.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 10:49 PM
It is grotesque to involve his child with a mistress.
I’m sure his wife is feeling well treated and loving every minute of his behavior.
Paying the girls for sex: what does that make them?
Feedie on October 2, 2009 at 10:50 PM
“Golden Girls” reruns over?
bloggless on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
and yet making fun of this man because he is now suffering a humiliation similar to that he visited on others is out of bounds?
Fighton03 on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
I haven’t really paid attention to the Letterman saga… was he having affairs after he (finally) married his child’s mother? If so, then yeah… infidelity jokes were hypocritical. If not, then I’ll cut him some slack on any infidelity jokes (but not on any jokes about sex with subordinates).
malclave on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
I hate to say it, but this will not affect David Letterman in any way. Proof? Allah, post in 6 months on this topic. His show will be here and ratings will be the same.
Sad but true.
BierManVA on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Pretty amazing what the Left is willing to give up in order to fulfill their sexual fetishes isn’t it?
TheBigOldDog on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Give me a f*cking break. Persecuted? A late night talk show host cracking jokes about someone whose name comes up in the news a lot is persecution to you? The Kult of Sarah truly is delusional.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Well then you should love this! Letterman is one of the most self righteous hypocrites on the airwaves.
And please don’t try to talk about bible thumping republicans being hypocrites with the Dems playing the race card every day while crapping on minority’s in this country.
For every supposed hypocrite you can point to on the right I can show you ten on the left.
conservnut on October 2, 2009 at 10:52 PM
The “Late
LateShow with Craig Ferguson” has a nice ring.FYI, Craig Ferguson is hysterical.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 2, 2009 at 10:52 PM
That’s because you’re a sorry excuse for a human being.
malclave on October 2, 2009 at 10:52 PM
Gingrich is a pundit on Fox News, his career is hardly over, and he’s regularly mentioned as a potential Presidential candidate in spite of the fact that he’s overrated as an intellect and profoundly unlikeable. Giuliani was a Presidential frontrunner in spite of his affairs. Sanford is still in office. Ensign is still in office. McCain cheated on his ex-wife, he had a long distinguished career and was the GOP nominee in 2008. Schwarzenegger. David Vitter.
Off the top of my head.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
God doesn’t make us do anything and doesn’t cause any harm or goodness to happen to any of us. He has taught us right from wrong and will judge us in the “end”.
We are responsible for our own actions and what comes from those actions.
Vince on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
Killing babies in the womb is their badge of honor.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
I don’t know if mockery is hypocritical. But it is lame. And dangerous.
J.E. Dyer on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
bloggless on October 2, 2009 at 10:43 PM
seesalrun on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
End of career? No way. Hypocrisy is what Howllyweird feeds on.
Army Brat on October 2, 2009 at 10:53 PM
mr_B thinks pedophelia is funny… wonder if he’s signed the petition supporting Polansky yet?
malclave on October 2, 2009 at 10:54 PM
She damn well should be. Have you seen her? How many mega-millionaires like Dave Letterman would date a woman who looks like that for 20 years and then marry her too?
Never said that. Make fun of him all you like.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Screwing the babysitter is a Leftist tradition. Just ask Michael Kennedy
TheBigOldDog on October 2, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Yeah, I am with the folks that think reaping and sowing is just plain commonsense. Just because it comes from the bible doesn’t mean it is incorrect or the ravings of a crazed bible thumper. Would we say the Mr. Palanski is reaping what he sowed, albeit much to late? Settle down, Allah, if you don’t want to accept it as the word of God, consider the Bible has a great piece of literature with remarkable insight into people.
Cindy Munford on October 2, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Wow— you are truly a bigot.
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Yeah, right. They come out spontaneously without any instigation or provocation. You get AP to quit instigating the God talk and then maybe you could tell it was a political blog.
Dusty on October 2, 2009 at 10:58 PM
I appreciate Gov. Palin’s decision not to enter the fray and not kicking a guy when he’s down.
Cindy Munford on October 2, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Mr open-minded bigot
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 10:59 PM
mr_B creeps me out with his attitude about little girls and young women.
TXMomof3 on October 2, 2009 at 10:59 PM
Oh, Dan Burton! That embarrassment is still in office, isn’t he?
Henry Hyde. Bill O’Reilly.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Cindy Munford on October 2, 2009 at 10:58 PM
seesalrun on October 2, 2009 at 11:00 PM
What makes a politician’s child fair game?
He was way out of bounds and ended up eating crow over it.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:00 PM
told ya.
He demanded it.
Ask Rahal what he thinks.
13blackcats on October 2, 2009 at 11:01 PM
When a Republican gets caught with his pants down, the Christian conservatives are completely willing to excuse it and usually bring out the “all have sinned and fallen short” card.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:02 PM
Mr B takes pride in being an amoral atheistic scumbag
In fact he stands up for sexual harassers and child rapists
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:02 PM
Show me one link
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Everything is (or should be) fair game for a comedian. They’re supposed to have a “take no prisoners” attitude.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:03 PM
[mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:02 PM]
You lie.
Dusty on October 2, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Sometimes – if it’s convenient politically (like with Vitter). And sometimes they’ll say he should step down (like with Craig) – if it’s convenient politically. Look on your own side of the aisle and you’ll find the exact same behavior over there.
Republicans and Democrats use sexual affairs to their political advantage, regardless of how they feel about it morally, if it’s politically convenient.
I don’t care what anyone thinks about it, just don’t think your side is somehow better.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:04 PM
[mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:03 PM]
No they aren’t.
Dusty on October 2, 2009 at 11:05 PM
The ultimate embarrasment was, is and will always be the president who unzipped for his intern in the Oval Office, then lied about to his wife, lied to his cabinet, lied to his friends and lied while under oath.
Nothing else comes close.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:05 PM
I like how you slipped in “atheistic” there, as if it’s a strike against my character on the same level as “amoral” and “scumbag”. Now who’s the “bigot”, smart guy?
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
mr_B: Do you have any friends… that aren’t a_holes?
Vince on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Better yet…
Ask Danica
Go Daddy.
13blackcats on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
That’s for sure. HotAir needs it’s own Megan’s List.
Blake on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
You have to admit that the entertainment community is not having a great week. I can’t imagine two more stunning incidents to have shed the light on these folks. It’s going to be interesting to see what the American people will put up with for “talent”. As we can tell by how much time I hover at HA, they long since lost me as a viewer.
Cindy Munford on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Bill O’Reilly is still in office. What position does he hold?
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Says the idiot that voted for obama. You have no credibility here, rino. You never have. You voted for the most inept, waste of skin president of all time.
Please crawl back under your rock and think about how many years you have set back this great nation with your vote.
HornetSting on October 2, 2009 at 11:07 PM
Yes but the argument that some other idiot said was that “Republicans police their own” and “Only Democrats just allow this behavior to occur.” That’s not true. I’ve supplied, I don’t know, 10-15 examples off the top of my head, some of which were much, much worse than anything Bill Clinton did.
Not entirely clear that he committed perjury either. His intent was pretty clear but it’s not his fault the lawyer questioning him sucked (heh heh) at his job.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:08 PM
You read into as being a negative….hmmmm
There are several atheists who post here that actually stand up for right and wrong. In your case it is clear that your atheism plays a part in you being downright scum. That is quite clear.
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:08 PM
The same one Letterman holds.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:08 PM
So you admit you are a bigot
Laughable
And why does a woman call herself Mr_B …Weird
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Everything? Says who?
Can’t wait to hear the first assassinate the president joke.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Oh I thought the tangent was about politicians
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Well, even without my state Obama would have crushed McCain, and my vote certainly wasn’t the difference maker.
As to the rest of your “argument” – well, there is none. I’ve made a few points, and you’ve insulted me and told me to go away. That’s a waste of time. If you want to engage me in an argument, I’ll be here for another 10 mins or so. If you want to engage in ad hominems, go yell at your cat or something.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Now we know why Allah is an atheist… Christianity is too hard for him to understand, or he just takes the stupid atheist talking points and doesn’t think for himself.
MobileVideoEngineer on October 2, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Obviously you intended it as a negative, by slipping it between two other negatives. It would be like me calling you a “stupid Christian asshole.”
So in other words they’re still only second-class citizens to you, but they’re not outright scum like I am. Warms my heart.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:12 PM
I only argue with people that have more than two braincells to rub together…it doesn’t matter which state you reside in, you voted for obama, so it is obviously don’t have the above criteria.
HornetSting on October 2, 2009 at 11:12 PM
LOL. I’m no atheist but it’s pretty ridiculous to make the generalization that atheists don’t think for themselves but Christians do.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Like Barry O, the wife, the moron VP and all the rest of the idiot brigade in this Administration?
Agreed.
I’m still holding my breath for the second Davey and the rest make fun of them….
mjk on October 2, 2009 at 11:13 PM
That’s a shame, he lost his license to practice law over nothing then.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:14 PM
Bill O’Reilly is a politician? Wow, Epic.
mjk on October 2, 2009 at 11:15 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_%28United_States%29
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Don’t you hate having to state the obvious?
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:15 PM
He’s as much a politician as Letterman is.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Been there, done that. I’ve never seen anything bring people together and bridge ideological and cultural differences the way humor does. We only harm ourselves by trying to limit the topics humor can cover.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:15 PM
AP says:
Yea. That’s exactly what poster Linda Aragona meant when she said this:
You are getting more ridiculous in your attempts to war against God, Allah.
Guess what? You are also going to reap what you sow, too. You aren’t funny, and if you were realistic with yourself, you would curb your hatred.
Skidd on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Rino you are slow-dim even
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
“You’re not supposed to have sex with the staff”
pretty much says it all…
phreshone on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
He both committed and suborned perjury, you fool.
Blake on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Good points. So how do you compare running for office with winning office? How do you compare maintaining position vs being asked to resign. Sanford probably can’t be legally removed, but I suspect that he won’t be returned to office.
Having standards and failing to meet them is a far cry from creating excuses for not having standards.
Fighton03 on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
There’s no doubt that he intended to deceive, the fact that he didn’t technically commit a crime doesn’t mean he should keep his law license.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:16 PM
It gets dimmer. We are talking about the effect of similar revelations on politicians.
CWforFreedom on October 2, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Who the hell cares?
HornetSting on October 2, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Sure. Knock yourself out. I don’t allow myself to get offended by jokes and I’m a better person because of it.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Wrong.
I guess, but you said Republicans police their own better, and I’ve provided you with example after example which illustrate that they clearly do not.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:18 PM
I take it by your response that you find jokes about assassinating a president acceptable. Where do you stand on laughing at mentally ill children? How about people dying of cancer? Starvation?
Anything goes …………. Whooopee!
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Sounds like these girls were treated pretty well. Letterman’s just playing the “old guy who showers affection on pretty young women” gig like lots of wealthy old men do.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 10:28 PM
1. He violated his marriage.
2. He messed around with coworkers/subordinates.
3. He makes fun of other’s weaknesses, while his own hands are less than clean.
That you can’t find anything to criticize in this behaviour speaks volumes.
massrighty on October 2, 2009 at 11:19 PM
He lied before a grand jury, idiot.
fogw on October 2, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Yup. Anything goes, I say. Of course, that doesn’t mean everything is funny, it means that nothing should be beyond the pale for purposes of humor.
mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:21 PM
You know what? Fine. Replace Bill O’Reilly with Helen Chenoweth. And Jim Gibbons.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:22 PM
[mr_B on October 2, 2009 at 11:17 PM]
Scraping the bottom of the barrel for redeeming qualities, I see.
Dusty on October 2, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Nope. Bill Clinton is a lot of things (and a lot of them are bad), but he’s not perjurer.
Proud Rino on October 2, 2009 at 11:23 PM
canopfor on October 2, 2009 at 10:41 PM
You did the impossible! You nailed it! I’m grinning from ear-to-ear!
Got the 350 purring. The tunes cranked and I’m taking the Long Way Home Baby!
TheBigOldDog on October 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM
TheBigOldDog: Atta boy,now spin that 350 up to about 7,000
and hope your 350 has a 4 bolt main bottom
end,and your 10 or 12 Bolt rear-end stays
together,hehe!:)
canopfor on October 2, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »