On right wing talk radio they asked what if Letterman said that about the Obama girls. . .

. . .I felt like calling in and reminding them that neither of the Obama girls are 18 year olds, who got knocked up by their boyfriends at 17 and then went on a media tour.

It may have been in poor taste on Letterman's part but I think late night comedians have a lot of room to tell jokes that would otherwise be in poor taste.

called Hilary a bitch, he laughed...now he's out there trying to defend Palin...talk about a hypocrite picking and choosing who should be offended.

called Hilary a bitch, he laughed...now he's out there trying to defend Palin...talk about a hypocrite picking and choosing who should be offended.

The are fueling the 'feud', thinking they will benefit. They look petty, bitter and ignorant.

They are total amatuers. I hope Lettermen keeps it going.

The "spin" is to be offended, and assume it was about the 14 year old.

Because she wasn't at the game. And he's still a douchebag for bringing her up.

. . .and it was never meant to imply he was talking about anyone but Bristol.

No kids went to the game.

The joke is about the false "abstinence" and "family values" of the Palin family, especially Bristol...

To counter, the joke makes no sense if it's about Willow, because Willow hasn't gotten "knocked up".

Bristol has.

n/t

That is disgusting.

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that Willow or any of her kids attending the game. Don't find any photos of the girls either at the game.

:kick:

Or is only Palin pallin' sacrosanct?

Sorry, but politicians' kids should be off limits. Whether she was "knocked up" (sexist much?) or not, is irrelevant. It's no one's business.

The real issue here is that too many liberals are hypocrites and will only stand up for women who they approve. The left never stood up for Hillary either when she was bashed in sexist terms by the MSM.

BTW, some day the Obama girls will also be 18 years old and it would be equally as appalling if some jerk made similar "jokes" about them.

x(

Palin's daughter (whether it was the 14 year old or the 18 year old). It was also sexist when he called Palin a slut. What is most disappointing, however, is the poor response from the left on this issue.

The left is ever so hypocritical on this issue. Liberal women (minus Hillary) they will defend, conservative women are free game.

NO!!! I'm a feminist. I will stand up for ALL women who are subject to sexism and misogyny, even if I personally dislike them or their politics.

Hillary Clinton ran for president. I couldn't believe it. Of course, I always knew the right had it in for women, but I learned that the left will call a woman a b and a sl*t (and worse) without thinking twice, when it suits them. It's also disappointing that so many women on the left think it's okay to use these antiquated sexist terms for other women they don't like. It's a shame.

Things won't change until women stop tolerating (and participating) in this sexist language and belief system. And judging by many of the liberal women who thinks it's fine to call another woman 'slutty' or attack a woman's daughter because you don't like her politics, things are not going to change quickly.

The left and some women disappointed me the most. I read far worse things being said about Hillary on the LW blogs, including this one, than on the RW sites. I expected it from the conservatives, but the left should have known better.

I'm also disgusted at the lack of reaction from the leadership of the party. They were attuned to every whiff of possible racism, but they never spoke up against the sexism in the media until after Hillary dropped out of the race. That's why they'll never get another penny from me and I will only campaign for people I personally know. The rest may get my vote in November, but not even that is guaranteed. It all will depend what I think of the candidate, a "D" after his/her name is not enough for me anymore.

:(

He said a "slutty look." Which is very different. And to direct this at the womwn who repeatedly winked at the camera during the VP debates, and flirts with the camera more than a fashion model is certainly fair. If Joe Biden were to sexually flirt with the voters he would be due for criticism too. Palin does not get a free pass for inappropriate behavior because she is a woman!

. . .it would have been been 100 times, worse. To those taking offense as this being some type of sexist attack you seem to ignore the Levi (WHO I AM NOT DEFENDING) has been ridiculed as well and if he, instead of Bristol, was Palin's child he really would be getting roasted. So save your sexist accusations for someone else.

Letterman knows it, but he went for the cheap joke nonetheless.

Like so many others.

and making public appearances on her own. She is fair game. Using your rationale, G. W. Bush should be left alone because he's Poppy's son!

Besides, she was 17 when she got pregnant. She may be 18 now, but so what?

with them

That was the basis of the joke. And she was 18 at the time the joke was made. Had this joke been cracked when she was still 17; and before she made herself a public figure, I would have a problem. But neither is the case.

n/t

At what point does a politicians child become a public figure in their own right? Al Gore, Teddy Kennedy, GWB, and Liz Cheney are all politicians kids.

But they are all public figures in their own right. And by going out and fronting for the Abstinence only movement, I think there is a reasonable argument to be made that Bristol has as well. Though given her age and connection to her parents, its not nearly as cut and dry as the other examples.

Edited for clarity (she become Bristol)

I agree. However, when politicians use their children as props in campaigns, then whatever political humor directed at them and their kids is the fault of themselves. No one else.

Letterman's jokes were off-color, I agree, but Todd and Sarah are not the innocent victims they're trying to portray themselves to be.

When you hold your children up at campaign stops as evidence of "family values," then advance a failed policy to combat teen pregnancy while one of your own family members contradicts that policy, your hypocrisy is open to ridicule, and rightfully so.

on TV shows, in public appearances, and wherever else you can, primarily for your own advancement, you have no fucking right to be offended at anything that's said about her by Dave Letterman or anybody else.

I'm sorry, but Palin was so desperate for publicity she allowed the whole soap opera to be played out on national TV. She'll just have to live with the consequences.

I think the outrage is fake anyway. Just another attempt to keep her goddamn face in front of everybody.

it gives others leeway to do the same. And, frankly, Bristol made herself a public figure by becoming a spokesperson for unwed motherhood and plastering her face (and her baby's face) on TV shows and magazines across the country. She's an adult. If she can't take the heat, she should get off the public stage.

Edited to add: The remarks came from a comedian, which makes all the difference. Letterman should have used Bristol's name, but he DIDN'T use Willow's name, because he wasn't referring to her, so no foul, IMO. Comedian's make fun of everyone. Let's see, Clay Gayken, fat Elizabeth Taylor, fat Star Jones, crazy Britney, slutty Paris, senile John McCain and the list could go on forever. These people have one thing in common -- they are all public figures, as is Bristol.

In fact, Meghan McCain was called fat by a GOP talking head, not a comedian, and no one cared about that, except Meghan.

it's that her VP CANDIDATE MOTHER was advocating ABSTINENCE ONLY as THE contraception ... and that the daughter in question was a result of the MOTHER not practicing abstinence only either ...

You'd think that would have helped her realize that telling kids not to have sex has a high failure rate.

IMO kids should be off-limits, even older teenagers. There is a plethora of material to use against Palin, he did not have to go that far.

Palin on the other hand, needs to stfu and chill because she is dragging her kids everywhere in public and is begging for something to be said. People in glass houses and all.

Reagan perfected this "anomaly"

Letterman read a joke off of a teleprompter that was written by one of his staffers. He's neither that funny nor that creative. Without his writers, he'd have been an afterthought long before he got the Late Night gig.

He wasn't funny as a stand-up, and he's not funny now. In fact, it if weren't for Merill Markoe, he never would have gotten a TV gig in the first place.

It's not Letterman's fault. He didn't write the joke. Leave him alone.

Letterman told an off-color joke. He's a comedian. Personally I'm not offended by the joke, nor did I find it altogether funny. Even according to Letterman, it was a cheap joke to get laughs. What I don't like about the joke is that it's getting tons of coverage, and that puts Palin right in the headlines once again.

Let Palin and her family fade back into obscurity. She's a loser, and won't make it past the primaries if she decides to run for president. For the far-right base, she will always be their darling. Fortunately for the country, voters seem to be over their fascination with the far right since it's pretty clear that Bush ran this country into the ground like a bunker-buster bomb.