Letterman's Political Potshots Bounce Back

(AP)  Turns out David Letterman doesn't just live on a TV show. He also lives in a glass house, where for years he's hurled comedy zingers at misbehaving politicians, even as he brashly engaged in hanky-panky of his own.

In March 2008, Letterman was taking potshots at Eliot Spitzer, then governor of New York, who was embroiled in an investigation into a high-end prostitution ring.

"It's so sunny and bright outside that, earlier today, Eliot Spitzer came out of a brothel squinting," Letterman cracked in a monologue.

But in Spitzer's case, he didn't stop at lampooning. During an indignant rant, he called for the scandalized governor to step down.

"I mean, can you imagine," said Letterman, "if this happened to me how fast they'd have my ... (backside) out of here?"

Unlike Spitzer, who resigned, Letterman seems secure in his job as host of CBS' "Late Show," nearly a week after his bombshell revelations of having had sex with women on his staff (a disclosure prompted by an alleged $2 million blackmail threat against him).

But in light of his acknowledging past "creepy" behavior, it's kind of creepy to revisit a joke such as this one from a March 2008 show: "Let me ask you a question. Do you think it's too soon to be hitting on Mrs. Eliot Spitzer?"

In another monologue, Letterman had tweaked Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican whose telephone number was found in 2007 among those called by an escort service that prosecutors said was a prostitution ring.

View photos of David Letterman's life and career

Vitter "admitted he's been dating prostitutes," said Letterman. "And he was very generous with one girl: He paid her with a new highway project in her home state."

Perhaps Vitter, like many other embarrassed politicians, had set himself up for ridicule. But hasn't Letterman set himself up for payback, now?

Vitter chose not to return fire at Letterman's glass house. When asked by The Associated Press for comment, Vitter's office declined.

So did former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart, whose run for the presidency was derailed by a sex scandal in 1987 and who became the butt of many of Letterman's jokes.

"Big weekend for Gary Hart," cracked Letterman when the Hart scandal broke: "He was campaigning his brains out."

Chris Smith, Hart's spokeswoman at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, said Hart had no comment.

Most of the targets of Letterman's jokes approached by the AP chose not to weigh in on the current woes of the talk-show host. But South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford offered Letterman his best wishes.

"Both my thoughts and my prayers are with him," Sanford said Tuesday after a speaking engagement at a Rotary Club meeting in Easley, S.C.

In June, Sanford seemed fair game for comedy after he disappeared from the state (and his wife) for a five-day rendezvous with an Argentine woman he called his soul mate.

Sanford "didn't really enjoy this year's Fourth of July. He left his favorite firecracker in Argentina," Letterman joked soon after.

"There's a lot more introspection and soul-searching on the way down than there is on the way up," said Sanford, who is under investigation by South Carolina's Ethics Commission, in addressing his dilemma as well as Letterman's. "He can be a better person for it."

Letterman has made comic hay of the troubles of Larry Craig, a former U.S. senator from Idaho who in 2007 was arrested by an undercover police officer conducting a sting operation against men cruising for sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Noting that Craig was arrested in an airport men's room, Letterman said, it "gives new meaning to the word 'caucusing."'

Both during and after his White House years, President Bill Clinton remained a reliable source of Letterman's humor.

Another favorite target: former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, with whom Letterman had a run-in over sexually suggestive jokes made at the expense of her teenage daughter in June.

In July 2008, Letterman turned his sights on former presidential candidate John Edwards, who confessed to an extramarital affair. No. 1 on Letterman's "Top Ten Signs Barack Obama Is Overconfident": "Been cruising for chicks with John Edwards."

Letterman, like many other comedians, took glee in the disgrace of Mark Foley in 2006, after a scandal involving salacious e-mails that were sent by him to underage teens ruined his political career.

"How about that Florida Congressman Mark Foley?" cracked Letterman at the time. "Whoa! At least the Democrats wait until the interns are 18."

Foley is now a talk-radio host in Florida.

"I feel sorry for Dave, I take no glee," Foley said Tuesday.

He voiced concern for Letterman's 5-year-old son, Harry, and for the child's mother, Regina Lasko, whom Letterman married in March after many years together.

"Nobody is above making tragic mistakes. Some never get discovered; some do, in a very public way," said Foley, adding pointedly that Letterman "can keep apologizing until the cows come home. But he's now found his own life the subject of late-night comedians."

[debb17055]

What AP writer is not man/woman enough to have their name listed as the author of this "story"?

Dave is not an elected official, what would have happened if he had not disclosed it? You can figure that one out on your own. Trial starts, he has to testify, you know the rest... IMO, he has more than done the right thing here. He manned up to it.

Maybe he had an open relationship with his "then" girlfriend Regina, that's not my business to know. Once he became a parent he was still reluctant to marry, obviously a commitment issue. He had been married once before, me too, so I definitely understand why the reluctance.

I'll continue to watch my CBS late night lineup. Don't you dare take my Craig Ferguson away from me, or you will REALLY see a woman scorned!

[bjr361]

Letterman is NOT an adulterer, he was not married when his dalliances occurred. At least he is being up front and accepting responsibility for his actions - which is a lot more than those worthless Congressmen who have committed these acts...and they still sit in a high position of government.

[SamTCat]

Harrcat94, you won't hold what against him - the hypocrisy?

[Questionews]

The chick looks pretty good! At least Letterman did better than Clinton. This chick is way hotter than Lewinski. Go for it Dave! By now the wife already knows that you're a hound dog so you might as well take advantage of it & keep the booty train on track. The wife is with you for the money, so no biggie for her. You're a celebrities and you are allowed to commit the most immoral acts(legal though)without consequence. (Just look to Michael Jackson for inspiration). Sweet deal!
The people from Hollywood & NY are right, celebrities are just plain better than everyone else.

[Harrcat94]

I am curious as to why CBS seems to be supporting Mr. Halderman (the extortionist) but not David Letterman. He did NOT commit adultery; he was an unmarried man at the time of his affairs.
It is my understanding that CBS did NOT have a No Fraternization Policy in effect, although they might consider one now.
Mr. Letterman broke no laws, he did not represent himself as an upstanding moral candidate or politician, and he did the right thing in coming forward. Most women are not stupid; we won't hold this against him.

[voxpopulus]

CBS buys the show from Letterman's company. It is not his employer.

[ekaravousa]

On a daytime television program a young woman and her mother were both being interviewed regarding their present "career" which was engaging in adult sex shows. The daughter introduced the mother to this "opportunity" and the mother thought it was fine. It seemed they were not at all ashamed of what they were involved in. In a different situation, in the case of David Letterman, he may be a little ashamed (only because he got caught). The point here is that our society is losing something of the decency that must be there for our country and perhaps our civilization to survive. This, however, must not be legislated. It must come from within each of us. We must each see that we can debase our selves to no end. We, each of us, can and should look inward where insight does await us and which allows us to see lines that we should not cross. Frankly, from my perspective, one who jokes about other people's flings and he himself is doing the same thing, is the greatest of hypocrites. A man like that should resign.

[ianlou]

Frankly, from my perspective, one who jokes about other people's flings and he himself is doing the same thing, is the greatest of hypocrites. A man like that should resign.
**********************************
Get a clue, he is a comedian! That is his job. Further, he does not write most of his own jokes, should we now go after his writers?
OK, From now on...
Fat comedians can't make Fat Jokes, sorry Drew Carey.
Convicted comedians can't make Law Breaker Jokes, sorry Tim Allen.
Drug Abusing comedians can't make Addiction Jokes, sorry Rush Limbaugh.

[SamTCat]

Great commentary - what are people saying when they say Letterman isn't a politician he's a comedian. If there's no issue of hypocrisy then like I said yesterday, doesn't that mean he should keep on throwing stones from his glass house since he's a comedian and not a politician?

Of course not because now the jokes would fall flat - even the jokes he's making about his own sex scandal are falling flat for me. Clearly the comedian has to be somebody the audience relates to as coming from a shared perspective.

It must be a coping mechanism or something, but maybe part of moving on is like accepting a new altered reality. Maybe Dave needs to find a new subject matter with which to bond with the audience instead of politics.

P.S. The angry wife jokes are falling flat too. Not relatable.

[jetrout1]

Why do you make comparisons with politicians who hired prostitutes or, in the case of Foley, had sex with under age minors? Letterman for starters did nothing illegal. This is either a case of a writer trying to make a story out of nothing or being very prudish and holier than thou. Stop it please.

[valentin73]

nothing illegal, But perhaps unethical. If a school principal had sex with one of his teachers, consenting or not, it is deemed unethical. That is the problem with Letterman; did he coarsed the women to have sex with him? were the women trying to advance their careers, You don't hear Jay Leno sleeping around with his staff. It may not be illegal but mixing business with pleasure calls for a breach of morality. Letterman could be just that; a dirty old and powerful man, nothing to do with him being a comedian, so stop sukking up to him people.

[bill0bob]

Apples to oranges.

There is no "***-for-tat" here, no hypocrisy on Letterman's part. Letterman is a comedian. It's his JOB to make fun of people in the news. Over the years, he has done his job.

Now Letterman is himself a target. But, has Letterman done the same thing as those he made fun of? NO! Did Letterman ever claim to be a "good Christian hockey mom", only to raise an unmarried, underage child who gets pregnant? No. Did Letterman solicit homosexual activity in a bathroom? No. Did Letterman build his political career on fighting prostitution, only to cheat on his wife with hookers? No.

The desire to strike at Letterman is entirely political.

[voxpopulus]

Exactly. Some of us believe moralising politicians should be held to higher standards than comedians. Republicans don't because they can barely tell the difference.

Where was their outrage when Limbaugh said women WANTED to be sexually harrassed?

[love2ridend]

Really he rarely makes fun of Obama. Still doing Palin and McCain jokes. Never Obama

[ianlou]

Should Comedian Take Cover after Years of Ridiculing Politicians' Sex Scandals?
***********************************
Is Letterman an elected official?

As far as sexual behavior goes, Letterman should be held to the same standards as other entertainers like Medonna, not elected officials.

With that said, throw as many stones as you like at Letterman, I bet he take it.

[Questionews]

If Letterman was held to the same standards as Madonna, he would be a bigger porn star than Ron Jeremy.

[ianlou]

Questionews, exactly my point.