David Letterman apologized on his "Late Show" Monday night, saying that he by no means had intended his joke regarding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez to involve 14-year-old Willow Palin, the only daughter traveling with Palin at the time.
Rather, the target of his joke was 18-year-old Bristol Palin, who was knocked up last year at 17 by her boyfriend--which by law constitutes statutory rape, even in Alaska. Bristol is the girl Governor Palin exploited throughout her vice presidential campaign last fall, to the extent of setting up Brama-style wedding plans should she and John McCain win election last November. (They didn't, and the young couple broke up shortly thereafter.)
Palin initially scoffed at Letterman's apology before issuing a statement late yesterday accepting it "on behalf of all young women... who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve." Not just those young women exploited by their mothers for immediate political gain, evidently, but all young women. The tone's about as accepting as "I'm sorry you're such an a-hole, Dave."
Of course Palin, ever the politician, couldn't resist another fleeting opportunity to stoke her own flames in the final paragraph: "This is all thanks to our U.S. military men and women putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's right to free speech. In this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect." Regarding the statutory rape of her daughter, now an 18-year-old unwed mother, Palin had no comment.
And as for Mr. Letterman, he owes us all an apology for bringing this woman back into the contiguous U.S., much less the public spotlight.
