David Letterman admitted pangs of regret over jokes he made last week about Sarah Palin's daughter.
He may be regretting them a little more now.
A Web site called FireDavidLetterman.com is organizing a rally outside Letterman's show at the Ed Sullivan theater on Tuesday June 16 at 4:30 p.m.
And while Letterman has repeatedly reminded viewers his comments were jokes, the campaign's organizers seem dead serious about getting the late-night stalwart canned.
Sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Brian Kolb, along with an attorney and radio host John Ziegler, the site also provides contacts - including major advertisers and CBS bigwigs - to whom people can complain about what many felt was a tasteless and potentially harmful quip by the late night talk leader.
"Firing Mr. Letterman would send a clear message that CBS will not tolerate any of its employees even an established media figure like Mr. Letterman making demeaning and degrading comments about women," Kolb, a Republican from the Western New York state district of Canandaigua, wrote in a letter to CBS chief Les Moonves.
The accompanying Facebook group and an ancillary one have about 1,800 members to date.
While the actual chances of Letterman being fired would seem to be slim, the controversy comes just as the late-night landscape is in flux, as Conan O'Brien makes the transition to the earlier time slot vacated by Jay Leno.
The campaign's supporters point to shock jocks Don Imus and Howard Stern as examples of high-profile hosts who crossed the line - and were held accountable by their employers.
Letterman made the offending joke on Tuesday night's show, following a visit to New York by Sarah Palin during which she attended a Yankee game with Rudy Giuliani.
"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game," Letterman said, "during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."
Letterman contends that the outcry over the comment was due at least in part to a misunderstanding.
He had intended the joke to be about Palin's oldest daughter, Bristol, 18, who did in fact become pregnant by her then-boyfriend Levi Johnston, when in fact the daughter attending the game was Willow, age 14.
The loudest response from no less than Palin herself, who went on the "Today" show Thursday morning to rant against the comedian.
After telling Matt Lauer she didn't buy Letterman's "convenient excuse," the governor said she would never let her daughter near him - implying he can't be trusted around underage girls.
Letterman apologized on Thursday night's show, saying about the jokes, "Do I regret telling them? I think probably I do. But you know there are thousands of jokes I regret telling on this program."
On a more sober note he added, "I would never made jokes about someone having sex with a 14-year-old girl."
He also read a statement from Governor Palin's Web site, in which she and her husband referred to Letterman's remarks as "disgusting," and accused him of implicitly condoning sexual abuse of minors.
The controversy hit just as "Late Night" moved into the number one spot for late-night talk shows, as
However Letterman may feel about the grassroots campaign to get him axed over the joke, he probably isn't surprised.
Source - NYDAILYNEWS
