Letterman and Rape

The bias in the media is no more apparent than on David Letterman’s show each night at 11:35. It was pretty clear during the campaign that Mr. Letterman’s sympathies were with the Obama campaign. I used to be a Letterman fan until this past fall when the audience was barraged with nightly digs at John McCain and Sarah Palin. These were mean spirited jokes way beyond the boundaries of political humor and satire. McCain’s jokes centered on age as Mr. Letterman dissed seniors night after night after night. Governor Palin’s jokes were rooted her in not being the politically correct type of woman that should be running for office. Mr. Letterman insulted her intelligence night after night after night after night.

This past week, Mr. Letterman took his arrows out again, commenting on Governor Palin’s trip to watch a Yankees baseball game with her 14 year old daughter, Willow. Mr. Letterman said: “One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.” This brilliant statement about raping a 14 year old girl followed his references to Sarah Palin as a slutty stewardess.

By way of explanation, Mr. Letterman in his pseudo-apology the next day said he thought Gov. Palin was attending the game with her 18 year old daughter, Bristol, and he would never intentionally make comments about raping a 14 year old girl. So it's OK for an older man to "knock up" and 18 year old girl? He should be ashamed.

The bashing the wrong kind of woman theme was echoed this week by Katie Couric, whose nightly news show on CBS is watched by approximately 5.5 million people, making the CBS Evening News a mere shadow of its former self and the lowest rated network nightly news show on television. In a speech at Princeton University, Couric did a take up on Tina Fey’s impersonation of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live by commenting: “Coming here was a real no brainer! After all, I can see New Jersey from my house!” And it went downhill from there. The comment was ironic as the topic of the speech was civility in public discourse.

This followed last week’s Brian Williams’ multi-night special on the Obama presidency after being granted “special access” to the White House, the staff, and President Obama himself. He bowed to Obama as if the President was a king. He claimed he didn’t. He did. I saw the video on You Tube. Those claiming it wasn’t a bow must be the same folks who said Obama didn’t bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Obama was merely trying to reach for his hand. I saw that video also. It was a bow.

In a period of time when power is being sucked into the executive branch of our political system like no other time in our history outside of the Civil War, one would think the press would take a critical view of what is going on. Instead, they don’t even try to hide the bias. In fact, they flaunt the bias. That means, folks, nobody is watching the store. Wolfe Blitzer was quoting Obama’s words yesterday like the Chinese quoted Chairman Mao. You should be afraid. While the press is shouting hosanna and waving the palms as Obama goes down the street, he will be quietly reaching into your back pants pocket stealing your wallet, and your freedoms.

As for Letterman…I think I will stick with Law and Order SVU at 11:35 at night. At least in those shows, those who think that raping teenagers and young women is funny go to jail.