COLUMN: Straight From the Hog's Eye - Letterman just doing job in ridiculing politicians

By: Charles Tomlinson | SCNow
Published: October 14, 2009

Scandals — they’re not just for politicians anymore.

Lately, a succession of elected officials — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, former U.S. Sen Larry Craig, et al. — have either admitted to or dealt with allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Now it seems that David Letterman would have been in good company if he had run for office.

In all seriousness, Letterman’s recent admission that he’s had sex with women on his staff has prompted many fans to stick by the late-night talk show host. Others think Letterman now seems hypocritical for his incessant jokes about the indiscretions of politicians.

Calling Letterman a hypocrite, however, ignores the fact that every late-night talk show host makes fun of politicians for philandering and ridiculous behavior in general.

That fact doesn’t make Letterman’s actions excusable. But in the broad-humor world of late-night television, the hosts have to make jokes about subjects that most people will recognize. As a result, they often aim for easy targets.

Heck, a good deal of the time, they don’t even write their own jokes.

Letterman is also just a TV personality, not someone we voted to represent us in a governmental office. So if someone disapproves of the job he’s doing, they don’t have to tune in. Problem solved.

And a joke about Spitzer by Letterman would be hypocritical only to an extent. Spitzer resigned amid an investigation into a prostitution ring. So when I look at Letterman’s outraged comment that, if he’d have done what Spitzer supposedly did, he’d be “out of here,” it doesn’t seem so outrageous. If Letterman had been accused of involvement with extremely expensive prostitutes, he very well might have had to step down. But he hasn’t been accused of that, so this situation is completely different.

I have to hand it to Sanford, though. He was one of a few politicians skewered by Letterman who offered public feedback on Letterman’s scandal. Sanford said his “thoughts and prayers are with” Letterman.

Maybe these guys should form a support group. Both are refraining from throwing stones because they realize the precarious situation they’re in.

During a monologue last week, Letterman would mention a politician — Spitzer, Bill Clinton, etc. — followed by an “uhh” and an awkward silence. In making a joke about his newfound inability to crack wise on these politicians, he acknowledged that he’s found himself in their shoes.