TVSquad

And how would you like someone saying something like that about your child! Why any human thinks they have the right to say things about children like that are beyond me. Letterman is a very crude person but he has gone too far this time. I think (and hope) this will affect his ratings!

Judy: Everyone is someone's child. Like it or not, Bristol Palin is an adult *and* a public figure. That makes her fair game.

Bristol Palin is 18 years old. Not a child. Get over it.

Let's not forget the most important thing here: this story is generating massive hits on TV Squad... ;-)

It's so lovely that every time this happens it's because people just like to misunderstand things and react totally blasé about it. I once made a gay joke at a party and 1/10th of the attending male population was offended.

This is what happens when a party that advocates abstinence makes a woman with children who can't keep it in her pants the candidate for Vice-President. The first two jokes were Lolita-Jokes aimed at Spitzer and A-Rod and it just figures that Palin doesn't get it, now being a grandma and everything... I'm so glad that when her underage daughter was statutory raped she most likely was in the same house (or state or whatever) and didn't do anything against it. Talk about being oblivious. Good to know that she's now fighting the good fight. Man...

Again I'm so glad that she's not in line of people who would get the Football. Jeez. "What does that button do?"

@Jimmy, Nate, and others

During the election, Michelle O went on stage at the Democrat convention. Over the next few days, the Right side brought up things she had said, such as the "Now I am proud of my country" bit. Barack had a fit because she was not running for office, she is his wife, and not a public figure. She was untouchable, even though she did interviews during the election, and she has done interviews since. She was over the age of 18.

During his term in office, Bill's daughter Chelsea was off limits. She was over 18 when he left office. She went out on the campaign trail stumping for Hillary, giving speeches of why we should vote for her mother. But she still remained off limits because she was not a public figure.

Now we have someone making fun of the daughter of a person who ran for VP. Why was Michelle not a public figure, why was Chelsea not a public figure, but any of Palin's daughters are public figures and open for any attack by people like Letterman?

To Cup of Joe

Maybe that's because Chelsea didn't run around partying, drinking underage and all those activities that certain other first children did.

@Ty

Do you know for sure? You are telling me that Chelsea, as 18-20 year old, was a perfect little girl that did not do anything wrong? I don't know, and that is the way it should be. They are the kids and have nothing to do with what their parent does as a job. Clinton told the media that Chelsea was off limits, and it stayed away. Bush said the same, and it was ignored. Yes, Hillary was attacked, but she was not exactly the typical First Lady. She was involved in policy making (such as her failed health care program) so she was public.

Sure, Michelle, Laura, Hillary, Barbra, etc. are going to go out and say "my husband is a wonderful person, and I think he will make a great president." To me, that does not make them "public figures." But people like Letterman are going out and doing a hit piece on the children of politicians that he obviously does not like.

I don't doubt he "meant" to talk about the older daughter (still not exactly a great defense), but when Sarah, Todd, and the 14 year old were in Yankee Stadium, the 18 year old was 5,000 miles away in Alaska. I don't understand why anyone is surprised the Palins were upset that he made a joke which could only logically refer to the 14 year old

If that is the case, please delete HD's comment (No. 8). Or does TV Squad only publish pro-Obama posts?

I deleted one of his comments, but not the other. Thanks for pointing that out. It's gone.

We're not the first site to police comments, Jimmy. In fact, we're far more permissive than many of the bigger sites out there. And other TV sites have set down specific commenting rules. Take a look around and you'll see what I mean.

This post is political in nature and can (and did) provoke comments along those lines. My comments, nor Jimmy's were laced with obscenities, threatening or 2000 words long outlining a political manifesto.

I've been coming here forever and seen some dark, hateful and wildly innapproriate crap posted that lingers here to this day. This "policing" was arbitrary, you deleted our comments simply because you had the power to do so. People think we were saying something horrible when the comments were quite benign and relevant.