Letterman protest draws more media than activists
NEW YORK (CNN) - A protest rally against David Letterman over a failed joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her daughter attracted more members of the media than protesters Tuesday afternoon.
A crowd of 15 protesters upset with the late night comic held signs and occasionally shouted as they stood across the street from Letterman's studio.
But they were often hidden from view by the more than 35 members of the media there to cover the protest, and out-shouted by a few very vocal counter-protesters.
Radio talk show host John Ziegler - who is behind the FireDavidLetterman.com Web site that organized the protest, and who is an outspoken supporter of the former Republican vice presidential candidate - told reporters that the turnout at the event was not representative of the number of people who have responded to his site and e-mailed.
He also argued that Letterman should have been fired, and the only reasons that he hasn't been fired were "the media's love of David Letterman and the media's distrust and, I believe, hatred of Sarah Palin."
He also called Letterman's apology - issued on Monday's program and accepted by Palin - bogus and said that the comedian should make a charitable donation to an organization of Palin's choosing.
Ziegler made a film about the 2008 presidential campaign called "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted."
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I think that the Palin family can qualify for the TV show "Wife Swap".
I think that the Palin supporters need to get a life.....find something worthwhile to do and I don't mean watch Fox News
well here we go again i'm surprised hannity. o'reilly and beck not to mention coulter and rove , on their bully pulpit and spreading their word to their zombie viewers. the ego of these people in the media. i hear percentage figures from tthese giants of intellect of who things are, i guess its from his viewers i have never been in a survey. i hope we don't have to go through three years of this.i'm still burnt out from last years praising of the bush era.
Palin and her family are one big joke and not a good one.
More media than protesters? So much for the liberal media.
Also show the fake outrage. Letterman said nothing worse than any other comedian has already said, including other national host. Frankly, I'm surprised he made another apology. He didn't need to. It only continues this non-story of non-national figure. The election is over. Palin deserves no more coverage than any other small state Governor, which is about zero.
A "crowd" of 15 protestors? Wow, that Sarah really has a massive following doesn't she? What a joke she is. Meanwhile Letterman's ratings soared because of her mock outrage.
Miss Ziegler: Obama got elected because people wanted him. Palin was targeted because she is a complete moron.
OMG – they only got 15 protesters? Zeigler said he was expecting 1,000. What a joke the protesters, Zeigler and Palin are!
Palin should b the one apologizing for her slanderous remarks.
she made a small issue into some false accusations that were stirred up in her exploitation of her children.
she should be investigatied for exploiting her children for political and obviously economic gain
Palin go crawl back in that hole u came from
No one cares about u except ..................no one
Thanks for wasting my time. Please go away now.
This Ziegler guy put it all in prospective. Just give them some money and all is fine. Not only does he not have anybody of great numbers to back this protest, but now he wants it financed. They did accomplish what they wnated to do. Get the media involved. Get over it.
Way to go, Zeigler. A city of 8 million people, and you get 15 to protest over a maybe inappropriate joke for which Letterman apologized. Looking at FireLetterman.com, Willow Palin could put together a more intelligent web site, and brains ain't in her genes!
hahahahahahahaha Well I guess she cant use this as an campaign issue–that dog wont hunt, lip stick or not
A dog taking a leak on a fire hydrant would attract a larger group than John "Pimpin for Palin" Ziegler was able to garner in front of Letterman's studios.
When will the media finally ignore this loser?
Hahaha, 15 people? Wow, that's all the media simpleton Ziegler could pull. 15 lousy people? I could randomly organize 16 people right now, from my couch, to protest Zima as an elitest beverage. Failpalooza!
John Zeigler is a bonafide jerk, really. Is he ready to cry or what?
Letterman won't be fired because of the "media's love of David Letterman and the media's distrust and, I believe, hatred of Sarah Palin."
Yikes! What "supporter" talks this way? He sounds like a whiny tweenie. It's embarrassing. The solution to this fiasco? Palin should "fire" Zeigler for his pedestrian slobbering. By the way, the syntax of his film title, "off", just like him.
15 people? Hahahahahaha. David fired for a freakin' joke? Yet Palin keeps her job in the light of Troopergate, aerial killing of wolves, 17k in unpaid taxes, and her husband being a secessionist?!!.
Ziegler....go home and play in your sandbox...LOL!
What a flippin' idiot. The GOP really is the biggest joke in the world. And talk about whiners - geez, could you all please do us all a favor and jump off the nearest bridge? The country and the world would appreciate it.
The right wing gooks (republicans) should pause this time and look at themselves in the mirror and stop lambasting Dave Letterman, as there is another republican espousing family values, none other than a current senator of Nevada, Sen. Ensign, admitting to having an affair with the wife of a close friend. This is outright unacceptable! Yeah, a lawmaker and a lawbreaker!! How about that??? Sarah Palin and her cohorts should shut their stinking mouths for something so petty since this was just a joke made by a comedian! What is unacceptable is a senator suppose to uphold the constitution yet involved in such an immoral behavior!
We LOVE you DAVE !!!
Hey Palin, please go back to Alaska and stay there!
Sad when this is all we have to talk about in America.
Here's a real issue: Young GIs and innocent civilians getting killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Don't blame the media. 65% of us support Obama. The hateful lies about him during the campaign & now is as bad as Letterman's mistake. Forgiveness is the Christian way.
People, its called Free Speech. David Lettermans' job is to poke fun of people. Sarah Palin should have tougher skin if she expects to make it in this world, especially if shes going to run for office again. Go protest and picket a child molestors home, or get a hobby.
The media ain't the only one's who hate Palin. We do not need drama queens like her and sean Hannity running the USA.
This is a shame the man did apologize so move on people please!
more media than activists ??? imagine that.. that's because you knuckleheads in the media MAKE these things into events.. it's like the octomom and casey anthony.. the rest of us couldn't care less about this garbage... there really are stories worth covering out there.. but you idiots insist on wasting countless hours on this drivel.. i'd be so honored to tell people i work in the media.. sometimes, i can't tell the difference between CNN, and People Magazine..