If you haven’t seen it, Letterman’s on air explanation of the “creepy things” he has done and the extortion attempt against him is very compelling television.
Kudos to Dave for taking control of this story before the tabloids start feasting on it and doing his best to make himself a sympathetic character.
But he’s also a hypocrite. He took some of the most nasty shots at Bill Clinton for his fling with Monica Lewinsky. Then again, Clinton stared into the eyes of the American people and lied. Dave is not an elected official and he admitted the truth: He has been sleeping with various women on his staff, behind the back of his then-girlfriend, now-wife. The affair that caused the kerfuffle seems to have gone on for quite some time It’s the ex-boyfriend of that one particular woman, a CBS producer no less, who is now charged with trying to get 2 million bucks out of Dave by threatening to go public.
I can’t decide whether Dave is a hero or a zero. He’s an adulterous ol’ guy, absolutely, and I really disrespect that kind of behaviour. However, he has also owned up to it and I’m sure he’s enduring some frosty nights at home with his wife and son. His personal life is already getting picked apart like the carcass of a lame gazelle by the media and there will undoubtedly be more young women coming forward wearing a T-Shirt that reads, “I did Dave too!” Who would have thought? Not us, apparently, and that’s why this story is so fascinating.