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With protests planned and growing anger over his vulgar abuse of the Palin family, David “The Perv” Letterman attempts a belated, half-assed apology tonight on his increasingly unfunny show via TV Week:

It doesn’t make any difference what my intent was, it’s the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it’s not a very good joke. And I’m certainly – ” (audience applause) “- thank you. Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.” (audience applause)

Notice that he’s apologizing for the execution of the joke. In other words: If only he had written it more clearly to take aim at Bristol instead of Willow, he wouldn’t have been misunderstood. And he wouldn’t be under the gun having to say he’s sorry for creating the wrong “perception.” He’s sorry he didn’t pull it off better.

His initial, impudent reaction is the honest one. And it won’t be forgotten.

Now, let’s change the channel permanently and pay The Perv no more mind.

Like I said last week, he needs therapy — not just for his Palin hatred, but for his chronic mockery of working- and middle-class women.

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Allahpundit: Why do reports keep saying Letterman’s apologizing “again” — when he didn’t apologize the first time?

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Scraping the bottom of the barrel: Desperate Bill Maher wants in on the lecherous old, unfunny Palin-hater award.

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Palin accepts Letterman’s “apology:”

In a statement to FOXNews.com early Tuesday, the Alaska governor said, “Of course it’s accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who ‘joke’ about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve.”

Jim Treacher:

I’m not saying I’m suddenly a Letterman fan again, but we need to accept his apology. Sarah has, and good for her. She was right to call him out on his phony apology, and she’s right to accept his real one.

Now maybe she can accept his invitation and take her message to Letterman’s audience. Maybe if he meets her face-to-face, he’ll realize she and her family are actual human beings and not just props in his game of Bash the Evil Conservatives to Keep Up with Stewart and Colbert. Heck, he might even listen to what she has to say. He might realize she has something to say.

My recommendation: Let’s just change the channel on Letterman. For good.