That’s the first word I’m getting from John McCain’s make-up appearance on David Letterman tonight. The GOP candidate last month cancelled his appearance on The Late Show and then headed to an interview with Katie Couric and lied about it. ”I screwed up,” McCain said matter-of-factly at the outset tonight. But if the presidential hopeful thought that would get him off the hotseat with Dave, he was wrong. “Dave asked every question the media should be asking,” a source who watched the taping told me. ”It was amazing. Letterman gave him a hard time about being friends with G Gordon Liddy and pressed him whether Sarah Palin is qualified to be president.”
Also, here is Letterman’s Top 10 Messages Left On Joe The Plumber’s Answering Machine tonight:
10. “Hey, heard you mentioned in the debate. Now can you come over and get the hairball out of my drain?”
9. “Joe Six Pack calling; what are you trying to pull?”
8. “Sorry, wrong number. I was looking for Larry the Cable Guy”
7. “Dude — did you get to meet Fannie Mae?”
6. “This is Sarah Palin, do you consider yourself a maverick plumber?”
5. “You had a better night than Joe the Dodgers’ manager.”
4. “This is Bob Schieffer. Hijack one of my debates again and I’ll bust your kneecaps with a pipe wrench.”
3. “Joe, you gotta get a copy of this Late Show Fun Facts book — it’s hilarious!”
2. ”It’s Brian from The Late Show, are you available tonight if McCain cancels?”
1. “It’s Madonna, are you seeing anybody?”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.


Let that be the lesson to us all – diss the Iranians, lecture the Russians, warn the North Koreans, but never screw with Letterman.
Dave asked every question the media should be asking…
Glad somebody has the guts… I’ll be watching!
“Dave asked every question the media should be asking”
I’m looking forward to Obama’s next appearence when Letterman can do the same and challenge BHO’s lies about Ayers, Rev. Wright, ACORN, etc, etc.
The idea that the media are anything other than totally in the tank for Obama, is nothing but a joke.
Only a Hollywood liberal would actually think that nobody in the media has yet wondered aloud whether Sarah Palin is qualified or not. Are you kidding me? Have you WATCHED television in the past month? Have you BEEN on the internet? The hypocrisy of that question is baffling considering NO ONE in the lefty media has wondered aloud whether Barack Obama is qualified. A 35-year old first term Congressman could run for Presidenti and you wouldn’t care if he were qualfied, so long as he had a (D) next to his name. And now the incredibly unfunny David Letterman and his white socks are what you consider tough media?
Didn’t Dave listen to the Messiah last night? “The people don’t really care about these issues, what they want to hear about is this economy and their jobs.” Guess Dave didn’t get the memo.
So, if the McCain/Liddy connection is fair game, then is it safe to say that Dave will have Obama on next week and give him a hard time about his associations with convicted felon Antoin Rezko, unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers, and the race-baiting Rev. Jeremiah Wright?
But Letterman would NEVER ask Obama “all the questions the media should be asking”. He’d just ask Obama softball question after softball question.
Dave asked every question the media should be asking…
Glad somebody has the guts… I’ll be watching!
Too bad that is bullcrap.
When will the media ask Obama ANY tough question. Oh wait, I was thinking we had a responsible media. Ooops, my bad.
hey Dave, where were you with the tough questions for Obama? Oh yeah, you and Chris Matthews were too busy in your circle jerk to his speechs.
What a joke.
What gutts was there to have? Dave is a big coward. McCain KNEW Dave would nt be given any fluffy softball questions like Obama has been given from Dave and the View’s liberal hosts.
oh please, McCain was hardly sweating here. Be nice if Dave grilled Obama about ACORN and Ayers.
….and Liddy was caught being a burglar NOT A DOMESTIC TERRORIST LIKE AYERS & HIS WIFE, SETTING BOMBS THAT MURDERED PEOPLE.
cheers
what a strange group of comments for a hollywood blog. I thought letterman was great. McCain is so full of shit it blows my mind. Granted Dave is giving him a really hard time, not because he is some Liberal mouth piece, but because McCain pissed him off. Do not tick of the Dave, or he will go for the throat.
Letterman bringing up McCains relationship with William Ayres made me laugh my ass off. It showed the hypocrisy of McCain and his lame Ayers attacks.
Sounds like you Republican types are becoming quite bitter about losing. The only way you’re going to win this election is by stealing it like you did the last two, but with any luck it won’t be close enough for you to play games with it this time. Enjoy 4 years of a Democratic Presidency, House, and Senate. Y’all have bled this country dry and now we have get to work fixing your mess.
the wonderful thing about this election, is that any mention of the Ayers connection connotes: ignorance, transparent spin, or lapdog politics.
Check your credibility at the door.
Yeah, Letterman was tough on McCain because he was stood up. If Obama cancelled at the last minute he’d probably get the same treatment too. It’s a good thing Obama has manners unlike McNasty
Did anyone see Letterman last night? McCain was on and was talking about Ayers and Dave said we cant control who we interact with 100%, did you not have a relationship with G Gordon Liddy? And McCain just said “I met him” then Dave asks “Didn’t you attend a fundraiser at his house?” And McCain looks around befuddled like he’s thinking and goes “G Gordon Liddy?”
After the commercial break McCain said he know G Gordon Liddy and I’m not embarrassed to know him and I’m friends with his son.
The liar realized he was busted during the break! And he also said Liddy paid his dues, so essentially what he said was it was ok to know someone like Liddy as long as he is a felon who got caught and is convicted, he paid his dues. (Liddy was convicted of conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping, and received a 20-year sentence. He served a total of five and half years in prison)
A refresher course on Liddy:
Liddy acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in “if necessary”; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson; plotting with a “gangland figure” to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap “leftist guerillas” at the 72 RNC-a plan he outlined to the Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis
In 98, Liddy’s home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. He made at least 4 contributions totaling $5,000 including $1,000 this year
On his radio show. McCain greeted Liddy as “an old friend,” McCain sounded like one. “I’m proud of you, I’m proud of your family,” he gushed “It’s always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon & congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles & philosophies that keep our nation great”
I’m so glad someone finally aksed about Liddy, for a supposed liberal media they sure have been letting the lying McCain off easy.
I was out of the country so my question (Sore Losers) how did the republicans steal the 2004 election? And do you recall that the ballots in Palm Beach County (200) were designed by and administered a Democrat? I’m not a fan of the Republican party, but a “Holier than approach” might as well be the “I’m rubber, you’re glue” defense. Bring up some substance when you go bashing.
@ The Confused:
You need to read some viable news sources. Try the Associated Press or BBC News — they have credible, thorough and unbiased articles on most of the U.S. presidential candidates, including Obama and Biden.
And anyone who pisses Dave off will get asked the hard questions, regardless of political inclination. It’s a cause-and-effect thing — no one is spared.
Dave IS liberal mouthpiece. Please prove where Dave is otherwise?
also, so now liberals will try to stop the bleeding that Frank, Dodd and Obama thrusted upon the USA because they ignored the warnings McCain stated 3 yrs ago that FanMay & FRedMack were in trouble?
PLEASE! Obama and ACORN and the Dems all pushed for mortgage companies to GIVE SUB-PRIME KRAP LOANS TO THOSE THEY KNEW COULDNT AFFORD THEM! THATS WHAT BLED THIS COUNTRY DRY! THEN THE DEMS LET THOSE SAME COMPANIES PACKAGE THE KRAP PAPER AS IF IT HAD VALUE, AND THEN GET WALL STREET CHUMPS TO BUY/INVEST IN SAID KRAP SUBPRIME LOAN PAPER. Thats what has bled this country dry. and Obama & the Dems now wants to RAISE TAXES AND INCREASE THE SPENDING BUDGET OF THE GOVERNMENT ON THE USA. HOW FKIN SMART OF HIM & THE DEMS.
…so the Dems/Libs aren’t bitter and yet they want to crucify Joe the plumber???? I guess their going after him and sifting thru his past like the Gestapo/KGB, shows how the Dems/Libs/MSM/Obama are always looking out for the little guy. hmmm???
Give the Dems all branches of government when they have bled this country dry to the bones.
…biggest fanatasy and trash hit piece yet in American political history.
…and in the end all the big fat rich Dems and Libs will simply throw the rest of us is bread, circuses and hollywood dvds.
Letterman’s a low-rated idiot. Leno rules.
@ Terri: don’t bring up facts and figures when speaking to Republicans, it only confuses them and makes them angry.
Actually, of the four candidates, Sarah Palin is the ONLY ONE QUALIFIED to be a chief executive. Neither Obama, McCain, or Biden ever had a job or an executive position of any kind. Sarah Palin had two executive elected positions and PRESIDENT AND CEO OF A COMPANY.
Some commentors seemingly have no idea what conservatism and liberalism are, nor the role of mainstream media in US society, nor the dynamics of journalist bias.
Conservatism used to mean fiscal responsibility, avoidance of foreign entanglements, fear of large standing military forces, disapproval of government surveillance and intrusion, etc. Now, it’s just the opposite. Now, with the long-standing corporate welfare state, ‘conservatism’ is essentially National Socialism.
“Liberals: 10 degrees to the left of center in good times, ten degrees to the right of center when it affects them personally.” (Phil Ochs) Liberalism has nothing to do with communism, which is an ultra- conservative system. Mainstream liberalism now just represents a different subset of corporate backers.
The role of media in the US, both public and private, broadcast and print and online, is to sell eyeballs to advertisers. Period. Media managers will do ANYTHING to grab eyeballs. Letterman, Limbaugh, Liddy, Spike Lee, et al, are good at grabbing eyeballs, and they get to do ANYTHING as long as they keep delivering.
Now, the journalism quiz. It derives from one inquiry: How does one become a journalist in the US? Are there requirements like a journalism degree, membership in secret societies, party affiliation? No, it’s much simpler than that. The quiz:
Q: How do you become a journalist in the US?
A: An editor hires you.
Q: How do you become an editor?
A: A manager or publisher hires you.
Q: How do you become a publisher-manager?
A: The board of directors hires you.
Q: How many media-corporate boards of directors are controlled by faggoty atheist Commie-pinko agents and dupes bent on destroying capitalism and decency?
A: Ha ha ha ha ha.
In other words, the political bias of a journalist or presenter or performer are utterly irrelevant. They deliver messages that are approved by the owners, or they get fired. They deliver eyeballs, or they get fired. Media messages are overwhelmingly pro-corporate because the media are tools of their corporate owners, cold-eyed greedy capitalist pigs.
Is Letterman a commie-pinko mouthpiece? Ha ha ha ha. Are the media set against McCain, even though he’s promised their corporate owners many billions of bucks of tax breaks? Ha ha ha ha. McCain-Palin have received pretty soft treatment from the media, not poking very deeply into their corrupt backgrounds. Mainstream media only turn against McCain-Palin when it’s apparent that the GOPs are LUZERS! If there’s anything America hates, it’s LUZERS!
hey bubbagyro, being an executive is not a qualification to become president. half the country qualifies if that’s the case. face it, obama is impressive, intelligent, and a great communicator. palin is very unimpressive off script and not nearly knowledgable or experienced enough after just two years as governor of the welfare state of alaska. she is not someone you want representing this country in difficult diplomatic encounters or other situations that demand a superior intellect and skill.
Fuck Letterman and all other hosts of talk shows, I have never seen this many attacks on two people running for office in my 50 years. For that reason alone I will vote McCain Palin.
Hey Matt C
Did you see the AP headline: “McCain tanking” as they post poll data showing the two candidates are 2 point sapart? Gotta love that accurate reporting!
this is hilarious. there’s not a single unexpected comment yet. Once again, nobody has anything of any substance to say, which is why I’m commenting. Please continue the trend of non-accomplishment, and continue your back-and-forth on two of the worst candidates in history to be put to the task of President. (possible exception: Bush/Kerry)