Margo Howard | 10/09/2009 2:00 pm

A Letterman Update: More Information, More Thoughts, by Margo Howard

Editor’s Note: A longtime journalist, Margo Howard went into the family business (her mother was the fabled Ann Landers) in the 1990s as Dear Prudence. Her broad experience and understanding of human nature provide answers for the troubled — and entertainment for everyone else. Margo’s advice column, Dear Margo, appears twice a week — on Thursdays and Fridays — on wowOwow.com.

Well, now I think Dave has real trouble. It has come to light that the young assistant at the center of the Letterman/Halderman drama was being paid $200,000 a year and was sent to law school, courtesy of Letterman, with the promise that she would become his personal attorney. A guy can always be in the company of his attorney, right? Then it appears she was taken on trips “with the family,” with Regina none the wiser.

Now my guess is the humiliation is too overwhelming to overlook. My earlier thought was that the Lettermans would work it out, but now I ain’t so sure. I still think young Harry is the glue in that marriage, but he wouldn’t be the first kid to go between Mommy’s house and Daddy’s house. Were Regina to write me, I would encourage her to opt out of this humiliating arrangement and, as they say, take the money and run. I have no idea what their prenup says, but he is loaded, and given what’s gone on, her life would continue as lavishly as before. The guilty party is quite evident here … plus, the mother gets the kid, no question.

There is just so much a girl can put up with, and with each revelation he is looking more like a skunk. I wrote my previous piece with the information I had. Knowing what I know now, I am no longer sympathetic. It is quite clear that Dave, like many another middle-aged guy, cannot resist the chase and, alas, 20-some years with one woman has become totally boring to him. A pity. I believe that in any real sense he has already lost the cozy family of three, and if more drek comes out, he may lose his show. Stay tuned.

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Dear Margo,

First, I really do not have a whole lot of interest in who Dave Letterman does or why or when or how. I actually cannot imagine WHY anyone would think that his sexual antics with his staff would be blackmailable material. I mean, if he were, for example, Roger Ailes, we could at least talk about his *hypocrisy* because he is part of the vast right wing conspiracy or something. But this is an entertainer. Yes…it sucks for his wife, it sucks for his kids, it probably sucked for those who had to (well never mind.. I will just use the term *date* him) . I do not understand why this story holds any interest even for the upper middle class elites. After all, we all know the only people who could possibly be guilty of sexual harassment are those proles with low foreheads who drive trucks and have playboy pinups in their cabs. Or those executives who vote Republican. Surely…a man as honorable and pro-choice and liberal who loves Obama could never use his position to gain sexual favors even if he is over 60 and probably needs a pill to perform. Those young women just love him for himself and not for the Super duper Platinum American Express Card pasted on his forehead!

By Katharine Gray on 10/10/2009 2:05 am

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Katharine — making this a political thing is ridiculous. All it is is the politics of the zipper, if you will. It has been my experience, both through life and my work, that people of all economic levels stray. As for the guys who glue their American Express cards to their foreheads and the women who love them, well, that’s an old story.

By Margo Howard on 10/10/2009 8:41 am

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I suspect David Letterman may have learned to keep his mouth zipped along with his pants.

By Baby Snooks on 10/10/2009 11:29 am

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Margo, I can not speak for Katherine, but I didn’t "get" that she was being political in her post. I thought she was pointing out some irony in the situation and being facitious at the same time. The only group she didn’t "poke" at that I would have included was the religious right or clergy. :-)

By Scarlett Ohara Mitchell on 10/10/2009 1:33 pm

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Here’s the political part:

I do not understand why this story holds any interest even for the upper middle class elites. After all, we all know the only people who could possibly be guilty of sexual harassment are those proles with low foreheads who drive trucks and have playboy pinups in their cabs. Or those executives who vote Republican. Surely…a man as honorable and pro-choice and liberal who loves Obama could never use his position to gain sexual favors even if he is over 60 and probably needs a pill to perform. Those young women just love him for himself

By Margo Howard on 10/10/2009 2:19 pm

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Now, now. We haven’t read the diary. It may turn out he’s dynamite in bed.

By Baby Snooks on 10/10/2009 5:19 pm

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Margo: It was only political to the many women on this blog due to Lettermans support of Obama. Now that more is coming out, these same women are ready to throw him under the bus. Its not about straying, its about making a mockery of yourself. There is only one person to blame here.

By Frank Somsel on 10/12/2009 1:41 am

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I don’t know Letterman all that well, and now I’m especially glad I don’t. Karleen S, I think you are 100% right on.

By Cindy Marek on 10/10/2009 6:33 am

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Could it be possible that his wife knew what she getting into? Could it be that nasty Dave was not such a secret and marriage was just too lucrative to pass up? Could it be that public humiliation is hard to bear, but that there it was always privately?

By Andy C on 10/10/2009 7:12 am

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I hate to ask, but where did this information come from, and was it verified???

By Shera Sutherland on 10/10/2009 8:04 am

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I’ve heard him called a jerk, arrogant, stupid, disgusting, skunk, sad, etc… But, has anybody taken the time to write CBS and tell them how this makes them feel? He IS their Golden Boy, as is evident by their original comments which basically brushed it all aside by saying he’s said enough the first night and they wouldn’t do anything. Or, as Kathy Lee suggested contact the sponsors?

As a top-salesman once told me: Money talks - BullS**t walks. In other words, if No one lets them know this will start effecting their profit flow, they don’t really care what their Cash Cow does or says. Numbers make a difference. The more folks who sound off, the more they’ll listen. I intend to let my anger be felt. Then his sweetie can use her paid-for law degree to sit on his defense team.

By Kitty Champagne on 10/10/2009 9:12 am

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Do you watch his show? You could just turn it off. Why get his show cancelled for everyone? Have your opinion about him but leave the rest of us to decide for ourselves, thanks.

By Lauri Anderson on 10/12/2009 2:28 am

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Margo,

You’re a class act darlin’. You won me back with this piece. I appreciate your willingness to say what needed sayin’.

By P Rust on 10/10/2009 11:09 am

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I wonder just how much the police were influenced to act by his (DL’s) celebrity?

By V B on 10/10/2009 11:30 am

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I can vouch for the fact that celebrity doesn’t figure in when there’s an extortion attempt. In addition to all I’ve read over the years (in cases where the police do act on behalf of regular Joes) my starter husband, a developer, but no celebrity, was hit up (many years ago) by some Omaha City Councilors and the Mayor for big kickbacks. Probably being Scottish rather than law-abiding, he decided that instead of coughing up hundreds of thousands of dollars he would go to the FBI — which he did. He wore a wire and the end result was that the Mayor and his cronies were ousted from office and did time.

By Margo Howard on 10/10/2009 12:29 pm