Letterman apologises to audience for 'bad' joke

David Letterman says his joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter was a lousy joke, no matter how you cut it, and he's sorry.

But the late-night host insists that what's got people outraged is the misunderstanding over which Palin daughter the joke was about.

On Monday's edition of "Late Show," Letterman explains that the risque joke thought by some to have targeted Palin's underage daughter, Willow, was actually intended for 18-year-old daughter Bristol. The name of the daughter wasn't mentioned in the joke, which was part of Letterman's monologue on last Monday's show.

"It's not your fault that it was misunderstood," he tells his audience. "It's my fault." And he says he'll try to do better.

AP