Desperate Letterman: ‘Don’t Vote For Romney’ If He Won’t Come On My Show

As NewsBusters previously reported, CBS Late Show host David Letterman last Thursday begged Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to come on his show.

On Friday, Letterman continued groveling actually telling viewers, "If he's not here in 39 days, don't vote for him" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

DAVID LETTERMAN: Now here's something that's really stuck up my nose. You know how long it is to the election? How long? Do you know?

PAUL SHAFFER: A couple of months.

LETTERMAN: No, it's not a couple of months.

SHAFFER: One month.

LETTERMAN: 39 days.

SHAFFER: Yeah, one month.

LETTERMAN: I mean, 39 days, the presidential election and we could have a new president in 39 days. Well, the current president, President Obama, was on the show last week. The challenger, Mitch [sic] Romney, has not been on the show. We have asked him to be on the show, we have, any night, any time, short notice, whatever he wants. He can be on the show. He's got 39 days. Now, I don't want to persuade anybody unnecessarily, but if he's not here in 39 days, don't vote for him.

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After a commercial break, Letterman continued with his pleas:

LETTERMAN: Listen now, I'm serious about this. You know, I know what it's like to be rebuffed, to be ignored, to be thwarted, shunted, not taken seriously - what's the word I'm looking for? - to be snubbed, snubbed.

SHAFFER: Snubbed.

LETTERMAN: That’s right, and the Romney people have done a first-rate job of snubbing us. Now look, I want to tell you something. We just make fun of everybody. That's the whole deal. And it just happens that Mitch [sic] is funnier than Obama. So it doesn't mean anything. I'm, I'm, a - you can go online and check my voting record, please don't, but you can - I am a registered independent. You hear what I'm saying. A registered independent. Yes. I have no dog in this fight, ladies and gentlemen.

Mitt has get to come on. I'm telling you. What I'm getting a whiff of here is they're scared. Let me rephrase that. What I'm getting a whiff of here is that he's yellow.

[Laughter and applause]

LETTERMAN: Thank you.

SHAFFER: I don't know why he won’t come on.

LETTERMAN: Why won't he come on? You're telling me this guy expects to sit in the Oval Office in the White House. And remember when he said the first thing he was going to do when he got into office? He was going to put China in their place. Ooooh! But yet, he'll do that, but he won't come and talk to me. No problem taking on China.

Alright, 39 days away. He's got 39 days to show up. Is he coming? Have you heard anything?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Haven’t heard anything.

LETTERMAN: We have an open invitation for him, don't we? Any night. If he called right now and said I'll be there in five minutes,..

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: We would wait for him.

LETTERMAN: Say goodbye to Regis.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: That’s right.

[Laughter and applause]

LETTERMAN: Come to think of it, we get any kind of call at all, say goodbye to Regis.

SHAFFER: No!

[Laughter and applause]

With that, Letterman proceeded with his Top Ten list which just so happened to be:

Top Ten Reasons Mitt Romney Should Appear on the Late Show

10. It's required by the Constitution

9. Compared to me, anybody looks popular

8. Plenty of parking for the Cadillacs

7. If he makes a gaffe, no one will see it

6. Green room stocked with plain yogurt and tap water

5. None of our cameras are hidden

4. He can fire as many Late Show staffers as he wants

3. It's a chance to win back the lazy freeloader vote

2. Rick Santorum will do this show, but Mitt won't (video of Santorum saying "That's bull----"_

1. John McCain once blew us off -- how'd that turn out?

(HT @trscoop)