“Sarah Palin went to a Yankees game yesterday. There was one awkward moment during the seventh-inning stretch: her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.” David Letterman, June 9, 2009
"The joke, really, in and of itself, can't be defended. 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." David Letterman, June 15, 2009
"Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!"
Sarah Palin, March 23, 2010
"When I talk about 'Its not a time to retreat its a time to reload'--now media, try to get this right, OK?--that's not inciting violence. What it's doing is trying to inspire people to get involved in their local elections."
Sarah Palin, March 28, 2010
In June of 2009, David Letterman told a joke (above) that was not well-received by the Palin family. He initially joked his way through an apology, but ultimately said that when a joke is misunderstood, it is not your fault, but his fault. He took full responsibility for the misunderstanding.
In March of 2010, Sarah Palin said "It's not a time to retreat, it's a time to reload." Some misunderstood her to mean that people should respond to the new health care law with gun violence. Her response was quite different from Dave Letterman's. She said that what she was doing was not inciting violence, but rather inspiring people to get involved in their local elections. To add further clarity regarding blame, she added "Now Media, try to get this right, ok?"
So when Letterman tells a joke that is misunderstood, it is his fault and he takes full responsibility. When Palin says something that is misunderstood, it is the media's fault and she pointedly blames them.