At First Blush, Fans Forgive Dave

David Letterman’s fans—at least the handful surveyed by the Daily News—agree: All is forgiven. In fact, his extortionist is the one who should be ashamed of himself. “We love Letterman no matter what he does. He brings us joy,” said a would-be audience member outside the Ed Sullivan Theater. Another sums up the sentiment with a shrug and a smile: "Everybody's doing it."

Letterman "looks younger in my eyes," says a third. "He's got some mojo now.”

• Guess that answers the question Gawker blogger Andrew Belonsky poses: “Considering Letterman has long used affairs as punchlines, should we run him out of town?”
• The scandal broke on what was already a landmark day for Letterman: Thanks to guest appearances by presidents Obama and Clinton, ratings for the Late Show were ahead of the Tonight Show's in the key 18-to-49 demographic for the first time in 4 years, Variety reports.
• Letterman's accused extortionist was shelling out quite a bit for child support, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. Robert "Joe" Halderman was required to pay his ex-wife nearly $6,000 a month after their 2004 divorce.