World's dumbest extortionist hits on Letterman
Robert 'Joe' Halderman
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Roberto De Vido
After years of pointing out the trials and tribulations of others, David Letterman's got a bit of a problem himself. Seems that after several affairs with members of his staff, the Late Night host was made the subject of a $2 million extortion scheme by a fellow CBS employee, 48 Hours producer Robert "Joe" Halderman.
Halderman was arraigned Friday in a Manhattan court on one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, according to the Associated Press. He pleaded not guilty.
A couple questions: What's with everybody wanting to go by some All-American sounding moniker like "Joe?" It's one thing for a lawyer politican named Addison Graves Something-or-other to want to sound like he's hanging out with carpenters and plumbers - not that there are many plumbers named Joe, anyway. But if your name sounds too much like Bob Haldeman, you might be worried that somebody'd think you're up to some skullduggery.
Second: How does Letterman feel now that karma's taken a Marv Albertesque bite out of his ass? Years of mocking the sexual foibles of others for money can put one in an ironic position.
Roberto De Vido is a communications consultant, writer, cartoonist and jack of many trades. The former chief of Tucson Sentinel’s East Asia Bureau, he now lives in California (make of that what you will).
