NEW YORK: Sarah Palin says she accepts David Letterman's apology for the joke about her daughter.

The Alaska governor, in a statement issued yesterday, said the apology was accepted "on behalf of all young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve."

On his CBS' Late Show on Monday night, Letterman said his joke about one of Palin's daughters being impregnated by Alex Rodriguez can't be defended.