Sarah Palin
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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin says she would come out ahead if she went one-on-one in a race with President Barack Obama - a race, as in a long run.

"I betcha I'd have more endurance," she told Runner's World magazine.

"My one claim to fame in my own little internal running circle is a sub-four marathon" in Anchorage, she said, referring to a 2005 race. "What I lacked in physical strength or skill, I made up for in determination and endurance."

Palin, 45, a former beauty queen and the first woman to be Alaska's governor, is featured in the August issue of the magazine for running aficionados.

Here's a patriotic shot from Sarah Palin's Runner's World photo shoot ...

She was dubbed the country's "hottest" governor when she stole the show as Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008. The mother of Bristol Palin says running isn't just a body thing, as it helps keep her emotionally and mentally in shape.

"I feel so crappy if I go more than a few days without running. No matter how rotten I feel before or during a run, it's always worth it to me afterward," she said.

"Sweat is my sanity," Palin tells the magazine.

The second woman ever to be the Vice Presidential nominee of one of the two major parties likes that when she's out, she's just another mom in running shoes.

"When I run, I'm incognito because I'm not wearing a trough full of makeup. I can go running through a mob of tourists and they don't recognize me," Palin said.

Click to enlarge more Sarah Palin pictures from Runner's World ...

From Speidi and Al Roker squaring off on Today and in the press, to Real Housewives of New Jersey Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub nearly coming to blows, this week was chock full of quality celebrity feuds designed to entertain us.

Not to be outdone, Sarah Palin and David Letterman continued their war or words from last week before eventually reaching a detente, while Kate Gosselin delivered a nice spanking to daughter Leah and Stephanie Pratt eschewed nutrients.

Which was your favorite celebrity showdown? Vote in our poll below!

Which was the best celebrity feud this week?

Sarah Palin has accepted the second, and slightly more sincere, apology from David Letterman regarding the jokes he made about her family last week.

The Alaska governor issued a statement, speaking for her daughters (at the center of the jokes) and women everywhere, accepting Dave's apology.

Letterman's mea cupla was delivered on last night's Late Show.

"Of course it's accepted on behalf of women, like my daughters, who hope men 'joking' about public displays of sexual exploitation will evolve," she said.

"David Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction."

Drawn out intentionally for publicity or not, hopefully with Palin's comments, the contentious war of words and opposing viewpoints will now end.

And, lest we forget Palin is a political figure and not merely an attention-starved instigator with a publicist, she worked in a nice shout-out to our troops.

"And this is all thanks to our U.S. military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's right to free speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect," the 2008 V.P. candidate said.

CBS was quick to clarify that the decision to extend a second olive branch (his first was more of a clarification of his remarks, rather than an actual apology) was Letterman's alone, denying that they placed any pressure on him.

Still, despite Palin's acceptance of the apology, it may be too little, too late for some of her more ardent supporters. Supporters wanting CBS to fire David Letterman have tentatively planned to hold a rally outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre today.

Whose side are you on?

Offering a second apology for the Sarah Palin controversy that has erupted over the past week, David Letterman said his joke about the Alaska Governor's daughter was a lousy joke, no matter how you cut it, and he's sincerely sorry for it.

The late night talk show host still maintained that what got people really riled is the misconception over which Palin daughter the joke was about.

On Monday's Late Show, Letterman said the risque joke about Sarah's daughter getting knocked up by Alex Rodriguez was perceived as an attack on 14-year-old Willow Palin, but was actually a reference to 18-year-old daughter Bristol Palin.

The name of the daughter wasn't mentioned in the joke, part of Letterman's monologue on last Monday's show. Nevertheless, "The joke, really, in and of itself, can't be defended," he declared. It was "a coarse joke," "a bad joke."

"But I never thought it was (about) anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure, in fact, that she is of legal age, 18."

David Letterman Apology to Sarah Palin

Even so, Sarah and Todd Palin issued pointed statements last week condemning jokes about "raping" Willow and calling Letterman "despicable." Sarah Palin decried these "sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity."

Last night, a more somber Letterman said, "I'm wondering, 'Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?' I've never made jokes like this, as long as we've been on the air, 30 long years."

If that's the misconception - that the joke was aimed at a 14-year-old - he understands why people are upset, he said. "I would be upset myself."

David Letterman has said from the start that he thought the daughter who was at the Yankee game was Bristol Palin. But there were no excuses last night.

"I feel I need to do the right thing and apologize for telling that joke," he said. "It's not your fault it was misunderstood, it's my fault it was misunderstood."

He apologized to both daughters, "and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke," he said as the studio audience applauded. "I'm sorry about it, and I'll try to do better in the future."

Whose side are you on?

Talk show host David Letterman has been hit with criticism over jokes he made last week about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her daughter(s).

While Letterman has admitted that his comments were in poor taste, but were just jokes nonetheless, the former V.P. candidate has not backed off.

Neither have some of her supporters. A grass-roots campaign organized to get the late-night stalwart canned, FireDavidLetterman.com, is holding a rally outside Letterman's show at the Ed Sullivan theater tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Republican N.Y. State Assemblyman Brian Kolb, along with an attorney and radio host John Ziegler, the site also provides CBS contacts to whom people can complain about what many felt was a tasteless, potentially harmful quip.

"Firing Mr. Letterman would send a clear message that CBS will not tolerate any of its employees even an established media figure like Mr. Letterman making demeaning, degrading comments about women," Kolb wrote to CBS chief Les Moonves.

An accompanying Facebook group has about 1,800 members.

The campaign's supporters point to Don Imus and Howard Stern as examples of popular hosts who crossed the line - and were held accountable by employers.

According to TV Guide, Embassy Suites has pulled advertising on CBS because of complaints. The company was not an advertiser on The Late Show specifically.

Letterman made the offending joke on Tuesday's show, following a visit to New York by Sarah Palin during which she attended a Yankee game with Rudy Giuliani.

"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game," Letterman said, "during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

In addressing the controversy, Letterman says the outcry was due at least in part to a misunderstanding, as he intended the joke to be about Bristol Palin, 18.

Bristol Palin was very much knocked up by beau Levi Johnston last year, while in minor in fact. However, the Palin daughter at the ball game was Willow, 14.

The loudest response came from Sarah Palin herself.

She told Matt Lauer she didn't buy Dave's "convenient excuse," and said she would never let her daughter near him - implying he can't be trusted around girls.

Letterman clarified that he "would never made jokes about someone having sex with a 14-year-old girl," which Palin, who some believe is resorting to shameless attention-grabbing words and implications, and continues to accuse him of.

Whose side are you on?

Those that take issue with David Letterman mocking Bristol Palin need to hate the game, not the player.

Late-night talk shows exist for one reason: to make fun of those in the news.

Let's go back to 1995: One of Jay Leno's most famous skits was "The Dancing Itos." It was a comedy sketch that was based around lookalikes of those involved in the O.J. Simpson case, such as Judge Lance Ito.

Yes, Jay Leno made light of a double murder case. Not only was he never taken to task for it, audiences ate it up.

Meanwhile, just a few weeks ago, Conan O'Brien made this joke: "Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey game. Then, Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the players out of her daughter's penalty box."

That is FAR more offensive than anything Letterman said, as it uses a pejorative term for "vagina" and it doesn't mention Eliot Spitzer or Alex Rodriguez, the two men that were equally at the forefront of Dave's jabs.

But did Palin utter a word about it? Of course not. O'Brien only aired at 12:30 a.m. at the time. His ratings were puny.

Here's a way to kill a few hours: go search the Internet for jokes made at the expense of Jamie Lynn Spears and Miley Cyrus over the past couple of years on late-night television.

The point is simple: talk show hosts make fun of celebrities.

Bristol Palin is a celebrity; not because her mother ran for a political office, but because her mother approved of her appearance on the cover of People.

Sorry, but the moment Bristol's face appeared on the front of the world's leading tabloid, Gov. Palin could no longer claim that her family's private world was being invaded. She has chosen a public life for herself and her children and must live with it.

This is also why Palin's claim of a double standard does not hold any merit.

In her interview with Matt Lauer, the governor said everyone respects President Obama's pleas to leave his family alone, but the same standard does not hold for her.

This is a laughable comparison.

Sasha and Malia Obama are 7 and 10 years old, respectively. Let us assure any doubters out there: if either of them gets caught with a fake ID, drives drunk or gets pregnant as a teenager, every late-night host will be overflowing with jokes.

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Carrie Prejean did not attend an event for the Special Olympics this weekend because she feared it would be awkward, now that she's no longer Miss California. (Way to put the kids ahead of your personal feelings, Carrie!)

But Hustler has come up with an idea that will make the gay-hating pageant queen feel right at home: an intimate meeting with fellow conservative beauty Sarah Palin.

Sort of.

The adult film company has offered Prejean $500,000 to appear in a movie titled You're Nailin' Palin. TMZ has released the actual letter sent to Carrie from Hustler. It reads:

Your scene would feature some hot girl-on-girl action with adult performer Lisa Ann, who's portraying the former VP candidate. Don't worry, you'll also have an opportunity to enjoy some opposite sex.

Should Carrie accept the offer? Think of all the gay marriage protest signs she could buy with the cash!

Will Carrie Prejean and Sarah Palin soon come together for a meeting of the minds and bodies? Let's hope so!

Contentious. Fiery. Passionate. Hate-filled.

This week in celebrity news was filled with one feud after another.

From a former Vice Presidential candidate questioning the decency of an iconic talk show host, to a mother depriving her daughter of basic sustenance, no relationship has been safe over the last few days.

With that in mind, we're asking readers to name the most entertaining rivalry of the week. Not familiar with the stars listed below, or the basis for their inclusion in this grouping? Scroll around The Hollywood Gossip and learn all you can.

It won't take long to understand why Lil Wayne appears to despise condoms even more than Paris Hilton hates aspiring models flirting with her boyfriend...

Each of the celebrities above is hating on a fellow news maker/family member/form of contraception. Click on each photo for a closer look at the stars.

Which is your favorite feud?

OMG, Sarah Palin is out of her mind.

Look, we're fine with the Alaskan Governor sharing her political views, even if we don't agree with them; and we'd never blame her for defending her family against actual, unfair attacks.

But her current feud with David Letterman, which may have been initially based on a misunderstanding that Letterman calmly cleared up this week, has turned into nothing but a defamatory attack against a long-time, respected talk show host.

We'll even give Palin and husband Todd the benefit of the doubt. We'll believe they were under the original impression that Letterman made a joke about Alex Rodriguez and Eliot Spitzer having sex with their 14-year old daughter, Willow.

But the facts are these:

• Bristol Palin is 18 years old and recently gave birth;
• Sarah Palin says anyone that believes Letterman was referring to Bristol, as opposed to Willow, is "naive."
• Addressing the Palin's criticism on his program, Letterman stated: "These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl... Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."

What else is there to say? It was a misunderstanding, Letterman admitted that the jokes were questionable and that he was going for a "cheap laugh." But seriously, people, he's a comedian. He makes a living mocking those in the news.

Yet the Palins wouldn't let it die, ratcheting up their critique by actually implying that Letterman was a pedophile and/or rapist. A family spokesperson said:

"It would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman."

On The Today Show this morning, Matt Laurer grilled Palin over the meaning of that statement.

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David Letterman apologized (kind of) Wednesday for his jokes about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her family, and extended an invite for them to come on his show.

Well, the former Republican Vice Presidential nominee, who seems intent on making People magazine headlines at every opportunity, issued a reply Thursday:

"The Palins have no intention of providing a ratings boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show," Palin family spokeswoman Meg Stapleton says. Zinnng.

"Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman."

So ... Letterman is a pedophile now, according to the Palin spokesperson? We thought we weren't allowed to joke about underage girls ... not that anyone was.

Seriously, no one is saying the jokes weren't inappropriate, but the Palins are clearly just using Letterman, and by extension their own daughter, as an opportunity to rally support for ... something. Makes us wonder if they own NBC stock.

In case you missed it, David Letterman jabbed at the Palin family after Sarah and Todd visited NYC and took in a Yankees game with 14-year-old daughter, Willow.

The host cracked that the worst part of the trip was "keeping Eliot Spitzer away" from her daughter, and that Alex Rodriguez knocked her up in the 7th inning.

The Palins denounced Letterman on Facebook, calling his comments "sexually perverted" and saying "Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable."

Letterman took eight minutes on Wednesday night's show to explain the jokes, clarifying that he was referring to 18-year-old Bristol Palin (who did get knocked up when she was a minor, incidentally) and admitting his material was in bad taste.

"These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl," he said.

He continued to emphasize: "Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."

He called the jokes, "borderline ... but again, made in an act of desperation to get cheap laughs, which is what I've been doing for the last 30 years."

Which side are you on in this war of words?