In praise of ... David Letterman

David Cameron's New York appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday night has been previewed by some columnists as a terrifying media ordeal for the prime minister at the hands of a professional studio rottweiler . Have these commentators ever watched the Late Show ? Mr Letterman rarely offers anything approaching the threat that Mr Cameron might face in a Jeremy Paxman interview or if he ventured on to a studio sofa with a prurient UK host like Jonathan Ross or Russell Brand. The Letterman show may be late-night TV, but edgy or smutty it is not. Its benign genius is its apparent spontaneity and relaxation. The show manages a small-scale and cosy feel, is full of corny joke slots and features a couple of laid-back interviews by the veteran host. It is a life-enhancing thing, and the prime minister would have to put in an extraordinarily inept performance not to cope with the host's questioning.