Contact: Susan A. Fani, Director of Communications, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, catalyst@catholicleague.org

NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /Standard Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue says CBS should focus on what Penn & Teller have done more than what David Letterman did:

Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post questions whether CBS is up to covering, as well as investigating, the mess David Letterman has gotten himself into. We second that concern, but would prefer that CBS concentrate on a more serious issue: the malicious thrashing of Catholicism that was delivered by Penn & Teller on their season finale on Showtime, August 27 (Showtime is owned by CBS).

The lead story in the Catholic League's journal, Catalyst, reads, "Penn & Teller Explode: CBS At Fault." Inside the October issue there is another piece titled, "Setting the Record Straight: Penn & Teller's Lies." Both articles chronicle the vicious lies that were told about the Catholic Church, and the calculated effort to smear the Vatican. We have posted the half-hour video on our website, www.catholicleague.org. Moreover, copies of the video have been sent to every bishop in the nation. We are asking that CBS not renew Penn & Teller's contract.

What Letterman did was indefensible, and the jury is out on whether he violated sexual harassment laws. But the jury is not out on Penn & Teller: they crossed the line and engaged in the most hurtful, bigoted and immoral behavior ever seen on TV. If Imus and Michael Richards suffered for their transgressions, and were not allowed to skate because they are comedians, then justice demands that at the very least CBS not bring Penn & Teller back.

Contact CBS President Leslie Moonves: lmoonves@cbs.com

http://catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1688