Sarah Palin says she accepts David Letterman's apology over lewd jokes he made about her 14-year-old daughter, Willow.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Alaska Gov. said: "Of course, it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve."

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

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On his show Monday, Letterman said his wisecrack about Palin's daughter being "knocked up" by Alex Rodriguez can't be defended. Even though he has insisted all along that the joke referred to 18-year-old Bristol Palin, "It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault," Letterman told his audience. "So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much."

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His apology came as one advertiser -- Embassy Suites, part of the Hilton Hotels Corp. -- pulled advertising on CBS' website because of complaints. (The company was not an advertiser on the show.)

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Asked about the incident on Tuesday's Today show, Palin's former running mate, Sen. John McCain, said he was glad Letterman apologized, adding, "Now we need to move on."

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