David Letterman becomes latest late night host turned cover boy

It's a trend! First, we had Stephen Colbert on the cover of the Rolling Stone, and then Jay Leno turned up on the front of Time magazine (as well as Parade). And now, David Letterman's portrait graces the latest issue of New York.

Don't buy it expecting to find an interview with the notoriously press-shy host, though; instead, former New York Observer editor Peter W. Kaplan's cover story is an unabashedly partisan celebration of the Big Apple's hometown boy, taking him from his post-NBC morning show depths to his recent skirmish with Sarah Palin. "David Letterman has become the national Daddy," writes Kaplan. "He is the ideal dad for the age—not a particularly pristine dad, or full of Cronkitean certitude, but confused and serious and full of conflict, anger, and ambiguity... he is a fundamentally serious comedian holding onto the gig of his life—Late Show With David Letterman—the hour in his day that seems to give him purpose. It has never been better."

The mag also features a brief but fun Q&A with Jimmy Fallon and Dick Cavett, and a sidebar suggesting that the real battle for late night will not be fought in the wee hours, but during the day, on YouTube. (Most-viral clip ever: Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman's "I'm F***ing Matt Damon," with over 9 million views.)