Looking to boost your talk show's ratings and prestige? Just book Barack Obama. About 7.2 million people tuned in to watch Obama's chit-chat with David Letterman last night, the sort-of funny man's biggest night in four years.

So, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has come to America to spread his brand of terrifying love. But no one wants to host him. How sad! But, wait, Donald Trump's company has some space and is let him pitch a tent!

Tom Ford's post-Gucci career goes on. In addition to directing the film adaptation of A Single Man, the designer has been building his eponymous fashion house. But now he needs an extra $50 million to turn dreams into reality. [Reuters]

"Mustache Day at the New York Times' media pod." We've done a little digging and we're now prepared to say that some of these "mustaches" are, in fact, fakes. Clark Hoyt will get to the bottom of this. [David Carr]

• Barack Obama's appearance on David Letterman's show last night helped the Late Night host score his second-highest ratings ever. [NYT, WP]
• Dan Rather scored a couple of victories in his suit against CBS: A motion by the network to dismiss the case was denied by a judge; and Rather's lawyers will be permitted to question Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone. [Reuters]
• Yesterday, activists handing out fake copies of the Post outside its offices were detained by cops. Today, the paper says it was "flattered" by it. [NYP]
• Book deals: Jenny Sanford, the estranged wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, is writing "inspirational memoir" for Random House. And Andrew Young, an aide to former Senator John Edwards, has landed a deal with St. Martin's Press' Thomas Dunne Books to publish his tell-all memoir.
• In an effort to keep more viewers tuned in, ABC plans to reduce—yes, reduce—the number of commercials in the premieres of its new shows. [LAT]
• Fox won the opening night of the fall season, a first for the network. [THR]

In your warming Tuesday media column: The New York Post softens its stance on the Fake NYP, foolish kids flock to J-schools, a few magazines do not so poorly, and NYT stock is for sale!

Two years ago, the FBI destroyed documents that "may have" contained information about Walter Cronkite. What documents? We don't know. Why were they destroyed? Good question!

Nikki Finke is an industrious and relentless blogger. But she's not a reliable one. As her readers know, she's given to frequent unexpected absences from her blog. Now that she's making $400,000, we're going to start keeping track.

France has long relied on fashion for its prestige and economy. And fashion relies on advertising. And that advertising has to manipulate a consumer's aspirations. It's a delicate, ugly and ultimately international balance. Now its under attack.

CBS and its hot shot lawyers were impotent in their efforts to thwart old manDan Rather's $70 million wrongful termination suit. Now Rather's lawyers want Viacom big wig Sumner Redstone to take the stand. It's war! [Reuters]

Katie Couric's first foray into internet interviewing was a success! Well, it's getting some press, at least, because the ubiquitous Glenn Beck admitted a secret love for Hillary and trashed McCain, whom he thinks would have done worse than Obama.

• Despite all the talk of the impending demise of the TV industry, ratings for last night's Emmy Awards weren't too shabby. The three-hour show was seen by 13.3 million people, which is up 8 percent from last year. [THR]
• Bloomberg LP has officially submitted its bid to buy BusinessWeek. [BW]
• Michael Musto of the Village Voice is hearing rumors that Conde Nast is planning to shutter five of its titles as it looks to slash costs. [VV]
• A group of activists affiliated with The Yes Men handed out copies of a New York Post parody this morning as part of an effort to draw attention to climate change; a number of them were later detained by the NYPD. [DF]
• Despite low ratings and lousy reviews early on, Katie Couric is expected to anchor the CBS Evening News until her contract expires in 2011. [NYT]
• Barack Obama made appearances on just about every Sunday morning talk show yesterday. With the exception of those on Fox News, that is. [LAT, [HP]
• Obama's media tour will continue tonight when he sits down alongside David Letterman on his late-night show, a first for a sitting U.S. president. [NYT]

In your momentous Monday media column: Conde Nast mag closure rumors continue to leak, everybody's selling weed these days, the Amish organize their newspapers in an insane manner, and a "joke," about J-school!

Hunting down celebrities and taking their pictures—work carried out by thousands of paparazzi photographers every day—hasn't changed much over the past few years. The cameras are better and the lenses are longer. But the job still necessitates someone patiently waiting for hours outside the Bowery Hotel so that when Lindsay Lohan finally emerges, a thousand photos can be snapped of her in the six seconds it takes the actress to get from the door of the hotel to her waiting car. But technology could change the celebrity-industrial complex forever if Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has anything to do with it:

Volunteers handing out today's Fake New York Post outside of the Post's headquarters at the News Corp building "were detained by police and their papers were confiscated," according to witnesses. Lame, New York Post. Super lame. UPDATE: NYP statement below.

Good news for the newspapers industry! The rate of catastrophic quarterly decline in ad revenue is slowing, slightly. Looks like that strategy of "Ohmigod, Jesus Christ...just fire everybody" is finally paying off, very modestly!

The New York Times, which six months ago forced staffers to take a 5% paycut, has been overpaying its publisher and CEO for nearly two years in violation of its own compensation rules. We're supposed to bail these people out?

Last November, New Yorkers were greeted one morning with a Fake New York Times, produced by pinkos. Today the same people—The Yes Men—have dropped a Fake New York Post on the city. Let's look, then!

When Katie Couric took over CBS Evening News, everyone thought she would fail. But she hasn't. In fact, she's being praised for her poise, grace and interview style. And now producers want to make her bigger, stronger and more popular.

Whitley Strieber, author of The Hunger and Nature's End, has signed with Gersh Agency.