U.S. Sen. John McCain scored a hit for funnyman David Letterman, delivering the largest audience for "Late Show with David Letterman" in nearly three years.

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The Republican presidential nominee was a guest on Letterman's show Thursday night after having canceled on Sept. 24 at the last minute.

Preliminary figures indicate the show had roughly 6.5 million viewers, Nielsen said.

When the candidate walked onto the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, he pretended to cower as Letterman strode over to greet him, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

"Can you stay?" Letterman asked as McCain sat.

"Yes, sir," responded McCain. He added with a grin, "Depends on how bad it gets."

The Arizona senator said he had asked his son, who is in the Marine Corps, to FedEx him his helmet and flak jacket for the occasion, "but it didn't get here on time."

Letterman riffed on McCain about his earlier no-show after the comic learned McCain had had an interview with CBS news anchor Katie Couric.

Letterman spent most of the 20-minute conversation quizzing McCain about his choice of a running mate, his campaign's tenor and and his attacks on Democratic rival Barack Obama, the Times reported..