It takes guts to walk away from any job over something that doesn't line up with your values and principles.  When your job is a late night talk show seen by millions and worth millions of dollars and by leaving you are also putting a whole crew of people out of work, that takes some serious stones:

I'm sure Conan will end up on his feet somewhere.  There's no way, if he actually wants to, that he won't have options elsewhere.  And in light of everything else going on in the world, who really cares right?

See: here and then here if you, like us without TV, had no idea what was going on.

Update:  See why this is all so interesting:  Jay Leno's original announcement of Conan getting The Tonight Show in 2009