“To see how the hucksters of the right work their “moral values” scam, there could be no more illustrative example than the Nicollette Sheridan episode.

…It’s beginning to look a lot like Groundhog Day. Ever since 22 percent of the country’s voters said on Nov. 2 that they cared most about “moral values,” opportunistic ayatollahs on the right have been working overtime to inflate this nonmandate into a landslide by ginning up cultural controversies that might induce censorship by a compliant F.C.C. and, failing that, self-censorship by TV networks. Seizing on a single overhyped poll result, they exaggerate their clout, hoping to grab power over the culture.” — Frank Rich (New York Times )