Here's what I think is an important article by Frank Rich. His thesis, with which I agree, is that a lot of the talk about "moral values" in this country is bogus, or at least subordinated to profit. Here's Rich quoting Thomas Frank, the author of What's the Matter With Kansas?, a best-selling consideration of the sensibilities of the so-called blue and red states…
"Values," Mr. Frank writes, "always take a backseat to the needs of money once the elections are won." Under this perennial "trick," as he calls it, Republican politicians promise to stop abortion and force the culture industry "to clean up its act" – until the votes are counted. Then they return to their higher priorities, like cutting capital gains and estate taxes. Mr. Murdoch and his fellow cultural barons – from Sumner Redstone, the Bush-endorsing C.E.O. of Viacom, to Richard Parsons, the Republican C.E.O. of Time Warner, to Jeffrey Immelt, the Bush-contributing C.E.O. of G.E. (NBC Universal) – are about to be rewarded not just with more tax breaks but also with deregulatory goodies increasing their power to market salacious entertainment. It's they, not Susan Sarandon and Bruce Springsteen, who actually set the cultural agenda Gary Bauer and company say they despise.
Anyway, read the whole article. I think I've configured the link so you can read it even if you haven't registered over at The New York Times.