Here’s the conversation, from “Name It. Change It.” a group that is seeking “to end sexist and misogynistic coverage of women candidates” by the media:

LENO: Now, I know you’re a very opinionated guy. I see you on my friend Bill Maher’s show and all that stuff, and you were talking about this Christine O’Donnell, you know, the anti-masturbation woman who is running for Senate, and you were talking, and you said you would enjoy having sexual relations with this woman?

SETH MACFARLANE: You know, that was a little joke. He showed a clip from her, and I think it was like 1998, and she had the poofy ’80s hair, and it made her look like Kelly Kapowski from “Saved by the Bell”…

LENO: Wow…Now, why — why do you find — does the fact that she’s the anti-masturbation candidate —

MACFARLANE: I think the second she opened her mouth, it would probably ruin everything.

LENO: Really?

MACFARLANE: Yes, yes — once we got into —

LENO: Or make it really good.

The “Name It. Change It.” campaign explains their outrage:

While MacFarlane’s statements to Bill Maher were harmful to women candidates, we are especially concerned that Leno sanctioned and furthered the joke.

Our campaign has been reaching out to the Tonight Show to discuss how these harmful remarks perpetuate the inequitable political environment in which women run for office, and we’ve sent e-mails, made phone calls, and left messages. But so far, we haven’t gotten a response.