Republicans have a habit of referring to the legal union of one man and one woman as "traditional marriage." But history tells a different story. On Wednesday's show, msnbc's Lawrence O'Donnell enlisted reality star "Honey Boo Boo" — yes, that child pageant queen — to help explain Romney-Ryan values in the Rewrite.Earlier in the week, Paul Ryan told a crowd in Ohio, "traditional marriage and family and entrepreneurship" are not "values that are indicative to any one person or creed or color. These are American values, these are universal human values."O'Donnell immediately took issue with that premise. He explained, "first of all, entrepreneurship is not a value, it's an activity. Family is not a value. Family is a societal unit. Some families have values. Some don't."
O'Donnell then listed all the ways marriage today has evolved over the centuries, from arranged relationships to polygamy. Not so long ago, Romney's great-grandfather, also a Mormon, had five wives at the same time.
O'Donnell then listed all the ways marriage today has evolved over the centuries, from arranged relationships to polygamy. Not so long ago, Romney's great-grandfather, also a Mormon, had five wives at the same time.
"Mitt Romney obviously believes he has to rewrite the history of marriage, including the history of marriage in his own family, to give moral weight to the Republican argument against marriage equality for everyone," said O'Donnell. "Mitt Romney believes lying is the way to achieve moral superiority for his argument against marriage equality."