Mitt and the modern family

BuzzFeed has unearthed video of Mitt Romney, circa 1994, describing the state of the working family in terms that are a long way from the "War on Moms" shtick this week.

"It’s a different world than it was in the 1960s, when I was growing up, when you used to be able to have mom at home and dad at work," Romney said. "Now, mom and dad both have to work, whether they want to or not. And usually one of them has two jobs."

Romney was making the statement in the context of arguing for strong child care services, and it's not inconsistent with the idea that society should respect women who are full-time moms. What it is, though, is a version of the argument that Hilary Rosen was trying to make when she shot herself in the rhetorical foot: that for most mothers, staying home and not holding a paying job is not an option.

The video is also a reminder of the limitations of the war-on-moms message: the reality is, Romney was right in 1994, and two-income households are far more the norm than they used to be. And while there are surely women who have been offended by what Hilary Rosen (and Bill Maher) had to say, there's a fine rhetorical line between sticking up for 21st Century stay-at-home moms and over-glorifying a bygone age of the American family.