Michelle Obama's Latest "Family Values" Swipe  "Family Values"
is one of those political phrases that can't ever really be
divorced from its earlier context and meaning. I'm sure that any
one who lived through the 90's can't hear the phrase without
remembering it as a Republican battle-cry used against the
Clintons and the Democratic Party. It was a rhetorical weapon
that signified opposition to liberal values such as gender
equality and abortion rights. And it was used to attack the
Clintons during the Ken Starr investigation and impeachment.  So
why would Michelle Obama refer to "family values"tonight on
Colbert?  It's not the first time the phrase has come up during
the 2008 campaign:  Mitt Romney today sharply criticized the
"family values" of Hillary Clinton and her husband, recalling
Bill Clinton's affair with a White House intern that led to an
impeachment battle.  Answering a question from a woman who asked
him how the president can promote family values, Romney wasted
no time in bringing up the Clint