Jon Stewart isn’t one for holding back his criticisms — especially when they’re focused upon conservatives and GOP adherents. On Thursday night, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” set his targets on Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, essentially calling her a hypocrite for her vocal support for maternity leave. See the clip, below:
As The Blaze reported last week, the anchor of “America Live” recently went back to work following the birth of her second child. Upon returning, Kelly had an impassioned, on-air debate with Mike Gallagher during which she made a number of comments about the importance of maternity leave.
Stewart seized upon these statements in an effort to juxtapose Kelly’s views on maternity leave with her past comments on entitlement programs. In the video, you‘ll see old clips of Kelly lamenting the nation’s entitlement situation. Among her statements, you’ll find her saying:
“Do you think [that we can get] the tentacles that government has placed into our lives out. Or are we just stuck we these massive entitlement programs that we have now?”
“They’re in the system…it’s like trying to take Social Security away. Once it’s in, how do you get rid of it.”
While these comments are certainly not favorable of the current state of entitlement affairs, there’s an important question to ask: Are maternity leave and the laws that govern it different from the government structures that provide what some see as never-ending “handouts?” The comedian seems to see an inherent comparison between the two, which is why he lambastes Kelly for supporting one and not the other.
During her debate with Gallagher, Kelly also says, ”If anything the United States is in the Dark Ages when it comes to maternity leave.” Again, Stewart uses this statement, among others, to claim that Kelly is being a flip-flopper. Interestingly, NJ.com defends Kelly on this point, writing:
Kelly is right that the U.S. is unusual in its stance on parental leave.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch showed that 178 countries around the world have national laws guaranteeing paid maternity leave. The three countries that don’t? Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and the United States. (NPR offers this graphic that compares policies around the world.)
Read More at the Blaze By Billy Hallowell, the Blaze
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Kelly is a liberal but she normally hides it better than the others. Some times she slips and her liberal comes pouring out and she takes a 3 month maternity leave. That is too long! But fox apparently doesn't care so why should anyone else? It's her business. Back in the 80's, when a woman got pregnant on the police dept. she was put on sick leave for the duration. We fought that and eventually we got that mandate overturned. So in some aspects Kelly was right but that no onger matters anymore since maternity leave is now a govt. provided right. "this was my dept., I don't know about other depts."
Why should an employer have to pay someone for 3 months because she had a baby? Time off should be without pay – then see how long they stay out.
The political system and it's eugenics movement is ANTI Family!! and in every aspect!! They now want to place under the skin of girls at puberty a capsul that will make them sterile, until the government decides if they will be allowed children, and then only 1 or 2, then the capsul will be replaced!! The homosexual community is also about the destruction of family…Family is one of the very pillars of our society, but I suppose it ALL must be destroyed!!!
There was not "paid sick leave in the Federal Govenment when I had my children, you had to use you accrued sick leave, I was off for 5 days total with each of my children, thank God I had a reliable baby sitter as I was the sole support of my family. In those days if I had gone on leave without pay it would have reflected on my performance and promotion capabilities.
Kellys a republican everyone knows that.
It doesn't matter if we attempt to determine which free ride is ok and which is not. The only way we will stop the Communist Juggernaut is to get rid of all entitlements and start from scratch no matter how painful for society. That is if you want to save the country from Communism… They are winning hands down and we are in 4th quarter close to the two minute warning. The Communists set a goal in the 30s to have as many on the dole so it would break the economy.
Taxes must be reduces as well or we are doomed. Start reading history and look at Europe.
Every child birth is different even for the same woman. Leave should be determined by when the woman feels physically ready to return to work. If you have had a particularly difficult birth it may take longer to return to normal. Some women are ready to return after a few weeks others need a few months. We may all have the same equipment but not all of the equipment functions the same.
It is not all about the woman; it is about the baby. This baby has been carried by this person for nine months. The baby needs to adjust. Joh was foolish to take maternity leave and compare that to "entitlements" ~
Jon Stewart's comparing maternity leave to entitlement programs is the equivalent of comparing The U.S.a. to China. Most companies have very good maternity leave programs for their expecting female employees.
"Most companies have very good maternity leave programs for their expecting female employees."
That's true only if by "most" you mean "less than 30 percent"–not what most people would consider "most": http://www.catalyst.org/publication/240/family-le…
James once you factor in the other 18.4% of maternity leaves where the woman uses vacation time or sick leave or disability benefits you are up to 46.9% which I think is remarkable. But then again you are a Liberal Progressive Democrat who loves social programs so I assume you would want a 100%?
So even if we buy your argument that a pregant woman or one who just had a baby might be considered to be vacationing, sick or disabled–and your idea that this qualifies as "good maternity leave"–then it's still less than half. Most English-speakers would not qualify that as "most."
Nice irrelevant ad hominem on your part, though, as we've all come to expect. And if you don't think it should be 100 percent, why are you touting those that do? Which women do you think shouldn't qualify?
James you are despicable! Look Jerk!
I did not attack you as you are implying here. As usual you try to spin the facts. I responded to your comment with my opinion. Before your making such a comment in the
future I suggest that you have a understanding of the meaning of ad hominem first before using it in your comments.
How in the world do you find that I am touting those countries who do have 100% coverage of it's citizens when on maternity leave ? In no way have I promoted such in my comment that I made. You should have said why is it that I am not in support of 100% coverage for maternity leave. I have no problem with 100% maternity leave. Whether it is covered by employers 100% or not should be left up to each individual company.
Which women shouldn't qualify? I never said that any woman should not qualify.
Naturally with your Communistic views you are going to be more inclined for the masses to be taken care of by the Nannie State! What you should do is pack up & move to a country of your choice such as China, Cuba, N.Korea, Russia or Venezuela. I am sure that you will appreciate their health care system much more than what we have here in the U.S.A.
James in the future why not just concentrate on asking legitimate questions instead of tying to lay a web of spin or lies to try & get one in a "Gotcha Moment" ?
The first definition of ad hominem: "Arising from or appealing to the emotions and not reason or logic." And naturally you've done it again, while adding personal attack this time around.
And naturally you once again refuse to admit you're wrong in your original claim, that "most companies have very good maternity leave programs for their expecting female employees." That was my point, remember?
You made that statement as if it were fact, not simply "opinion." And pointing out an incorrect statement is very much a "legitimate" action.
James as usual you are trying to split hairs & spin this !
See definition below of ad hominem.
Definition: ad hominem
Part of Speech Definition
Adjective 1. Appealing to personal considerations (rather than to fact or reason); "ad hominem arguments".[Wordnet].
Expression 1. A phrase applied to an appeal or argument addressed to the principles, interests, or passions of a man.[Websters].
No James i do not find almost 50% of our female population as being wrong! How can you not understand my point? Just slow I guess!
James my statement or opinion as you call it is not a incorrect statement. In fact my statement is correct & yours is wrong. Unpaid maternity leave was only 29.7% of the female population.
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
MATERNITY LEAVE
The time a mother takes off from work, paid or unpaid, due to pregnancy and childbirth is known as maternity leave. Since 1997, of mothers who were employed at the time of their last pregnancy, 70.2 percent took maternity leave after birth. Women between the ages of 30 and 34 were most likely to have taken maternity leave for their last pregnancy (78.9 percent), while women between the ages of 18 and 25 were least likely (55.8 percent). This rate also varied across race and ethnicity groups, with Hispanic women being the least likely to have taken maternity leave (60.1 percent). A majority of women who reported taking maternity leave for their last pregnancy had household incomes at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or greater.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees women who are on maternity leave that their job will be protected for up to 12 weeks in any 12-month period. Among women who took maternity leave during their last pregnancy, 80.7 percent reported taking 12 weeks or less. Because paid maternity leave is not readily available from most employers, women usually use a combination of short-term disability, sick leave, vacation, and personal days in order to have some portion of their maternity leave paid. However, among women who reported taking maternity leave for their last pregnancy, 29.7 percent did not have any portion of their maternity leave paid.
So now you're counting any time taken off work–even if unpaid–as "most companies" having "very good maternity leave programs"? That's quite a claim.
And of course FMLA , signed into law by Bill Clinton, applies only to companies with 50 or more employees, and to someone who worked for that employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours within the last 12 months.
And though I don't know where your numbers come from, they seem to be typically wrong (or misleading). Unpaid maternity leave didn't go to 29.7 percent of the entire population, but to 29.7 percent of those WHO TOOK MATERNITY LEAVE–and the rest of those who did get some pay often did so by using time that others would have had available for vacation or sickness.
So if you're qualifying all of that, as "most companies" having "very good maternity leave programs," then I guess you're right. But I suspect that the vast majority of people wouldn't agree with your interpretation.
James, I have read most of your comments on this blog and some, not most, I agree with you.
In this case I would suggest you go have a baby then come back and tell us how much time you need. If you cant do that just SHUT UP.
Good response that goes right to the point of my comment, Ern. Oh, wait, no, it doesn't.
But since you put it so nicely … well, no you didn't. So I guess I'll go back to paying as much attention to your comments deserve.
I guess you conservatives need to figure out just how much you want mothers to stay at home, and for how long. And by the way, some companies also give fathers maternity leave.
JAMES WHAT A STUPID RESPONSE BY YOU.ERN MADE A VERY CLEAR COMMENT WHICH YOU CHOSE TO INSULT INSTEAD OF ANSWERING. I BET YOU ENDORSE MATERNITY LEAVE FOR HUSBANDS AS WELL? OH I SEE THE DIRECTION YOU ARE GOING IN. YOU WANT MATERNITY LEAVE SO TWO GAY GUYS OR LESBIAN WOMEN CAN STAY HOME WITH THE CHILD AS USUAL AT TAX PAYERS EXPENSE.
WELL STATED ERN.
JAMES YOU ARE SO FULL OF B.S. I SUGGEST THAT YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE FACTS AS I HAVE POSTED THEM FROM THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA UNDER THE MATERNITY LEAVE ACT. AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE WRONG INSTEAD OF GOING INTO ALL OF THIS SPIN SPLITTING HAIRS AND JUST DOWN RIGHT LYING.
Unlike you, I've never lied about anything here–and you can't provide evidence to the contrary. Lies apparently come second only to inane insults as a rhetorical strategy for you.
But hey, I'll let you clarify for all of us, rather than having to rely on my interpretation: What, for you, qualifies as a "very good maternity leave program"?
Now that you've been cornered by your own assorted misstatements, I'm sure you'll chicken out and not answer the question, though.
JAMES YOU LIE CONSTANTLY ON THIS SITE. YOU KNOW THIS SO JUST GO BACK TO MANY OF YOUR POST OTHER THAN WASTE MY TIME PROVING JUST HOW BIG OF A LIAR THAT YOU ARE.
I MAKE INANE INSULTS AS A RHETORICAL STRATEGY? ONLY TOWARD JERKS SUCH AS YOU WHO INSULT OTHERS UNFAIRLY.
I HAVE STATED FACTS ON MATERNITY LEAVE WHERE YOU HAVE ONLY VOICED YOUR OWN OPINION LADEN WITH SPIN & SPLITTING HAIRS.
I MOST CERTAINLY HAVE NOT CORNERED MYSELF WITH ASSORTED MISSTATEMENTS? THE ONLY ONE HERE TO MAKE MISSTATEMENTS IS YOU.
FURTHER I HAVE NO REASON TO CHICKEN OUT OF ANYTHING?
EXACTLY WHAT IS IT THAT I AM PRESUMABLY CHICKENING OUT OF? PEOPLE ON THIS SITE KNOW THAT I NEVER BACK DOWN FROM ANYONE. ESPECIALLY A WIMP SUCH AS YOU.
EXACTLY WHAT QUESTION YOU ARE ASKING IS A MYSTERY TO ME?
THIS IS TYPICAL OF YOU TO TRY AND CHANGE THE SUBJECT WHEN YOU ARE PROVEN TO BE WRONG.
GO AND GROW UP! MAN UP OR JUST GO & GET A SEX CHANGE.
Exactly as I predicted, you wouldn't answer the question. And since you say you don't know what I was asking, I'll state it again: What, for you, qualifies as a "very good maternity leave program"?
That WAS the subject–no "changing" involved. So can you answer it? Or do you need me to rephrase it yet again? Perhaps you could have someone else explain the question for you.
And as I also stated previously, you can't cite even one example of me lying–making it clear that you're lying about that, too.
Hay ACLU Atheist Nut Case James BS McPhersew You And Jon Stewart Who Also Is A Atheist Without Any Balls, Both Are Chicken And Stupid, Sorry Teach If The Shoe Fits. God Bless America And The Tea Party Patriots.
Steward is a creep from the word go. I expect most of his mouth running off goes to left ears only.
so if i buy a car i cant afford i should get a raise to pay for it…?
if a woman/family decide to have children, they need to be in a position to take care of it.
this is the biggest problem we have right now w/ our economy, assuming that we can make any choice we want and make others oay for it.
Definitely “The Daily Show” is an amazing creation. I'm so surprised to notice this statement in an effort to juxtapose Kelly’s views. Keep it up though!