Posted on 08/08/2011 4:38:53 PM PDT by Hojczyk
An abashed Mike Gallagher appeared today on “America Live with Megyn Kelly” to (sort of) defend the remarks he made earlier this summer about Kelly’s three-month-long maternity leave. Back then, Gallagher called such a luxurious leave “a racket.”
Today, once again in the host’s chair after the birth of her second child, daughter Yardley, four months, everybody’s favorite Fox anchor appeared keen to elicit a retraction from the radio host. She all but got it.
Gallagher shamefacedly muttered several unintelligible excuses — including a half-hearted hint that he had hoped the comment wouldn’t make it through the grapevine to the great Kelly herself — before saying (one hopes jokingly!), “I’d been drinking.”
“Now you’re more along the path of what I expected,” Kelly quipped back to the man she assured viewers is, in fact, her friend.
But the power mom didn’t let Gallagher off the hook that easily.
“What is it about getting pregnant and carrying a baby for nine months and giving birth to a child that you think doesn’t deserve a little time for bonding and recovery?” she asked, after asserting at the outset of the interview that Gallagher’s comment was a “moronic thing to say.”
Gallagher really had no words. As the interview faded out, he could be heard stating frankly, “I’m sorry,” before welcoming Kelly back to Fox’s dayside.
He wasn’t the only person glad Kelly is back to revive the program that bears her name. Numerous fans on social media sites happily sounded off about Kelly’s new haircut and celebrated her return to Fox.
Unlike Gallagher, I find nothing appalling in Fox funding a three-month maternity leave for one of the top names in news. If anything, I’m just disappointed for Kelly’s sake that she had to return so soon. She says she’s not the sort of mother to be effective as a stay-at-home mom (“I’d worry that I’d get stale because I’d be missing my old life”), but I can’t help feeling at least a little bit that America’s gain is Yates’, Yardley’s and Kelly’s loss. Mother-child time is pretty precious, after all. And while all kinds of families manage to make any number of approaches to child-rearing work, in general, daycare does few favors for children (which is not to say Kelly’s kids are in daycare — I don’t know that for a fact). So, as much as I love Megyn Kelly on-air, if someday we see a little less of her because she wants to scale it back and spend more time with her kiddos, I’ll be OK with that.
IMO Gallagher is right. When Megan starts spouting off lines that the the US is in the dark ages because it doesn't mandate companies give maternity leave, well, she's lost it. .....and men get it through FMLA?? Oy
You then challenged me to prove that was what she said and admitted you didn't EVEN WATCH the video....now you're saying I am attempting an argument where one doesn't exist??
Yeeesh.
Megyn has a unique job and a contract. Looks like this all worked the way it was supposed to. I didn’t care for her remarks about how the 3 months should be mandatory by gvt.
She seems pretty level headed...but who knows...If she wants to breast feed on air because “it’s just feeding a baby”....Well, that might be a tad over the edge.
>>Geeesh I can’t believe the comments on this thread. I may never come back to FR knowing there are this many male idiot , yes I’ll say it, NEANDERTHALS on here. No wonder you are a “ forgotten man”<<
Take a Midol.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist). LOL
Did she actually support government FORCING to pay for her maternity leave? Say it ain’t so.
Then she’s not fully conservative.
(I can’t stand Talking Head TV anyway, so I don’t watch her).
Ha! If she negotiated that in her contract and Fox agreed, kudos to her!
I'll watch!
It’s called selling (I’m not being pejoritive) her return with a little controversy. It worked as this post is demonstrating.
And for you people who think you know what’s best for people get a life. The pregnancy leave was allowed by a private company to a private sector employee. In other words it’s really none of your business.
Also, as a business decision, it seems to have paid off. Kelly’s return was eagerly anticipated and I bet the show was off the charts. People genuinely like and respect this woman.
Perhaps that’s a hard thing for some guys to get their arms around.
Having watched the video, this is all good-natured jabbing between Megyn and Mike.
If anyone listens to Mike’s local show, he and Chris Wallace are always in “Mock Feud” mode, verbally cutting each other down in a humorous fashion.
That’s all this is.
My husband took off six weeks with our son. It was after the six weeks I took off. He will be doing the same with our daughter here in a couple of weeks. Our employers offer us the option to use our sick days for family leave and we take it. That is really the only thing we’ve ever used those sick days for and our employers really appreciate that.
Yardley? Really? how awful.
Are you suggesting there is something wrong with asking for evidence of something? I asked, you provided. I’ve not attempted to call you a liar. Considering that Megyn Kelly is suppose to be a conservative, I would not expect that she would make such a statement regarding government intrusion of forced labor practices. As you’ve provided what I asked for, I have accepted what you wrote. I have also stated I disagree with what she said. Where is the argument?
I agree with Mike, this is what these talking heads do. Get famous get pregnent and take alot of time off us peseants can’t afford to do. Also I did not like her hair.
That is between her and her employer and it is no one else’s business.
This is what really disturbed me about this whole thread. Yardley?
Come back and read our conversation tomorrow, hopefully you will see it in the spirit of reality.
Must be nice. I run a business and can't even take off 6 minutes let alone even think about a day...sick, pregnant or whatever.
No snark intended.
Me thinks you doth protest too much. Have some beers and relax.
Gooberment telling businesses what they must do, how wonderfully Mussolini like.
I'm trying to think of what that is called.......it ain't good and it sure the **** isn't American Free Market Capitalism.
You really need to go back and re read the conversation.
Of all the things that are a threat to free market capitalism, a law requiring an employer to allow parents back to work up to one year after the birth of a child is WAY down on the list. Pour yourself a beverage of choice and relax.
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