Late last week, Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen's suggestion that Ann Romney had "never worked a day in her life" instantly provoked criticism from pundits on the right as well as the left.

The comment also sparked a broader debate about the definition of working motherhood, with some liberal pundits claiming that conservatives only support some stay-at-home moms. Monday on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart joined the chorus of critics.

First Stewart suggested that Republicans, blinded by their Rosen outrage, were inadvertently espousing liberal values. In response to Ann Romney's declaration that "all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make," Stewart was bemused: "Hilary Rosen just made the Republican party pro-choice!"

Then, Stewart pointed to a clip from a campaign stop earlier this year in New Hampshire as evidence of Romney's inconsistent support for stay-at-home moms. "Even if you have a child 2 years of age, you need to go to work," Romney says in the footage. "It'll cost the state more providing that day care, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work."

Stewart feigned horror over the supposed flip-flop. "I think Mitt Romney just said his own wife has no dignity. Doesn’t he know what they did to Hilary Rosen? Run, Mitt!"

Laughs aside, Stewart's more serious point is that Romney and his fellow Republicans only support a certain breed of stay-at-home mothers -- namely, those who can afford not to work. What do you think?

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— Meredith Blake

twitter.com/MeredithBlake



