Married to the Job, or Each Other?

Balancing work and family is hard enough in good times. In a recession, it can feel impossible

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Having watched the mommy wars rage last fall around Sarah Palin's approach to work-family balance, I've been intrigued by the French premiere of this movie, starring the country's glamorous, embattled Justice Minister, Rachida Dati. Five days after giving birth by C-section to her daughter Zohra, Dati left the hospital and headed to the Elysée Palace for a Cabinet meeting. Cue the controversy, let fly the judgments: What about bonding and breast-feeding and savoring the glory of a social system that allows women 16 weeks of paid maternity leave? ( See pictures of Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. )

Like Palin,...

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