Free Market Children

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and China have both undermined efforts to tighten rules designed to ensure that lead paint isn't used in toys, bibs, jewelry and other children's products.

Both have fought efforts to better police imported toys from China.

Now both are under increased scrutiny after last week's massive toy recall by Mattel, the world's largest toymaker. The recalls of Chinese-made toys follow several other lead-paint-related scares since June that have affected products featuring Sesame Street characters, Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer.

Read more...

Chinese children...

"The overall philosophy is regulations are bad and they are too large a cost for industry, and the market will take care of it," said Rick Melberth, director of regulatory policy at OMBWatch, a government watchdog group formed in 1983. "That's been the philosophy of the Bush administration."


Top 11 New Advertsing Slogans For Mattel

11. Lead: It's the new black

10. Lead: It's not just in your house paint anymore

9. Lead: The real ancient Chinese secret

8. If our toys don't kill your kids they will only make them stronger

7. Your daughter will love our new Chinese quality inspector Barbie

6. Safer than a bag of broken glass

5. If you're not completely satisfied, our CEO will off himself

4. The only toys in the world that will protect you during a chest x-ray

3. Keeping the godless Chinese hordes preoccupied with something other than world domination since 1987

2. At least our toys aren't made in North Korea

1. We may not be safe, but we are cheap

Read more at Nihlist in Golf Pants.

American children...

"We have done recall after recall since 2003. We would like to move towards a ban and make the marketplace safe," said Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman.