The following pull-out quotes from this story disturb me greatly, above and beyond the obvious threat to children's health it presents:

"Late last year, other lawmakers—no one will say who — inserted the provision allowing companies to use in-house labs. The Senate then passed that legislation in March."

No one will say "who?" NO ONE WILL SAY "WHO?", That's just great. How, exactly, are these assholes supposed to be voted out of office for acting against the interest of their electorate if we don't know who they are? And isn't anyone going to find out?

Also...

"She said no one should fear that Mattel employees would be less strict than an independent lab.

'Wouldn't that same logic apply to independent labs that have huge contracts with big players in the industry?' she asked."

The fact she has a point is terrifying. She's saying there's no such thing as an independent investigator, because they're all reliant on corporate money anyways, so what's the point? That's comforting.

Finally, liar, liar, pants on fire...

"A similar provision allowing companies to certify their own products popped up in House legislation, which passed last December. Jodi Seth, a spokeswoman for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said members of both parties agreed to add the provision because they worried there weren't enough labs to handle the testing required by the bill.

Likewise, Mattel's Bongiovanni said that independent labs couldn't handle all of Mattel's testing in a timely manner.

But Intertek Plc., one of the world's largest consumer-product testing companies, said it could absorb Mattel's business and more. Intertek has substantially expanded its lab space to test children's products in the last year and has enough capacity to meet the added demand an independent-testing mandate would bring, said Gene Rider, Intertek's North American president of consumer goods."

Let's pretend what the Mattel lady says is true, which is in serious doubt. You'd rather put suspect toys out on the market than take your time making sure they're safe? Timeliness outweighs safety?

Even if what they say is true, that Mattel's labs are bigger and more sophisticated than others out there, why not just tell Mattel they must allow independent investigators to use these wonderful labs? Why does Mattel get to supply the people who do the testing? Who are they, Willy Wonka, allowed to close their doors to outsiders?

I will tell you my solution to this quandry. I will only buy my toys here. They used to have a sign inside the doorway that said, "We don't sell Mattel (and other suspect brands -- I forget them all now)." I didn't notice it last time I was in there. Maybe they were forced to take it down; I don't know.

But I do know they care about kids and customers in general. They have earned my trust and my business.

Mattel has earned my distrust and my disgust.

To end on a happy note, here's a cherry pie recipe.