Barbie, Ken push issue of lead toys

WASHINGTON —  In a risque video on YouTube, Ken and Barbie dolls are joining calls by high-profile Democrats for the resignation of Nancy Nord, acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

In the video, shot and posted by the Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal advocacy group, Ken and Barbie meet at a bar after breaking up and go to Barbie’s house. A week later Barbie complains to Ken that she is “having some symptoms.”

When Ken asks what’s wrong, she answers, “It’s lead poisoning.”

The advocacy group used Ken and Barbie dolls to remind people that Barbie doll accessories were among the 2 million toys Mattel Inc. recalled this year because they contained potentially toxic levels of lead paint or had other safety problems, according to Anne Thompson, a spokeswoman for the campaign.

The group wants Nord to step down. So does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and other lawmakers who are unhappy over travel by Nord that was paid for by toy companies, among other criticisms.

The video was posted Nov. 6, the day the consumer agency released annual toy safety tips and urged parents to stay informed about safety risks.

The video says Nord opposes congressional proposals to dedicate more resources to the consumer commission and has taken “expensive trips paid for by the toy industry,” which Nord has defended as being long-standing practice.

The video also says the consumer agency has just one employee who tests toys. Agency spokeswoman Julie Vallese said the agency had about 80 specialists whose duties include inspecting toys.

Pelosi and other Democrats began asking Nord to leave in late October after Nord opposed a Senate measure that in part would have authorized the hiring of more staff and a doubling of the agency’s budget.

Nord has said she opposes language in provisions of the bill that would extend protections to whistle-blowers and make it easier for the government to release public reports of faulty products. During a House hearing this month, Nord said she welcomed more resources for the agency.

As the Barbie video ends, viewers are directed to a petition that calls for Nord’s resignation. The Campaign for America’s Future was founded by union officials and other liberal activists.