Candidates jump on massive toy recall

The biggest recall in toy maker Mattel's history provided more fodder today for Republican Rudy Giuliani to talk tough on China and for Democrat John Edwards to accuse the Bush administration of being asleep at the wheel.

Campaigning in Cumberland, Iowa, Giuliani called for increased pressure on China to ensure that products exported to the United States are safe, according to the Associated Press. At the same time, the former New York mayor stressed the need to maintain a strong relationship with China and push the nation to make improvements in human rights.

For his part, Edwards sent a letter to President Bush calling for better testing and stronger enforcement to keep dangerous made-in-China toys from harming American consumers.

"As one father to another, I'm calling on you to end your silence, speak out, and take immediate action to stop the growing crisis of dangerous toys being imported from China," Edwards wrote. "The safety of the American people should be your highest priority and these unsafe toys pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of millions of children. Given the growing scope of this crisis, we cannot rely on corporations to initiate voluntary recalls while your administration sits on the sidelines. America's families and our children deserve better than this."

Tuesday, Mattel said it was recalling more than 18.2 million toys with magnets that could be swallowed by children, plus more than 400,000 die-cast cars covered with lead paint. It is the latest safety concerns about consumer goods and food that US companies are importing from China.