Consumer Safety Chief Says She Won't Quit

Acting CPSC Head Nancy Nord Under Fire For Handling Of Toy Recalls

(CBS/AP)  The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday she won't heed Democratic lawmakers' calls for her resignation.

"At this point I have no intention of resigning," said acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord. "I'm doing my job, and part of my job is to talk with Congress about the tools and resources we need."

Nord rejected criticism that she is controlled by the White House and too cozy with manufacturers.

"I'm dedicated to the mission of this agency. We work every day to make sure the marketplace is safe for consumers," she said in an interview with CBS' The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for Nord's resignation, saying that even after the recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys Nord has failed to see the gravity of the situation.

"I think she's an employee of the Bush administration and toy safety and product safety is not a priority for them," Pelosi said.

Pelosi's chief gripe is that Nord actually opposes a bill that would double the agency's budget over the next seven years to more than $141 million a year, reported CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.

"Any commission chair who (says) ... we don't need any more authority or any more resources to do our job, does not understand the gravity of the situation," Pelosi said Tuesday. "I call on the president of the United States to ask for the resignation."

Nord says she would "absolutely welcome" more resources, but wants to make sure she has "the right tools and the right people."

"I want to be hiring more safety inspectors and scientists and compliance officers, I don't want to be hiring lawyers," she said.

Pelosi has been joined in her call for Nord's resignation by other Democrats in the House and Senate, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and representatives like Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

Nord, in an Oct. 24 letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, said the Democratic bill doubling the agency's funding and giving it greater authority to inspect and recall products "could have the unintended consequence of hampering, rather than furthering, consumer product safety." She specifically complained that the additional responsibilities the bill adds will make it more difficult for the agency to do its job.

The White House also opposes the legislation, citing the same reasons as Nord, reported Reid.

"We have serious concerns with a number of provisions in the legislation,” said Allan Hubbard, director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy.

Despite the opposition, the committee sent legislation to the full Senate that would increase the number of workers at the agency to at least 500 by 2013, modernize its testing facilities and increase the number of safety inspectors at U.S. ports.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission was founded in 1973 with a staff of about 800. It now employs about half that number, while the importation of products from other countries has vastly increased.

Democrats say the limited resources given to the CPSC have made products used by Americans less safe.

Under the bill, the agency's budget would go to $80 million in 2009 and increase 10 percent each year after that.

"It is very clear to me, as well as millions of moms and dads around the country, that the CPSC is failing to keep dangerous toys and products out of the marketplace," said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.

More than 21 million toys made in China - from Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks from Kids II Inc., to Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway by RC2 Corp. - have been recalled because of excessive levels of lead paint, tiny magnets that could be swallowed or other potentially serious problems.

Lead is toxic if ingested by young children.

[Hybdiesel]

Why the heck should she quit her job? Bushit is standing beside her patting her back side and saying fine job Nancy like Donald, Brownie and the list go''s on.

[forthepeopl1]

"It''''s one thing if someone believes in what''''s going on over there and volunteers, but it''''s another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment, and I''''m sorry but basically that''''s a potential death sentence," Jack Croddy, a senior Foreign Service officer, said on that call.

AS A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD TO DO JUST AS OUR TROOPS...NO DIFFERENT,

BUT IT IS FUNNY TO SEE THEM NOW SAY TO THE GOVERNEMNT F/U/C/K/ OFF,CRYING LIKE BABYS NOW THAT THEY HAVE TO GO OVER...EVERYTHINGS OK UNTIL SOMEONE TELL A EMPLOYEE OF THE GOVERNEMNT TO GO OVER TO WHAT BUSH/CHENEY SAY IS THE SAFEST PLAY ON EARTH...FUNNY I CANT STOP LAUGHTING..HA.HA.HA,HA,

SEND HER OVER WITH BUSH/CHENEY

[usaprophet]

Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. It''s ironic that other GOP candidates are scared to death of his message, BECAUSE his is more conservative than theirs. Being anti-war IS conservative. Another key difference between his message and the others is that he is a strong defender in The Constitution, which protects our civil liberties. The other Presidential candidates, who are mostly NWO Oligarchs, want to erase your liberties. They''ve tried hard to exlude him from the spotlight, along with the mainstream press. In late June, despite a life of antitax agitation and pious churchgoing, he was excluded from a Republican forum sponsored by Iowa antitax and Christian groups. Ron Paul does not represent your Father''s style of Republicanism. He represents your Founding Father''s style. He stands for a certain idea of the Constitution; the idea that much of the power asserted by modern presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the states. Though Dr. Paul acknowledges flaws in both the Constitution (it included slavery) and the Bill of Rights (it doesn%u2019t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn therefrom: against gun control; for the sovereignty of States; and against foreign-policy adventures. His message draws on the noblest traditions of American decency and patriotism.

[usaprophet]

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
- Gandhi

There is simply no other politician like Ron Paul. He understands the ills of our nation and how to cure them. The Doctor is in!

[formrusmcsgt]

USAProphet-

You have been reported for spamming under your new name.

[formrusmcsgt]

Posted by USAProphet at 12:15 AM : Nov 01, 2007

What happened theferrier? Have to open another account because of your spamming?

[formrusmcsgt]

Nord, in an Oct. 24 letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, said the Democratic bill doubling the agency''s funding and giving it greater authority to inspect and recall products "could have the unintended consequence of hampering, rather than furthering, consumer product safety."

Typical neocon doublespeak.

[usaprophet]

You get the sense that the country is desperate for someone to show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50 years. Tens of thousands of them. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of Iraq, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. Ron Paul has been married to the same woman for more than 50 years, which means he doesn''t come to the race with the sort of baggage some of the other candidates for the White House do. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. He was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed-down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague. I support the 2008 candidacy of Congressman, Ron Paul for President of The United States. Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and track record of adherance to The Constitution Ron Paul always demonstrates only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. Go Ron!

[sharncedar]

To those who don''''t vote: Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''''s political process.

Posted by USAProphet at 04:57 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Change doesn''t work like that. Replacing one clown for another doesn''t create change. It''s still a damm circus. What creates change is putting some fear and respect into the clowns we got.

Ron Pual even if he were elected would be another crook in 40 days of taking office. Just like everyone who says they are going to Washington to clean up. We need to get the guys there now to listen, we need to get them to listen real good. That way they stay in power but do a better job and learn to serve the people of the nation, not the sick freaks who are rich and selfish.

[realpatriot1]

bluesky2you,

Nancy Pelosi is currently the only governmental buffoon who is looking out for the safety of our children and our ports.

It''s clowns like Nord we can do without. She needs to join Mike Brown and Don Rumsfeld in the private sector.

[usaprophet]

To those who don''t vote: Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''s political process. The pathetically few people that do vote in this country, a.k.a., "the ruling class", who currently get to decide under what kind of conditions (and Laws) you and your family will live, are certainly involved. I can assure you of that. In fact, the ruling class would be much happier if you would just continue to stay home and watch TV in your pleasantly distracted and brainwashed, stupor. That way they can continue to elect their political ****** to office, and continue to maintain their grip on 100% of the political power they currently own in this country. If you voted (God Forbid), it would cancel-out their vote, and they would lose control. They can''t have that. Can they? If you don''t vote, my friends, you''re nothing but an unwashed "Pleb" to those that do, and the ruling class should rightfully consider themselves superior to you in every way. They do, after all, have all the power, while you have none. If you''re too apathetic and powerless to do anything for yourself more time-consuming than driving down to Mickey D''s to buy a milk shake in order to sieze control of your life, and your country''s destiny, then perhaps you deserve to be ruled over like the "Pleb" that you then are. The time to act is now. The time for political revolution has come. The time for Ron Paul is NOW!

[bluesky2you]

Pelosi, like Hillary, is just another governmental buffoon the American people can do without.

[sissy_8]

For those who have posted negatively to the democrats so-called competance or lack thereof, I would like these same "posters" who are obviously republican minded, to name one single, solitary competant thing this administration has accomplished. Just one, anywhere, that''s all I want. It can be an agency, a policy, a person named to head a department, ANYTHING OR ANYBODY. Simply YOU CAN''T. Total, complete abject failures everywhere and YOU have the unmetigated gall to say democrats want to "control everything"....PLEASE, when can they?

[ioweign]

They have 100,000 private blackwater types in Iraq protecting 50-100 diplomats and military at what cost ?

And we have 300 million people here being exposed to the garbage these American companies are importing from China and Nord thinks she is protecting us and is on top of it ??

[condumism]

hawksprings
Actually I was describing every Republicon that I have ever met in my life, and I repeat:

Ever met a Con that did not have the personality of a used car salesman? You know them; tell ya anything that they think you want to hear, smiling and lying all at the same time. This is the real character of every Republicon in the USA.

[hawksprings]

Condumism
Sounds like you''re describing Bill Clinton, the Icon of the Democrat party.

[finewoven]

or playing footsie in the bathroom.
Posted by ibsteve2u at 01:49 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Don''t quit even then.

[usaprophet]

In Congress, Paul is not only known for his lack of ego (a rare quality in Washington), he''s widely admired for his resistance to the influence of special interest groups. They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. He consistanly votes against pork-barrel spending. In a rice-growing, cattle-ranching district, Dr. Paul consistently votes against farm subsidies. In the very district where, on the night of Sept. 8, 1900, a storm destroyed the city of Galveston, leaving mor than 6,000 dead, and where repairs from Hurricane Rita and refugees from Hurricane Katrina continue to exact their toll, he votes against FEMA and flood aid. In a district that is home to thousands of employees of the Johnson Space Center, he votes against financing NASA. I don''t know this for sure, but my bet is that he''d consider the Consumer Product Safety Commission an unnecessay waste of taxpayer dollars as well. So do I. Ron Paul is a man with Presidential-like integrity and frugal spending principles when it comes to taxpayer money. He has my vote.

[condumism]

Posted by hawksprings
What drives Nancy Peloozy the craziest is the suggestion that the government actually REDUCE spending on ANYTHING. Democrats don''''t know what that means.

Ever met a Con that did not have the personality of a used car salesman? You know them; tell ya anything that they think you want to hear, smiling and lying all at the same time. This is the real character of every Republicon in the USA.

[liberalme]

What drives Nancy Peloozy the craziest is the suggestion that the government actually REDUCE spending on ANYTHING.

Democrats don''''t know what that means.
Posted by hawksprings

And we have spent how much on Iraq?
And this idiot running the ocuntry WANTS how much more for "bullets"?

Do we really believe he wants bullets? hahahaha that much money for bullets?
More like more money for his "special interests" and them ain''t our troops pal!

Toolmangler is right--we had most of the current debt before Pelozi joined forces with Bush--she hasn''t done anything that has been expected of the Dems as yet, so I figure she''s one of them now--along with Kennedy etc.