Campaigning for parents' votes

Now this is a smart campaign tactic: Darcy Burner, running for a suburban Washington State Congressional seat, has been sponsoring events to test toys for lead, phthalates, and other toxic ingredients. Burner starts from where mothers are at—worried about the safety of their children—and uses it to get them engaged in politics. At Christmas time, no less. Very savvy. Still, Burner faces an uphill battle against Republican incumbent Dave Reichert, who beat her last election cycle.