It is unusual for Washington DC lawmakers to shed ideological baggage and work across the aisle to get something done--especially during Presidential primary season. But that's what we need to make products safer. Republicans must agree that an unrestrained "free market" got us into this mess, and Democrats must set aside protectionism and focus on a systematic approach to making products safer, wherever they are made. That's what appears to be happening in Washington this month.

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So let's recap. Retailers and manufacturers are taking a look at items on store shelves. That's great. They continue to find more items with lead-laden paint, particularly those plastic buckets we buy for our kids to use trick-or-treating. That's not so great.

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Today's Washington Post (requires registration) reports that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has decided to oppose legislation giving it more staff, increased authority, and greater transparency. According to the agency, these things will make us less safe.

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Three of the five home lead-testing kits we tested at Consumer Reports were useful though limited screening tools if you are worried about specific items in your home. The kits detect surface, or “accessible,” lead. They don’t detect lead embedded below the surface. If an item tests positive, remove it from use. For exact lead levels, have it screened professionally.

Are we better off than Americans in 1936? Certainly, in most respects, we are. But the recent rash of toy recalls sent me to the archives for an old Consumer Reports story, our inaugural test of toys for lead in the paint and structural metal. This was our top finding:

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Thanks to the Consumerist for a heads up on the sudden decision last week by health foods chain Trader Joe's to stop selling "single ingredient" organic foods --like beans or tea or leafy veggies-- imported from China.

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Mattel announced hopefully, in this week's Wall Street Journal, that your anxiety about unsafe toys is abating. With new recalls of lead-laden toys one after the other (WalMart toy animals yesterday, J.C. Penney's Winnie-the-Pooh toys last week), and companies scrambling to test the imported toys arriving on our shores daily, the optimism seems premature. Do you feel safe yet?

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Do you think of yourself as a customer of Mattel or a customer of your local toy store? Its a good question, first posed by Brian White over at BloggingStocks.com. I'm guessing you think of yourself as the store's customer.

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The New York Times last week reported on Japan's tough new ways to ensure the safety of food imports from China. The results look promising.

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Things haven’t been easy lately for Nancy Nord, the Acting Chair of the CPSC. This was apparent at a Senate hearing last month when she asked in the middle of her testimony if she could leave the hearing and follow commissioner Thomas Moore to his dentist appointment. “It's a sad day," Nord said, "when you'd rather go to the dentist."

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Last month, toymaker RC2 of Oakbrook, Ill. recalled its "Toad" train car due to excess lead. This product had been sent to families to replace a toy previously recalled for unsafe levels of lead.

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From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: This week's round of recalls for lead from the Consumer Product Safety Commission includes three fromWinnie2 retailer J.C. Penney: a Winnie-the-Pooh play set, an art set and ornaments. Recalled from other retailers were a second art set, bendable dinosaurs and a small collectible racing helmet. All of the more than 90,000 items violate the federal lead standard.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: Halloween always prompts a host of safety warnings. You’ve heard many of them before: Make sure costumes can be seen in the dark; be careful when placing candles and, of course, beware of tainted candy. This year, we’re sad to say, we’ve got one more caution to add to the list: Check out your costumes and accessories, candy containers and decorations to make sure they have not been recalled because they contain excessive levels of lead.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: The manufacturer of 1.6 million kits issued to Cub Scouts over the past seven years has recalled a recognition badge because it contains high levels of lead, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The badge was sold at Boy Scouts of America retail outlets nationwide from January 2000 through September 2007.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: On Sept. 21, we wrote about the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall of 1 million Simplicity cribs because of a design flaw that could lead to an infant’s entrapment, suffocation and death.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: The Consumer Product Safety Commission today issued eight more recalls covering more than 550,000 items that contain excessive amounts of lead. Items from seven of the recalls were made in China and items from the other -- decorating sets sold at Toys 'R' Us -- were made in Hong Kong.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: The steady stream of recalls over the past year has made it clear that our country's product safety net has a gaping hole. We, at Consumers Union (the publisher of Consumer Reports) are glad that President Bush has appointed a task force to address the onslaught of hazardous imports, but we’re disappointed with the progress it has made so far.

From the Consumer Reports Safety Blog: “Seek and ye shall find” is a fine approach to spiritual harmony, but a lousy one to keeping your child safe.