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Oct 09 2007 12:00am EDT

Christmas Is Coming. Retailers: Get the Lead Out!

Retailers are stocking up for the Christmas selling season, but it's an anxious time for them. Not only is the economy sending mixed signals about its health, but the stream of warnings about products made in China makes for an easy punch line for late-night comedians.

On the Tonight Show, Jay Leno joked:

"Over a million Boy Scout badges made in China have been recalled because they have lead in them. What is this, like the 8,000th product from China to have lead in it? How much lead do the Chinese people have? Shouldn't they have run out of it? Why don't they just sell lead? Wouldn't that be easier? Then people would be like, 'Oh, there's some paint in my lead!'"


Laura Rich is a co-founder of Recessionwire, which provides news, advice, perspective and humor about the recession and the recovery.
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