Upstaged by my daughter

By Chellie on May 19, 2008 2:41 PM

When I got back to the campaign office last night there was a crowd around the TV. I was told everyone was there to watch me on the Channel 13 debate. But I knew the truth: they were there to watch my daughter Hannah on the CBS Evening News.

"For decades, Americans have depended on special chemicals to protect them from fire. But now, there are serious questions about the safety of those chemicals," Katie Couric said as she introduced the piece.

"Hey--that's Hannah!" someone yelled. There was my daughter on the network news walking along the shore on North Haven, talking to a CBS reporter and looking great (and wearing my jacket, I might add).

The in-depth segment focused on the legislation that Hannah introduced and the Maine Legislature passed last year--a law that bans the toxic chemical Deca from consumer products. (Another bill passed this year empowers the DEP to identify and phase out other toxic chemicals that have a safer alternative.)

Maine has a rich tradition--from Ed Muskie and the Clean Air Act to George Mitchell and the Clean Water Act--of being a leader. When I had the privilege of serving as Majority Leader in the State Senate, our state lived up to that tradition again by passing a law I introduced--a first-in-the-nation plan to lower the price of prescription drugs known as Maine Rx.

Coincidentally, the CBS report included an interview with Russell Long, from Friends of the Earth, a national environmental group that has just endorsed me for Congress. Long talked about the high the level of toxic chemicals in car seats. "These are ridiculous amounts of fire retardants to be putting into these car seats when there is a perfectly safe way of getting fire safety without the chemical use," he said.

I'm proud of our state and our legislature for taking the lead on important issues like this. But mostly, I'm proud of my daughter Hannah.

I do want my jacket back however.