I checked Howard Dean's website to see if he specifically mentions mercury in his discussion of the environment. Here is his statement:

Forty-four states and territories had issued fish consumption advisories for mercury, warning citizens to limit how often they eat certain types of fish because the fish are contaminated with mercury.Ý A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in January 2003 found that 1 in 12 women of childbearing age has mercury levels above EPAÅfs safe health threshold.Ý Children of women who were exposed to high levels ofÝ mercury during pregnancy have exhibited a number of developmental problems.

To reduce these health threats, one of the first actions Dean will take as President is to reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, mercury, and carbon dioxide by fully enforcing the Clean Air Act and seeking new legislation to further strengthen that law.Ý (In contrast, President Bush has dramatically weakened clean air safeguards and proposed so-called ÅgClear SkiesÅh legislation that would actually allow more power plant pollution than current law.Ý Bush also refuses to curb carbon emissions that cause global warming despite his pledge to do so in the 2000 campaign.)Ý A Dean administration will also protect our health by directing the EPA to accelerate adoption of health-based standards for other toxic air pollutants.

Dean should take the mercury issue and run with it. This is a clear-cut case of the administration favoring a few lobbiest and campaign contributors over the interests of the nation's mothers and infants. This is about as much about motherhood as an issue gets.