Pingree and the D.C. decision

 U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, made the rounds Friday in advance of Mother’s Day to talk about hazardous chemicals in children’s toys and in other products.

 Since it was just a few days after the governor signed the gay-marriage bill, I asked her what she thought about the District of Columbia Council’s decision to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Congress has the power to block theses types of decisions, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week it wouldn’t be a priority because they’ve got the economy to worry about.

 Pingree said she’s ready for action.

 “I’m going to go on the floor myself when we go back and offer a little dissertation to my colleagues about what we’ve done in Maine, how proud I am, and why we need to move this across the country so each state doesn’t have to do it state by state,” she said.

 She said she hasn’t talked with Pelosi, and that she understands there are other pressing issues on the table.

 “On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some very rapid movement on the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ issue,” she said. “I think that hits home to people. That’s a very immediate need, when you’re asking people to serve in the military and then forcing them to leave when they find out you’re gay.”

 Pingree said she knows a conservative member of Congress who is down the hall from her may be organizing a protest against the DC decision, so it may well become an issue whether it’s on Pelosi’s agenda or not.

 “I expect we may have it come before us because of the more conservative members,” she said. “It will be interesting. That may be a bellwether in and of itself of how Congress is feeling about it.”