Looking back, Joseph Cosgrove said he was naive to think that Sen. Barack Obama could require that nuclear power plant operators publicly disclose any radioactive releases.
Cosgrove and others who live and work in the hamlet of Godley, Ill., sought help after discovering years after the fact that there had been releases from the nearby Braidwood Generating Station.
Two years later, Obama's legislation, lobbied by one of his largest corporate backers, has stalled.
Cosgrove, glimpsing the nuclear industry's sway, said he watched as the bill's "teeth" were removed.
Many references to "nuclear" were stripped. More important, Obama allowed deletion of a provision that nuclear plant operators "shall immediately notify" state and local officials about any release.
The issue is relevant in the 2008 presidential campaign. In an about-face, companies that have a stake in the nuclear energy industry are giving large sums to Democrats running for president, after having showered their money on Republicans in past campaigns.
In Washington and elsewhere, nuclear energy is being promoted as a way to generate large amounts of electricity without spewing greenhouse gases that exacerbate global warming.
Obama is the largest beneficiary of money from companies that have a stake in nuclear energy's future. The Braidwood plant's owner, Exelon Corp., has donated $275,000 to Obama over his career.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a co-author on the 2006 bill, is the second-largest recipient. Neither candidate has come out in opposition to nuclear power, unlike their onetime rival, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
The donations come as the industry reasserts itself. Several companies have filed or are considering filing applications to build plants after a generation-long moratorium.
The shift is an example of what has troubled Republicans and heartened Democrats in this campaign: Interests once loyal to the GOP are tilting toward Democrats.
"Partly what is happening has less to do with the Democratic candidates' positions than a pragmatic assessment of what these business interests see happening in the campaign," said California Democratic consultant Garry South, who is not involved in the race.
That employees of firms with a stake in nuclear energy are shading Democratic is noteworthy as Obama of Illinois and Clinton of New York seek votes in California, where anti-nuke attitudes run deep.
