Nuclear Leaks and Response Tested Obama in Senate

[William769]

When residents in Illinois voiced outrage two years ago upon learning that the Exelon Corporation had not disclosed radioactive leaks at one of its nuclear plants, the state’s freshman senator, Barack Obama, took up their cause.

Mr. Obama scolded Exelon and federal regulators for inaction and introduced a bill to require all plant owners to notify state and local authorities immediately of even small leaks. He has boasted of it on the campaign trail, telling a crowd in Iowa in December that it was “the only nuclear legislation that I’ve passed.”

“I just did that last year,” he said, to murmurs of approval.

A close look at the path his legislation took tells a very different story. While he initially fought to advance his bill, even holding up a presidential nomination to try to force a hearing on it, Mr. Obama eventually rewrote it to reflect changes sought by Senate Republicans, Exelon and nuclear regulators. The new bill removed language mandating prompt reporting and simply offered guidance to regulators, whom it charged with addressing the issue of unreported leaks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[reality based]

1. I'm beginning to get the picture.

We're off to see the wizard . . . .

[William769]

2. And they say Bush is the Emperor with no clothes?

I think Obama is trying to take that title away.

[neutron]

4. The worst is his bill was AGAINST public safety and Pro Nuke Interests who PAID him

in other words, he acted to PROTECT them from telling us they were leaking
radioactive waste in our drinking water.

[William769]

5. So much for the candidate of "hope and change".

:eyes:

[ProSense]

3. Here:

Fact Check on New York Times Story.

S.2348
Title: A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require a licensee to notify the Atomic Energy Commission, and the State and county in which a facility is located, whenever there is an unplanned release of fission products in excess of allowable limits.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack (introduced 3/1/2006) Cosponsors (4)
Related Bills: H.R.4825
Latest Major Action: 9/25/2006 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 637.
Senate Reports: 109-347 COSPONSORS(4), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)


Sen Boxer, Barbara - 9/12/2006
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham - 9/25/2006
Sen Durbin, Richard - 3/1/2006
Sen Voinovich, George V. - 9/25/2006

[Alexander]

7. Uh oh, facts! Don't confuse Shillbots with those.

:rofl:

[BlackVelvet04]

12. What facts would those be?

Did Hillary brag about passing the bill that didn't actually pass?

[BlackVelvet04]

11. Could you show me where Hillary bragged about passing

the bill?

"Those revisions propelled the bill through a crucial committee. But, contrary to Mr. Obama’s comments in Iowa, it ultimately died amid parliamentary wrangling in the full Senate."

[William769]

14. It's called gobledegook.

They throw shit out there and hope it sticks. But it ain't working.

[BlackVelvet04]

15. Yeah, it didn't make any sense whatsoever. n/t

[CONN]

18. Narrow fact checking... He lied and betrayed his constituents

From the NY Times story... And not addressed in fact checks...
Since 2003, executives and employees of Exelon, which is based in Illinois, have contributed at least $227,000 to Mr. Obama’s campaigns for the United States Senate and for president.

Two top Exelon officials, Frank M. Clark, executive vice president, and John W. Rogers Jr., a director, are among his largest fund-raisers.

John W. Rowe, chairman of Exelon and also of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a lobbying group, has been an Obama donor.

Mr. Obama’s chief political strategist, David Axelrod, has worked as a consultant to Exelon.

Asked why Mr. Obama had cited it as an accomplishment while campaigning for president, the campaign noted that after the senator introduced his bill, nuclear plants started making such reports on a voluntary basis. The campaign did not directly address the question of why Mr. Obama had told Iowa voters that the legislation had passed.

[goldcanyonaz]

6. Was this story only online? Or in print too?

[William769]

10. Not sure.

[robinlynne]

8. great. I want john Edwards!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. interesting

[MethuenProgressive]

13. “I just did that last year,” he lied, to murmurs of approval.

...

[BlackVelvet04]

16. Yes, that's exactly it. n/t

[William769]

17. ...

:kick: