BIDEN, FEINSTEIN, KOHL 'assist GOP in passing Bankruptcy bill'

[Bluebear]

With virtually no public debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee easily passed the "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act" a few weeks ago. Three Democrats--Joe Biden, Dianne Feinstein and Herb Kohl--assisted Republicans in shuttling through the anti-consumer, pro-debt giveaway to the credit card lobby.

Under the guise of reform, the bankruptcy bill makes it harder for poor people, women, the elderly and service members to pay off their debts. (See Katrina vanden Heuvel's recent dissection of the bill's numerous flaws.) To solidify the bill's success, big credit gave $101 million to political candidates and party committees over the last six years, the most of any lobby. Republicans accepted 64 percent; Democrats 36 percent.

Despite their financial indebtedness, Democrats have managed to block the bankruptcy bill twice before in the past seven years, through a Bill Clinton pocket veto in 2000 and an amendment by Charles Schumer in 2002....

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/thenation/20050302/cm_thenation/132232_1

[SW FL Dem]

1. This bill is bad news for middle class consumers.

If anyone is in trouble, please keep an eye on this bill, if it passes and is signed into law, your rights to a fresh start will be severely curtailed.

[Bluebear]

2. I believe on another thread they said it passed tonight

I am waiting to see what POS Dems voted for it.

[SW FL Dem]

15. What I saw was a Yahoo story saying that 3 Dems

on the Judiciary committee helped to get it to the Senate floor. I haven't seen anything that says the bill passed the entire Senate.

[Zenlitened]

3. They need to learn to Just Say No

Hopefully, other Dems will take a stand.

Now the bankruptcy bill is back on the Senate floor, with debate ongoing this week and possibly next. Opposition Democrats plan to offer a slew of amendments, including Schumer's "poison pill" -- as dubbed by social conservatives -- aimed at either killing the bill or making it more equitable.

[leftofthedial]

4. R.I.P. Middle Class

R.I.P. American economy

[Bluebear]

5. RIP American dream 1776-2001

[proud patriot]

6. Terribly ashamed of Feinsteins vote

:-( I'll let her know

[ailsagirl]

12. Me too-- I've been emailing her A LOT lately

She's no Dem...

[RevCheesehead]

7. Maybe Herb's decided not to run in '06?

Oh yeah, he's a millionaire. :eyes: I think he needs to retire.

[Career Prole]

8. "Biden, Feinstein, Kohl State They Have NO Presidential Aspirations!"

And the weeding-out process continues...

[cidliz2004]

10. I thought Bidden, this last Sunday, DIDN'T rule out running for President

His part in this should make his chances much less likely to succeed with any bid.

[Career Prole]

17. Right. Actions speak louder than words (oh, that's a tired one!)

I'm all for bipartisanship when possible, but voting with the repukes on issues like this one where the party's been making a stand for years will be remembered come primary time.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. Any politician who voted for this, Dem or Rep

is a pro-corporate, anti-family whore who would prefer
to fill the overflowing coffers of the credit card
companies at the expense of the sickly or unemployed
worker that they have been elected to represent.

[onecitizen]

11. Biden=Delaware=credit cards

just another shameful politician more indebted to big business than the little guy.:grr:

[LynneSin]

18. Just remember some of us work for those companies too

:shrug:

[onecitizen]

22. I know.........

I used to work for one of them. And I know how hard it is to get a job these days. I'm just fed up with politicians as of late.

Things for the little guy are getting worse by the minute it seems. I wanna scream.x( (we need a screaming smiley face)

[maveric]

13. I just wrote Feinstein a scalding letter.

She should be ashamed of herself!
Fucking DINO, Nazi!

[OneBlueSky]

14. Feinstein doesn't give a shit . . .

her husband is making a gazillion dollars off the Iraq war . . . she's got hers, and to hell with everyone else . . .

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. $101 million to politicians. It used to be called graft.

But, now it's just "realistic" politics.

"There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." -- Mark Twain

[No Exit]

19. Relative of mine does consumer bankruptcy law

and his theory is: that the "poison pill" (as described in the article) will once again be tacked onto the bill... he then said he thought that would happen b/c of collusion by the republicans.

I said, "Why would the republicans want to kill this bill?" He replied, "Because while the bill is being re-introduced every session, the republicans can shill their corporate/business constituency for more donations to 'help pass the bankruptcy reform bill'. If the bill passes, then they will have less of a rationale to ask for more and more donations to 'help pass the bankruptcy reform bill'".

Just a theory. I hope it's correct, but I am skeptical that the democrats can kill this thing every time.

[Stephanie]

20. Bankruptcy Abuse, Lawsuit Abuse - poor people are really abusive I guess

Maybe all the poor people should enter a twelve-step program so they stop abusing all those large corporations by declaring bankruptcy when their credit card rates went to 24% and the balances spiralled out of control, or when they are injured by Vioxx or something similar. Abusive poor people, knock it off!

[Vinca]

21. I propose we all - each and every one of us - put out credit cards

in a drawer, not use them for anything - no matter how dire the circumstances, work on paying them off, close our accounts and tell Delaware and Joe Biden to kiss our hinies. What bothers me more than anything is that poor people are now being given no options to redeem themselves and start over. Next thing you know they'll be poor farms sprouting up around the country. This is just disgusting and for Democrats to vote in favor of it is sickening.