Kudos to Wash Post's David Broder for today's column: "Bankrupt Reform"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28522-2005Mar11.html

A Bankrupt 'Reform'

By David S. Broder

Sunday, March 13, 2005; Page B07

When it comes to blatant hypocrisy, nothing beats the Senate record on the just-passed bankruptcy bill. This "reform," which parades as an effort to stop folks from spending lavishly and then stiffing creditors by filing for bankruptcy protection, is a perfect illustration of how the political money system tilts the law against average Americans.

The simple fact that for eight straight years it has gained a place on a crowded congressional calendar is testimony to the impact of the millions of dollars that banks and credit card companies have spent on lobbyists and campaign contributions. What happened -- and didn't happen -- during two weeks of Senate debate demonstrates just how the powerful exert their influence. It's all too typical of what takes place now in Washington with most issues. Few policy battles, Social Security being a current example, draw enough public and press interest for the legislators to feel real scrutiny. Most are in a netherworld where media coverage is cursory and interest groups' pressure determines the outcome. That's how bankruptcy reform made it through the Senate and why it will soon pass the House and be signed into law by President Bush.

For two weeks the Senate sponsors shot down virtually every attempt to separate the sheep from the goats and carve out protections for the average family trapped by circumstances. The dry language of the Congressional Record recites a series of one-sided votes rejecting amendments "to protect service members and veterans . . . to exempt debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems . . . to preserve existing bankruptcy protections for individuals experiencing economic distress as caregivers to ill or disabled family members . . . to exempt debtors if their problems were caused by identity theft." Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the creditors' pursuit of those folks.

On the other hand, when an amendment was offered to restrict so-called "asset protection trusts," used by wealthy individuals to shelter their portfolios from creditors, it was rejected. Five states -- Alaska, Delaware, Nevada, Rhode Island and Utah -- have changed their laws to let people who live anywhere in the country establish trusts of unlimited size that cannot be reached by federal bankruptcy proceedings. The amendment would have limited this "millionaires' loophole" to $125,000. But Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the bill's chief sponsor, intent on blocking any amendment that might prove indigestible in the House, said, "This is an issue that just needs more time for us to determine whether there is an abuse that needs to be corrected." With no more debate, it was rejected.

more..worth reading and bookmarking, but I have one question for Mr. Broder. Why write about this egregious bankruptcy bill after it has been passed in the Senate and is greased in the House?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28522-20...

[Frances]

1. This is a good article to call our congress people about

Also shouldn't we be writing letters to the editor emphasizing that it is the Dems who want to protect our vets and the Repubs who want to protect the ill-gotten gains of the super rich?

[Southsideirish]

2. White feather of cowardice to all Dems who voted so shamelessly?

[msongs]

3. credit card companies' stooges from Delaware..Biden is the man?

ruin the nation in the name of corporations. aye yi yi.

Msongs

read our paper ballot proposal for CA
www.msongs.com/vvpb.htm

[hatrack]

4. Just in time, Big Dave

Just like all the "concerned" evangelicals, and the "worried" columnists and the "disturbed" talking heads.

Day late, dollar short.

Here's a suggestion, Mr. Broder. There's this cool new tv station called "C-Span". They offer coverage of what Congress is doing, much of it live, and they have lots of discussions of what legislation is about. Try tuning in. You might learn something.

[chaumont58]

11. You beat me to it

The left leaning bloggers were beating this issue like a drum, but MSM icon Broder couldn't be bothered before it passed. He is card carrying beltway whore. He always has been and always will be.

[paineinthearse]

5. Discussion was started at midnight in LBN

Many feel it is too little, too late.

I feel the "liberal media" needs to get ahead of the Rove machine, to be more proactive, less reactive.

[Frances]

6. Do you guys "get it"?

If the Dems were in control of the Senate, the bankruptcy bill would never have come up, and if it had, it would have had protections for ordinary people.

It was the Repubs who voted down the amendments designed to protect ordinary people.

Yes, too many Dems voted for the bill but I think all the Repubs voted for it. For Dems, this is a lose-lose situation, while for Repubs it is a win-win situation unless we Dems call them on their refusal to allow amendments to protect ordinary people with health problems, identity theft, etc.

[flpoljunkie]

8. We get that the bill would not have passed without Dems folding on cloture

Cloture vote was 69-31. Final vote on passage of the underlying bill was 74-25--not good enough, Democrats. Without cloture, this bill would have died on the Senate floor, and this is not acceptable.

[Frances]

9. We Dems have a real winning strategy

When the Repubs sponsor and push something very wrong and then some Dems go along, don't attack the Repubs. Attack the Dems!

That's a great strategy. In the next election even more Repubs will be elected and the "good" Dems will be fewer in number and have even less power.

I always wondered how the racists gained so much power after Reconstruction. I expect it was just like what's happening now. Purists were out-smarted by their opponents.

[flpoljunkie]

13. Democrats who vote like Repubicans need to be called on it, and if

feasible, put someone credible against them in the upcoming 2006 primary elections who will vote for the interests of the average America and not the bank and credit card companies.

What you neglect to realize, is the laughably named Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 is a big deal. Just because the media buries the importance of this bill to the average Americans, we should not do likewise and excuse those Democrats who voted for this egregious, one-sided bill which protects only the wealthy in bankruptcy, and forces judges to act as collection agents to try and squeeze every last dime from the middle class.

Shame on those who voted for cloture for this bill, and shame on those who say, "Look the other way." We expect this kind of vote from Republicans, but we expect better from our Democratic elected representatives. That does not make us purists.

We are citizens who are refusing to be silent when our "good" Democrats choose to vote against basic economic justice--what ought to be a bedrock principle of the Democratic party.

[Just Me]

25. Nope. Purists don't get it. They simply refuse to acknowledge the enemy.

They refuse to face reality. They refuse to consider that, when dealing with an enemy who operates by no rules, one must fight outside puritan principles,...or expect to lose big time.

They refuse to engage in a strategy outside their box. They refuse to consider the big picture and long-term benefits of fighting to win, whatever it takes, today.

:shrug:

[fujiyama]

29. All those complaining about "purists"

are the ones that don't get it.

The party is literally poisoning itself to death. By giving way on an issue that should have allowed them to paint pukes as reckless credit card whores that shelter criminals, the DLC Dems have proved they don't work for us.

So are we voting DLC Dems just to protect SS at this point? That's theh impression I get. Just because the bankruptcy bill didn't get as much coverage as SS doesn't mean it isn't important.

The pukes are a fascist party at this point. I don't expect them to do anything right. But at this point DLC Dems are proving to be fascist lite. That's not enough.

We have some good Dems that voted against this garbage. One of my senators wins with 60% in a state barely won this time. He voted against it. He also took $0 from credit card corporations.

My other senator sold out for a few thousand dollars.

[Enquiringkitty]

28. The Democrats should have brought up the fact that in the original

act, the responsibility was put on the creditor to issue prudent credit to reasonably qualified borrowers. The responsibility for credit cards just showing up in the mail (I've gotten several) and the issuing of credit cards to college students in their freshman years isn't prudent....it's irresponsible. Sending out the "you're pre-approved" letters and emails isn't a prudent or responsible act either and actually against the original bankruptcy laws.

Have I got this wrong?

[Frances]

7. I wrote the Washington Post

I pointed out that the Republicans say they support the troops but they voted down an amendment that would have prevented the credit card companies from going after soldiers while they are serving in Iraq.

I think this is the kind of argument that ordinary Americans can understand.

[kodi]

12. store that vote away for the '06 campaign its a good one.

"senator XXX voted to allow credit card companies to foreclose on the houses of american soldiers who are currently fighting for our freedoms in iraq"

[Enquiringkitty]

27. I have emailed my two Senator to thank them for showing their true colors

and letting me know that they don't wish to represent the people of Arkansas in the next term. I told them that I have printed out their voting record and intended to use it against them and in the past they had played on bigger more recent issues to over shadow their past voting record but that I will publish the vote on bankruptcy to remind the people who is responsible for the loss of personal protection form indentured servitude to big corporations. There will be enough people here who will continue to resent this vote and they will pay with their jobs for this vote.

[agincourt]

10. You know this bills a stinker,

When Bush toadie Broder pans it. We should have voted as a block against it. What the hell were they afraid of? Republicans might hate them?

[flpoljunkie]

14. Great point. If the Dems can't vote as a block to stop this giveaway...

they do not deserve to call themselves "Democrats."

[Frances]

15. Actually they were afraid that their constituents

would support the bill because the credit card companies are important employers in their home state.

Once again, I say, When something goes wrong, Attack the Democrats! That's the best way to win more seats and to get more power! Sarcasm.

[Jacobin]

16. Rong

Many idiotic dems including the one in my state which has NO credit card processing facilities voted for this idiocy.

Its all about graft, corruption and bribery of the congresscritters.

[Frances]

17. Then by all means let's attack the Dems!

We all know how the Repubs are above reproach. They are for Family Values. And God is on their side. And they never make mistakes.

If anything goes wrong, it can't be the Republicans. It's all the Dems' faults. And I mean ALL the Dems! Those tax and spend, America-hating liberals cause all of the problems! Sarcasm

[flpoljunkie]

18. Yes, Frances, without Dems vote for cloture, R's could not have passed it!

Is there something about this, that you do not understand. The Democrats could have stood up, rounded up 41 votes, and stopped this egregious giveaway to the banks and credit card companies at the expense of average Americans.

They chose not to, and I choose not to defend them.

[Frances]

19. You have every right to

focus all of your energy on the faults of Dems.

While you are bashing ALL Dems for what SOME of them did, you are giving the Republicans a free ride.

With this attitude, after the next election, some of the Democrats who did stand up to the Republicans are certain to be defeated.

Is that what you really want?

[flpoljunkie]

20. No one is giving the Republicans a free ride. We expect them to vote for

banks and credit card companies and against the interests of average Americans. When those in our own party enable this legislation to be passed, we must confront them and hold their feet to the fire.

If economic justice is not the cornerstone of what the Democratic party stands for, then they stand for nothing and are not deserving of our support.

Those who would be apologists for those who vote for Republican values do not help us elect more Democrats. If we cannot separate ourselves from Republicans, the voters will rightly cease to support Democrats who do not support the average America.

What are they saving themselves for? We are supposed to be the party of the little people. This vote proves something is rotten in our party.

[Frances]

21. I do not mean to be rude

but I think you are playing right into the hands of the Republicans

When being a Dem is the same as being black in the South prior to the Voting Rights Act, will you still be pointing your finger at the Dems? Or will you take some responsibilty for your failure to fight to control the power of the Repubs?

ALL of the Dems will never vote the way you want them too ALL of the time. But you can count on the fact that ALL of the Repubs will vote against your interests almost ALL of the time.

[flpoljunkie]

22. And you are being an apologist for Democrats who do not deserve the name.

No one is expecting Democrats to vote the way we want them to all the time, but voting for cloture on this bill is a betrayal of what Democrats ought to stand for, and I will make no excuses for those who betrayed the ideals of our party.

We are losing votes to the Republicans because the American people can no longer distinguish Democrats from Republicans.

Although I did not support Howard Dean, he understand this, and if he can somehow influence Democrats to act more like Democrats, we will regain the majority in both houses and earn the respect as well as the votes of the American people.

[CTyankee]

23. I agree

and I keep waiting for there to be a "critical mass" of people getting fed up with the Repubs. But I can't see it happen. We Dems have to offer an alternative, not more of the same!

[Frances]

24. I support Dean 100%

We do have an area of agreement: the Dems should make clear their differences with the Repubs!

But the way I look at it is this:

25 Dems voted against the bankruptcy bill. As far as I know, 0 Republicans voted against the bankruptcy bill.

That is a HUGE difference in my opinion.

If people on DU turn against those 25 Dems because they are mad at the Dems who did vote for the bill, then the 25 good Dems will lose their seats.

Is that what you really want? To be so pure that you give ALL power to the Repubs.

I am old enough to remember young people from California saying that they refused to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. They stayed home when Reagan first ran for governor for that very reason. If those young people had worked their hearts out for "the lesser of 2 evils," then Reagan would not have gone to the White House, Bush 1 would not have sat in the White House as President, Bush 2 would not be in the White House today, and the bankruptcy bill would not exist.

Those young people really accomplished a lot with their purist attitude!

[fujiyama]

30. No one

on DU is turning against those 25.

They deserve our praise.

The remaining however deserve our scorn. Many of those Dems that voted for it are from the poorest states and they don't recieve much from the card industry.

[flpoljunkie]

31. Frances, please reread post 22. We are talking about a defining issue

for our party.

[OneTwentyoNine]

32. Focus all your energy on the fault of Dems?? Plezzzz......

Give me a break,we've been discussing this phony "credit card company handout" bill for weeks and attacking Repukes who like good lemmings will go lockstep with Bush on ANYTHING. NO ONE attacked ANY Dem Senator until THEY VOTED WITH REPUBLICANS.

What the hell should we say in our posts--GOOD job people?!?!? Aw shucks guys...maybe next time you'll vote like a Dem should instead of voting with your wallet. This is yet another Corporate handout at the expense of ordinary Americans and loopholes are still WIDE open for Ken Lay and Enron to file bankruptcy in New York instead of Texas because they can find sympathetic judges there.

YEAH,I'm REAL pissed that ANY Dem voted for this crap,and that they voted to shut down any further discussion.

[agincourt]

26. Funny you should mention that,

Because later I wondered if the Democrats HAD voted as a block against it, would Dave Broder write a critical editorial about it?