The GOP's bankruptcy bill is so unpopular....

[Shi Huangdi]

As those of you who have been following US Politics know, the GOP is pushing through a new bankruptcy reform bill that will make it much harder for people to declare bankruptcy and put away their debts. The GOP has claimed that people abuse bankruptcy protection, even though the vast majority of people applying for bankruptcy are victims of medical emergencies, job loss, and divorce. This would all help the credit card companies who pull in huge profits, by luring people into accepting credit they can't afford to pay back.

Some of you may be familiar with Free Republic. It is known for being one of the most right-wing websites on the internet, where whenever the GOP pushes any rightist legislation it is always backed. Moderates are largely absent. For those of you familiar with the forums at DemocraticUnderground, FR is the conservative counterpart of that website. You would think that if anyone not in the credit industry would support this, it would be them.

But:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1359406/posts?q=1&&page=1

Amazing. The majority of posters there seem to be strongly against this. Bush should take notice that when freaking FREE REPUBLIC of all places begins attacking you from the left, you know you have gone way too far, and it's not likely that anybody supports your position.

Oh well. Will the Democrats be smart enough to use this effectively in the 2006 elections? My guess is: No.

[GePap]

I think a few Dems. are backing the bill, so no, I don't think it will be used as political foder- Credit Card companies have so much cash....

It is frightening thought to think people in Free Republic are all of a sudden agreeing with Ted Kennedy....

I am just waiting for the workhouses and debtors prisons. They must be in the pipeline somwhere.

[Shi Huangdi]

I am just waiting for the workhouses and debtors prisons.

It's funny that FreeRepublic and Gepap made nearly the same comment:

I am just waiting for the workhouses and debtors prisons. - BChan

[Boris Godunov]

Biden has already blown his 2008 presidential prospects with this bill. Since he's from Delaware, a credit card company hub, one can understand his position, but rivals will club him to death with this one in the primaries.

However, I wouldn't be so sure that this won't be used effectively by the Dems. Reid ain't the roll-over-and-die type that Daschle was. He's shown already he's got fighting chops, and he means to use it.

But honestly, the biggest gift the GOP has given to the Dems is the Social Security debacle. So the Dems may not even need anything else for ammunition next year.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
by luring people into accepting credit they can't afford to pay back.

How much self control does it take to throw those offers away? Deadbeats.

[GePap]

NO!!!!



Unclean, unclean!!

[Dis]

too bad this thing has a good chance of passing .

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
How much self control does it take to throw those offers away? Deadbeats.

How about being told repeatedly that once can't qualify for X because one doesn't have a credit rating? It's a nice catch-22 of the system.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
How much self control does it take to throw those offers away? Deadbeats.

Well, alot of people are stupid and this takes advantage of their stupidity.

But again, that isn't most of the people who file for bankruptcy, it is as I mentioned people who run into unforseen calamities.

But honestly, the biggest gift the GOP has given to the Dems is the Social Security debacle. So the Dems may not even need anything else for ammunition next year.

Don't count on it. Being in favor of privitizing SS didn't stop Bush in 2000 and 2004 when that was part of his platform.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by GePap
NO!!!!



Unclean, unclean!!

Sorry, you've been FREEPified. Soon you'll be complaining about homosexual mexican lllegal immigrants infiltrating this country and taking unfair advantage of Affirmative Action.

[GePap]

That was before he made it top priority- the more people examine private accounts, the less they like the idea- on the Neils Leher news hour today they had a pollster says just that- support for private accounts is going down (even with bush charm offensive), and in fact the more someone has paid attention to the debate, the less likely they are to like the idea.

I think iof the bill passes the senate, it will pass. For the life of me I can't see the house rejecting this.

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by GePap


Unclean, unclean!!

That was a Ctrl-V error. It wasn't exactly the same...

Originally posted by the Freeper B-Chan
What's next? Debtors' Prisons?

Paging Charles Dickens.

Still be worried though.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi




Sorry, you've been FREEPified. Soon you'll be complaining about homosexual mexican lllegal immigrants infiltrating this country and taking unfair advantage of Affirmative Action.

I have been complaining about Fez for years now. Oh, NO, its true....

[DanS]

I've got nothing against this bill, but why this is a priority of the congress is beyond me. Don't they have better people to go after, like the trial lawyers?

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by DanS
I've got nothing against this bill, but why this is a priority of the congress is beyond me.

Could it be...wealthy campaign donors making a push?