Sun Rises In East. Dog Bites Man. Jim Sensenbrenner Is A Greedy, Callous Liar.

I read in the print edition of the NYT this morning an article stating that Congress had never imagined such a thing as Katrina when passing the Bankruptcy bill earlier this year. I knew that had to be bullshit -- I remembered countless Democratic efforts to soften various parts of the bill, all of which got shot down by the Republicans -- and Scout Prime confirms it for me:

Go read a copy of the Democratic House Judiciary Staff's dissenting views on the bankruptcy bill that was leaked to RAW STORY prior to the bill's passage. It's right there...

While some people abuse the bankruptcy system, more than 90 percent of debtors file for bankruptcy due to unemployment or underemployment, an illness or accident, or divorce. The bulk of the remainder suffered from other legitimate difficulties, including activation for military service, being a victim of crime or natural disasters, or a death in the family ...

SNIP

a. Concerns Regarding the Means Test

It is incorrect to assume that the effect of S. 256’s harmful provisions would be limited to individuals seeking bankruptcy relief who earn more than the state median income.

The definition of “current monthly income” used in the means test measures a debtor’s income based upon how much the debtor earned in the six months prior to bankruptcy. If the debtor lost a good job in month three and has been working at a low-wage job ever since, the income from that good job, and help from family members, would be counted as if that is what his future income would be. The debtor would be expected to pay out of income that may no longer exist. Also, the means test will pick up a variety of revenue sources – such as disaster assistance, and Veterans’ benefits – which will result in lower- and middle-income individuals being cast as bankruptcy “abusers” with income above the median.

The Democrats tried to get the Republicans to allow this provision, but of course the Republicans wouldn't allow it. Oh, and despite Katrina and Rita, the Republicans still don't want to deprive the credit-card companies and banks of one single penny of their 30%-and-higher interest rates (none dare call it usury). Get a load of that fat load, James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin:

But House Republicans, who fought off a proposed amendment that would have made bankruptcy filings easier for victims of natural disasters, said there was no reason to carve out a broad exemption just because of the storm. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, rejected the notion of reopening the legislation, saying it already included provisions that would ensure that people left "down and out" by the storm would still be able to shed most of their debts.

As seen above, that's a damned lie, and Sensenbrenner knows it. But he's an arrogant bastard:

Lawmakers who lost the long fight over the law, he said, "ought to get over it," according to The Associated Press.

Yeah. Katrina victims "ought to get over it". Rita victims "ought to get over it". And people in western Wisconsin who lost homes and jobs to the recent killer storms in the area "ought to get over it". This clown needs to be taken down a peg or two. And it looks like it would only take a million or so to do it. Yeah, Sensenbrenner's in a "safe" district. But so was Jean Schmidt. Here's Bryan Kennedy, who in his first try -- and with minimal money -- did better against Sensenbrenner than any other Democrat has in years. Let's see what we can do for 2006!