Joe Biden Redeem Yourself

Joe Biden is currently being marginalized by the Obama Administration. I can't help but wonder if it is because they are concerned that he doesn't really share their values. (Or that he'll open his mouth). Joe Biden, you need to prove that you really and truly care about average working people. Take steps NOW to undo the damage you did to the rights of average working people everywhere. Rollback the mean-spirited, cumbersome and expensive "reforms" to the Bankruptcy Code that you helped put in place in 2005. Help people that are suffering get a fresh start, and take back the giveaways to credit card issuers. As Vice President-elect, and as a former proponent of these changes, no one is better positioned than you to lead the charge.

In 2005, the purported representatives of this country passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. The financial wing of the corporate oligarchy that actually runs this country lobbied hard for this change. It made it harder to discharge one’s debts, made it harder for businesses to reorganize, and much, much easier, for credit card companies located in Delaware to collect money from consumers, and to sell bundles of debt to investors, domestic and foreign. The stated benefit was that money would be cheaper for all of us “responsible” citizens and this would promote “personal responsibility.” And interest rates would of course go down. No doubt anyone looking at a credit card statement since passage of the bill is shocked at how low their rate is now.

As a bankruptcy attorney, my anecdotal experience, and one borne out by COUNTLESS reputable studies and opinions is that people struggle to avoid filing bankruptcy. People want to pay their debts back. But people get hurt, and run up medical bills and can’t work or lose their jobs and get behind despite their best efforts, and they sit, all grown up in my office and cry because they’ve let “everyone” down.

Or they get unlucky. Like Joe Biden’s dad, a businessman that went from playing polo to selling pennants at fairs.

Joe Biden, a Democrat with blue collar roots SPEARHEADED the insultingly titled Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. MBNA, the credit card issuer from Delaware enlisted Senator Biden’s eager assistance with pulling the wool over the eyes of American citizens. Actually stood on the Senate floor and gave speeches about how this bill helped average Americans, and combated the deadbeat dad problem. Joe Biden is perhaps the best example of how the government no longer represents the people. Joe Biden was the only Democratic Presidential candidate that voted for that thing. Joe Biden’s 38-year-old son has received “consulting” payments from Bank of America (purchased MBNA) for his assistance with they-aren't saying.

(Paul Wellstone, the Minnesota senator who heroically and single-handedly filibustered this monstrosity, is now dead after an airplane “accident.")

Joe, the only other thing you could do to help keep people out of bankruptcy is fix health care, and they aren't going to let you anywhere near that.