It hasn't been widely discussed yet, but another disaster will strike the victims of Hurricane Katrina on October 17, 2005. And Bush can't say that he didn't anticipate it. He orchestrated it.
The president's beloved Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act goes into effect on that day. Interesting that while the bill was passing through the House Judiciary Committee early this year, Democrats attempted to amend the bill to include measures to protect victims of natural disasters such as hurricanes.
The amendment to the bill, proposed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was voted down without debate. Along party lines.
Seems the Republicans would rather see hurricane victims slammed head-first into poverty instead of continuing to be protected by Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Seems the profit margins of MBNA are more important.
If Republicans and the president feel inclined to take credit for anything good that happens due to their monopoly on our government, it's probably a good time for them to show some dignity and humility by correcting a colossal injustice forced upon all Americans.
The first way they can do that is to stand up with Rep. John Conyers' and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's legislation which will be proposed as soon as Congress reconvenes.
The legislation we plan to introduce will prevent new bankruptcy provisions from having adverse and unintended consequences for the hundreds of thousands now facing financial catastrophe by providing needed flexibility for victims of natural disasters in bankruptcy proceedings.
Our common sense bill will insure that we do not compound a natural disaster with a man made financial disaster. We hope to obtain bipartisan support for expedited consideration of this critical legislation.
This is a vote we should all observe very carefully. Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, or Miscellaneous, we should all agree that the "no" votes will be registered only by the most shameless, disgraceful and sinister politicians in our midst.
ADDENDUM: To preempt the invariable "you whiny poopy diaper dem" comments, allow me be to perfectly clear: anyone who voted "yes" on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was horribly wrong. Period. I don't care if it was Hillary Clinton or Bill Frist (though in fairness more than half of the Senate Democrats, 25 of them, voted against it). The long term effects of the law will prove to be tragic -- not just for hurricane victims. And anyone who votes "no" on the Conyers/Jackson Lee legislation ought to resign.