bankruptcy

[Nathan Newman]

So how do your sources explain the fact that the bill has been sitting around
for most of a year without the Dems convening a conference committee with the
House?  Of course there are Dems who are whores on the issue (Biden the worst
of the lot), but what has been preventing Dashcle from appointing people to a
conference committee, the major holdup in the whole process?

Anonymous sources are all very well and I have no doubt that there is
pressure from the credit card companies, but any theory of absolute Dem
malfeasance has to explain why the delay?  The forward motion of the bill has
been in Daschle's hands since it was passed in the Senate and he has not
advanced it.  So what's blocking his action?

As far as Congressional politics, I live in a world of committee votes,
parliamentary rules of procedure, conference committees, motions to table and
so on.  Ephemeral "moving bills along" don't meet any standard of serious
analysis.

-- Nathan Newman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>

My bankruptcy sources say that Nathan's picture of the Dems is -
surprise, surprise! - a bit too upbeat. First of all, many supported
the bill initially, and are now a bit embarrassed as the economy's
weakened. But important Dems are still doing the work of the
creditors' lobby - e.g., Biden (he's the senator from MBNA, after
all); Schumer's Wall Street friends have him supporting a version of
reform; and Daschle is "quietly moving the bill along, behind the
scenes." Others are lying low, out of embarrassment.

Doug