The Rude Pundit hits the nail on the head about the new bankruptcy bill winding its way through the Senate and on its way to sure signature from Bush.

Basically, the bill guts protections of bankruptcy court for average Americans, whether you went broke by charging big screen plasma TV’s and assorted goodies or (like happend to yours truly back in 1995) you suffer a major medical emergency and have no insurance to pay incredible medical bills.

The bill’s supporters think there is some huge number of deadbeats who are taking advantage of poor old MBNA, CitiCorp, & CapitalOne. In fact, more than half those seeking bankruptcy protection were brought there by medical bills, and that 3 out of 4 of those folks had health insurance coverage.

A tiny number of people do abuse bankruptcy, and the Republican answer is to destroy the entire program, even for the majority that truly need it. Hmm, cut Medicaid, ship the good jobs overseas, replace them with sub-full-time low-benefits WalMart gigs, do nothing to curb medical costs, allow credit card companies and check cashing places to prey on these people with exhorbitant usurious interest rate, then abolish the one legal protection available for the bound-to-be down-and-out.

Thanks, red states, you voted for this. A permanent beggar class in America. Enjoy the Food Stamps while they last and try not to get sick.