TPM On the Bankruptcy Law

The Justice Department has decided not to enforce provisions of the bankruptcy bill, great analysis at Talking Points Memo.

Representative Sensenbrenner may have been feeling some political heat over his flat-out refusal to consider any changes, especially after leading Republicans said that perhaps some changes would be in order. He needed some good press for the bankruptcy bill, something showing how "flexible" it is. In response to his letter, the Justice Department quickly proclaimed itself a vegetarian shark--at least where some Hurricane Katrina victims are concerned. Good move, except that the Justice Department didn't cover all the bad parts of the law nor did the Justice Department bind anyone but themselves.

Is this just a big public relations game designed to reduce the pressure to amend the bankruptcy laws to give people real relief? Heaven forbid that Chairman Sensenbrenner be forced to admit that the bankruptcy laws written by the credit card industry are a bit harsh for people who are in trouble through no fault of their own.