While Joan already hit this, let me pile on this obscenity:
A bill that homeowners advocates warn will make it more difficult to challenge improper foreclosure attempts by big mortgage processors is awaiting President Barack Obama's signature after it quietly zoomed through the Senate last week.
The bill, passed without public debate in a way that even surprised its main sponsor, Republican Representative Robert Aderholt, requires courts to accept as valid document notarizations made out of state, making it harder to challenge the authenticity of foreclosure and other legal documents.
The timing raised eyebrows, coming during a rising furor over improper affidavits and other filings in foreclosure actions by large mortgage processors such as GMAC, JPMorgan and Bank of America.
Questions about improper notarizations have figured prominently in challenges to the validity of these court documents, and led to widespread halts of foreclosure proceedings.
The legislation could protect bank and mortgage processors from liability for false or improperly prepared documents.
The White House is making noise about vetoing it, so sanity may prevail. But aside from that, note that at a time when nothing of worth can pass Congress, that Sens. Patrick Leahy and Jeff Session conspired to get this turd through Congress without the simplest oversight or debate. Legislation that helps people is bottled up for eternity, while legislation that helps banks more easily screw people flies through unimpeded at lightning speed.
But just like the Iraq War, it was bipartisan, and therefore good! David Broder is weeping with joy.