Update: Candidate Dodd

As candidates continue their persistent scramble to find a way into voters' hearts, Sen. Dodd (D-CT) has called for a reform of a "reform," namely the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. That legislation, heavily lobbied by banks and credit card issuers, is a typically draconian, anti-consumer bill that made filing for bankruptcy more difficult. Americans overcome by "consumer" debt (is there another kind?) were required, among other things, to undergo financial counseling, "means testing" (to determine whether they should file under Chapter 13--a restructuring of debt vs. Chapter 7--debt liquidation, in essence making it more likely that filers would be forced to pay some of their debt), and were not allowed to discharge student loan debt (an ever-skyrocketing expense for a growing number of Americans).
In Dodd's view, the law "was literally written to ensure that people would be trapped under financial burdens - either student loans or credit card debt."
Dodd took the opportunity to criticize his Democratic rivals, declaring himself "mortified" by their past support for bankruptcy legislation. He was particularly critical of John Edwards who has campaigned heavily on poverty issues. An Edwards spokesman said, as reported by the Des Moines Register, "Edwards' bold, specific proposals to crack down on predatory lenders, protect consumers, and help families get ahead go far beyond than any other candidate."

It's two years too late for some people (those who've already filed), but this is a critical consumer issue that far too often is simply ignored. And it's a definite reason (the fact of bankruptcy, apart from the mechanism) why the term "middle class" simply becomes less and less meaningful with each passing year.