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I Don't Think That Word Means What You Think It Means, Senator Collins

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | September 12, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | September 12, 2018 |


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Brett Kavanaugh is almost certainly going to sail through the confirmation process. To block it, Democrats would have to flip two Republican Senators and hang on to the votes of all those red-State Democrats, like Doug Jones in Alabama. It’s dicey, too, because Senators have to weigh their own personal beliefs along with those of their party as well as those of their constituents. Notwithstanding those who voted for Jones earlier this year, the Alabama constituents probably want him to vote for Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

That is not the case in Maine, where Senator Susan Collins ostensibly holds a crucial vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation process. The state is Democratic-leaning (notwithstanding our current Governor) and Collins has been elected time and again in part because she’s a professed pro-choice Senator. The decision on Kavanaugh should be an easy one, if — as she says — she actually wants Roe v. Wade to survive.

Nevertheless, Collins remains uncommitted, although her public statements strongly suggest that she will vote in favor of Kavanaugh. Meanwhile, 40,000 folks have now crowdfunded $1 million to go to whatever Democratic opponent surfaces in the 2020 race if Collins votes to confirm Kavanaugh, as she voted for Neil Gorsuch, who also made — likely false — assurances that he would not vote to overturn Roe.

Collins response to the crowdfunding campaign? She calls it a “bribe.”

“I consider this quid pro quo fundraising to be the equivalent of an attempt to bribe me to vote against Judge Kavanaugh.”

Well, no. That’s not a bribe, Senator Collins.


Moreover, all she has to do is vote the way the people who voted her into office would want her to vote and all that money gets refunded to the people who donated it.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if much of this actually matters, because I am guessing that Susan Collins has retirement plans in her future, particularly if things continue to go the way they’ve gone for Republicans and if Trump is the “draw” for Republicans in 2020. This, plus her vote to send Betsy DeVos to a full Senate vote, plus her decision to not only vote for but enthusiastically recommend Jeff Sessions, is exactly why a reliable Republican incumbent won’t be so reliable for the GOP in 2020.




Header Image Source: Getty