CNN reports that just before Chief Justice Roberts felt it necessary to admonish both sides about “civil discourse” in front of “the world's greatest deliberative body,” Susan Collins passed him a note:
Sen. Susan Collins sent a written note early Wednesday morning during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial minutes before Chief Justice John Roberts admonished both legal teams, a source with knowledge of the event tells CNN.
It is unclear if the note from Collins, a Maine Republican, led directly to Roberts' comments, or had specific language for him, but the note came shortly before the chief justice spoke. The note was sent as House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, spoke and appeared to accuse senators of a "cover-up."
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough was seen on TV cameras speaking to Roberts at 12:48 a.m. ET. It is not clear what the conversation between the two was about, but Roberts addressed the Senate at 12:55 a.m.
We don’t know what was in the note but we know Collins well enough for an educated guess. She was playing the role of “concerned moderate” in order to appeal to Roberts that if he was going to call for decorum, that he not call out Cipollone but demand it of both sides, as if both sides were equally disrespectful of the proceedings.
She’s amply familiar with both sides — of her mouth. When a reporter told her that she was seen handing a note to the parliamentarian, she replied coyly:
Who me? I did that?
She thinks she’s sly. She thinks she’s subtle. She thinks she’s pulling another fast one, pretending that she’s not fully on Team Trump. But she is, and she’s raking in dark money to keep her seat. She’s McConnell’s lapdog, and as long as he keeps the dark money pipeline flowing her way, she’ll keep up the pretense for him and give him “moderate” cover for his extremist agenda.
However, the League of Conservation Voters and Planned Parenthood, both of which used to support Collins, have now endorsed Sara Gideon, Collins’ likely opponent. Her website is here. We can’t make Susan Collins do the right thing now, but we can make her retire in November!