Sen. Susan Collins is making damned sure everybody knows that she's a Republican now that ranked choice voting in Maine opens the possibility of a challenge from the right unseating her. The never-Trumper is now all in and declaring her loyalty by telling Mainers that she's "proud" of her votes to put alleged attempted-rapist Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court and to give billionaires and corporations a big tax cut.
"I cast votes of integrity. I voted for Justice Brett Kavanaugh," Collins told a mess of state Republicans on June 27, an audience that included former Governor Paul LePage and Maine GOP chairperson Demi Kouzounas. "They are throwing everything possible at me," she complained. "Another thing too that the Democrats are hitting me hard on is the tax bill. Look at our economy, we had the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years." Right. "It has made a real difference for our small businesses, for our hardworking families, for single moms who needed help with their child tax expenses. Again, I'm proud of having cast the vote to give tax relief to hard-working Mainers."
There are probably a lot of hardworking Mainers, single moms among them, who are wondering where that help actually went. In fact, 58% of Mainers say they want those tax cuts repealed because they benefit just the wealthiest Americans and corporations. But give Collins credit for knowing how to read the room, and knowing what Republicans have to hear.
We'll see how that works for her in 2020, that and her "hope and belief" that her vote for Kavanaugh doesn't end up in 130 million people with pre-existing health conditions losing insurance protections. The case being heard this week, the Republican-led case that her majority leader Mitch McConnell defends, "may well end up at the Supreme Court," she says, "and it's my hope and belief that the Supreme Court won't strike the law down."
Keep hoping, Collins. That's not going to save your seat, now that you've shown Maine your true colors.
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