As of last Thursday, Maine Sen. Susan Collins was done talking about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, having had a very bad week with the usually adoring local press. Since she couldn't stop digging every time she opened her mouth, that was a good strategy.
Since then, the Republican senator has new problems. Christine Blasey Ford came forward as the person Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape in high school. So Collins started talking again, initially being a loyal Republican soldier and using the issue to attack Democrats. "What is puzzling to me is the Democrats, by not bringing this out earlier, after having had this information for more than six weeks, have managed to cast a cloud of doubt on both the professor and the judge." That's Collins doing the GOP’s dirty work, trying to set the narrative to be picked up by Senate leadership.
But that didn't work. Because the Republicans who always gives her cover, especially Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, came out calling for a delay in the vote on Kavanaugh until the allegations are investigated by the committee—or until Ford testifies and Kavanaugh testifies again—which isn't really an investigation, because everyone knows Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley isn't actually going to conduct one.
With her BFF Murkowski not providing cover anymore, Collins doesn't have much choice: she had to break her silence. But she's not going as far as any of those other Republicans in calling for an actual delay in the vote until this can be worked out.
Yes, senator, yes they should. Not that you'd be hearing anything resembling the truth from Kavanaugh.
She's not off the hook, and won't be unless Kavanaugh just decides to withdraw his nomination.
She's burned her bridges. Whatever promises she's gotten from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in return for her support won’t be fulfilled, and if anybody should know that it's her. He won't help her against a far-right challenger in 2020. And she sure as hell is never going to be able to count on the support of Maine's independents and moderate Democrats. Never again.
If you’re in Maine, tell her so. Directly. At her office numbers: (207) 622-8414, (207) 945-0417, (207) 283-1101, (207) 493-7873, (207) 784-6969, (207) 780-3575, (202) 224-2523. But be polite. And maybe record your messages to show how polite you are, and provide those to the local media.
Do you live in Maine? You have a powerful voice in stopping Trump's Supreme Court nominee. Click here to write Sen. Collins.