Cross posted at Dirigo Blue
Sen. Susan Collins, with the help of a very compliant media, has been quite successful at portraying herself as a moderate Republican. This, despite a long record of votes that have negatively impacted the very people she represents - most recently, in delaying Extenders bill that forced about 10,000 Mainers to go without unemployment benefits for more than two months.
If the news media, both nationally and here in Maine, needed any further proof of the exact spot on the political spectrum she rests, today's announcement in the Kennebec Journal that Collins endorses Paul LePage for governor should put all doubts to rest:
"I stopped here to show I support Paul for governor," Collins said. "I'm going to do all I can for him."
---
Before she departed the meeting with LePage to tour Backyard Farms in Madison, Collins said she considers LePage a "very strong candidate" who has the "right message for the people of Maine."
Collins cited LePage's pledge to create jobs, make the state more "business-friendly," and reduce government spending.
"Those are exactly the right priorities," Collins said. "People are eager to have a strong leader at a critical time for the state of Maine. Paul's the leader who can get us back on track."
Mind, this is the same woman that refused to endorse a candidate in the Republican primary, despite that her long time former chief of staff, Steve Abbott, was running - as a moderate.
For those that no little about Paul LePage, his most recent gaffe is from this past weekend, in which he charged a Maine Democratic Party official with ethnic and religious bigotry. He also joked his Democratic opponent of being too old for the job, and while apologizing for that, falsely accused a journalist of not fully reporting what he had said.
LePage is the mayor of Waterville, an old mill town in northern Maine that has seen better days. In carefully crafted language he likes to boast that taxes and the city's budget have both decreased in size during his tenure, without explaining that his role as mayor is largely ceremonial and that the City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day business of the city.
You can help ensure that Paul LePage remains the Mayor of Waterville by helping Libby Mitchell become Maine's next governor. She is a Clean Elections candidate, and so cannot accept monetary donations, but there are plenty of ways to volunteer your time - find out here Libby Mitchell for Governor.