The Decline and Fall of Susan Collins

Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins now has the highest disapproval rating of any Senator in their home state. Fifty-two per cent of Maine voters now disapprove of her job performance, compared with only 27% three years ago.

Collins in the past has tried to portray herself a a moderate Republican, in the tradition of past independent-minded Maine Republican Senators like Margaret Chase Smith, Bill Cohen, and Olympia Snowe. But now, she has completely gone over to the dark side, voting with her fellow Republicans on all but one of the eleven Democratic amendments to the impeachment rules. She refuses to allow subpoenas to secure the testimony of relevant witnesses, showing that she is no better than hacks like Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell. The only amendment she voted for was an innocuous procedural proposal to allow Senators more time to respond to motions.

The demise of the moderate Susan Collins foreshadows the demise of the Republican party itself, which surely cannot last as a viable major party in the wake of its sychophantic support of the disastrous Trump presidency.

Here are the Republican Senators who are the most unpopular in their home states: Collins (52% disapproval), McConnell (50%), Joni Ernst (42%), Lisa Murkowski (41%), Cory Gardner, Martha McSally, and Deb Fischer (40%). Of these, Collins, McConnell, Gardner, and McSally are up for re-election in 2020 and are considered vulnerable, along with Thom Tillis and David Perdue.