Why is our anger so laser-focused on Susan Collins?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

On the campaign funding platform Crowdpac, father and activist Ady Barkan joined forces with advocacy groups Maine People's Alliance and Mainers for Accountable Leadership to raise pledges for Collins' not-yet identified Democratic opponent if she supported President Donald Trump's high court pick. As of at 3:40pm ET Friday, it had raised $2,020,366 in pledges, an increase from the $1,804,551 it had amassed by Wednesday. A week ago, the total was $1,605,182.

While the site crashed, Barkan announced on Twitter that another portal existed to fund Collins' 2020 opponent:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/05/after-backing-kavanaugh-funding-platform-unseat-susan-collins-2020-crashes-traffic

Why just focus on Collins? Isn't every female Republican Senator that voted for just as culpable? Deb Fischer, Shelly Capito, Joni Ernst, and Cindy Hyde-Smith apparently don't think much of Dr. Ford, survivors, or women generally.

I mention Deb Fischer in particular because she's running for reelection. Why focus on 2020 when there are things we can do now?

[dem4decades]

1. Like Dean Heller?

How is this guy not getting trounced?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Probably because she made such a show of being "concerned"

that some people actually thought she could be persuaded to vote no. That was a naive hope because she always folds like a cheap lawn chair after expressing her deep and thoughtful concern.

[still_one]

26. That is exactly right, because she wanted the attention

[meadowlark5]

31. That's right - the other republican women senators, we knew where they stood from the beginning

They aren't considered moderate like Collins is and has given us the impression. They are solidly anti-abortion, where Collins says she is not. *She* is the one who has created this supposedly reasonable, objective elected official.

She has proven once and for all, she is not. That is why she's taking the heat.

[rusty fender]

50. This.

Her whole shtick is feigned moderation. I think that moderate-leaning voters and Democrats in Maine keep re-electing her because they’ve believed her.

Although she has delivered moderation on a few votes, she is hardly a centrist candidate.

[EffieBlack]

60. Because she didn't just vote no

She made a production out of it.

[Flaleftist]

63. Yes. That speech she gave indicated she was never undecided. nt

[MontanaMama]

3. I can only speak for myself

when I say that my focus was on Collins because she was the only one faking that she might do the right thing. Collins led people to believe she might vote NO and she had no intention of doing so, IMO.

[bluestarone]

4. Because of her own LYING WORDS

She was acting like she really cared!!! BULLSHIT!!!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

13. So Fischer, Ernst, Capito, and Hyde-Smith are better because they were silent and voted "yes"??

That makes no sense. They still broke faith with every woman - particularly every survivor - in America. Collins' "yes" vote didn't count more than those others.

[Midwestern Democrat]

22. Fischer, Capito, and Hyde-Smith represent deeply right wing states. Iowa is starting to look that

way too. We will probably try to make a legit effort to defeat Joni Ernst in 2020, but the other three Senators - frankly, we're writing those races off as unwinnable.

[47of74]

39. I'm probably leaving Iowa sooner or later.

I was born here but I want nothing to do with this state now.

[Autumn]

5. Because she's an obvious hypocrite and a political game playing liar .

She was always going to vote for him but played the game for attention.

[Hav]

6. She does it to herself

She paints herself as moderate and undecided on certain important issues. This gives people "hope" that she might vote for a topic in their favor and that it is not set in stone like it is for almost all of the other Rs. This puts her constantly in the crosshairs of people who want to influece her.
Secondly, Maine seems to be a state more favorable for a Dem.

[lostnfound]

28. She probably gets paid extra to serve as the lightning rod NT

[SMC22307]

7. Because she promotes herself as some big pro-choice champion of women...

but when it came time to do the right thing, she didn't. Are any of those other women pro-choice Republicans?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

15. Shouldn't every Republican woman be held to account for not being pro-survivor?

Aren't they the party of law and order?

[SMC22307]

24. They believe Kavanaugh is the "survivor." How do you...

get through to women like that? Anyone like that?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

42. You get through by pointing out their idiocy and voting them out.

[SMC22307]

46. We do that all the time with Drumpf.

You think these same people won't vote for him again?

Also, again, do any other R senators -- male or female -- portray themselves as moderate, pro-choice? Are they accepting donations -- and awards -- from Planned Parenthood? Collins had ONE thing to do -- vote no on Kavanaugh. My understanding is that the majority of her constituents didn't think he should be seated to the bench and she went against them. What's stoking the anger? Betrayal.

[lostnfound]

29. How about Republican men? "Chivalry" is dead? Nt

[JudyM]

36. This is what I keep thinking. Villifying Collins more than McConnell when he stole it all?!

[lostnfound]

56. Why don't we see ads attacking McConnell the way we saw ads attacking Pelosi?

McConnell is corrupt, despicable and creepy, and boring!, yet we hear little about him.

[delisen]

8. Which of these do you think is most vulnerable?

[leftstreet]

9. Because she's a woman?

Which, sadly, is the same reason the GOPers used her for cover

Where's all the rage for Manchin?

[femmedem]

38. We need Manchin to get reelected because we need everybody with a D next to their names.

The number of Democrats will determine who chairs the committees, who is the majority on committees, who sets the legislative agenda.

People can feel what they feel. I have some feelings. But the time to act on those feelings would be during primary season next time he's up for reelection, not now.

[kcr]

41. Where's all the rage for Manchin! Seriously, cuz we don't need control of the senate or anything

[LovingA2andMI]

47. It's Missing, Buried Into The...

He Can Vote How He Wants With A D Behind His Name, Until He Pulls A Lieberman If The Senate Stays In The GOP Hands, Then And Only Then....He Can Be Talked About For What His Vote On Kavanaugh Really Meant....Box.

That's a big box. By The Way. HUGE!

[nini]

10. Because she's always played the Moderate card

She always played this game like she really cares..then twists the knife one more time.

Time to send her into retirement.

[procon]

11. I don't understand why anyone thought she was a swan when she flocked with turkeys.

She is what she always said she was, a life long member of the Republican Party. She was always about party first, not the Constitution, not fairness, not women, not the under privileged, she was a Trump loyalist, a client of McConnell's Senate fiefdom.

[Meowmee]

12. It is obvious

Why she is focused on but we need to focus on all of them as well.

[whathehell]

19. More "obvious" than focusing on a Democrat like Joe Manchin?

[Meowmee]

57. I think people

Are focusing on him as well, there were certainly criticisms of him. The problem is we need him for now to take or hold what we have at least in the senate. As much as I disagree with his vote I can see that. Can anyone better than him win there? I don't know.

I think the whole hearings, vote, investigation was a big fake really, the rs who voted yes were all bought off in one way or another, they had it all planned how it was going to go down. What I saw and read of Collin’s speech was revolting, as was the idea to put two women senators behind her etc.

All they care about is getting their plants on the court so they can dismantle the country as it is now.

[whathehell]

14. Does Democrat Joe Manchin get a pass?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

17. I don't think he should look forward to getting any progressive PAC support

At this time, in that place, he is the best we can do. Maybe if we focus on a long game of getting Capito out, he'll see the light.

[whathehell]

20. I certainly hope not. n/t.

[LovingA2andMI]

48. For Now, Yes....

Solely Due To This....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211249813#post9

(However, It's Really Hell No -- But -- Well, Gotta Keep Our Mouth Shut About The Rest -- Censorship and All)....

[m-lekktor]

53. yes, from some here, but not from me. nt

I

[mucifer]

16. By sitting on the fence she is requesting we grovel at her feet and she just about always

screws us over.

I hate her. I really do. I hate all the republicans. I am not going to praise Murkowski for the kavanaugh vote because of her her tax vote and her violence against women vote. These people are cruel and evil.

Collins sticks out because she demands attention and she utilizes our energy when we grovel for her vote.

But, seriously all congressional republicans are evil and cruel human beings.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

18. I take the point

As far back as '08, at the old DU, my position was that it was time for the Dems to force Snowe's and Collins' hand - join or perish was how I put it. Snowe retired. Obviously, Collins needs to go.

[McCamy Taylor]

21. I blame the entire GOP.

[spooky3]

51. Me too! Nt

[unitedwethrive]

23. It's not just her, but she is something we can change readily.

Getting rid of mushroom penis and the changes he’s made to our way of life will be much harder.

[LibDemAlways]

25. She's the most well known and has been

in the Senate the longest. Also the press labels her as "moderate," so people are fooled into believing she might possibly do the right thing. This time around she fucked up so badly, she'll never recover. Women have long memories and when Collins ventures into public places, she'll suffer verbal blowback so severe she'll wish she had quit after 2 terms like she promised she would.

[DFW]

27. Collins is particularly odious

Leaving Murkowski aside for the moment, Collins is the one who always puts on a show of being undecided, and "reasonable," when the truth is that she never planned to deviate from McTurtle's wishes. She seems to get her jollies holding out the glimmer of hope, only to make her "decision" at the very end for Republican orthodoxy. Almost no one buys it any more, but she likes to keep playing this game with us before smashing us in the face with her usual behavior.

At least the other Republican women make no pretenses. They vote like Mcturtle tells them, and do not even pretend it is worth our time to reason with them. Collins lies, and says she is willing to listen to reason where she is not. She says she is undecided when, in fact, her mind is made up. So I'm fine with the country showing her that our mind is made up, too: she loses her Senate seat in 2020--preferably by a huge electoral defeat, but if she sees it coming and resigns, good enough. The main thing is that she sees that her act fools no one any more.

[In It to Win It]

33. I don't believe she ever got that Obamacare fix...

that "McTurtle" promised her.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

30. Bingo.

Not a single female Senator should have voted to confirm Kavanaugh.

People here acted like it was so wonderful that Heitkamp was voting no.

And why aren't there a million threads condemning Manchin?

[YessirAtsaFact]

52. There are a bunch of threads condemning Manchin

And I think they are stupid.

After Collins and Flake signaled they were voting yes, Manchin's vote was meaningless.

He voted in the way that best helps him get reelected.

[In It to Win It]

32. People felt "led on" by Collins

Collins made them think there was hope when there wasn't so they're angry about it... and I have no doubt that Maine is flippable. Too bad she's not up for reelection this year. The anger will fade away by 2020 because there will be SOOOO MUCH other shit that Democrats will be mad about. I have no doubt Trump and the GOP swamp will sink to new lows.

[delisen]

34. We have 2 years to assist the Dems in Maine to take that seat.

Exposing Collins money interests and ties, and modus operandi in pretending to be non-partisan, will help secure that seat for democracy whether she runs or some other republican runs.

Maine Dems must take the lead, the rest of us contribute money, information.

There has probably never been adequate opposition research done on Collins and she has probably not covered her tracks well.

So if she is totally clean, not subject to Russian influence, and sincere, so be it.

If she is dishonest and corrupt, or under the influence of Russia it is urgent to expose that.

People who over and over again provide false hope are the most insidious of politicians because they soak up energy and attention and then demoralize.

McConnell has just claimed that he will work to ensure she keeps her seat-which is a signal to any Republican who vote against their constituents, that McConnell will protect them. If Collins is exposed as a phony those others will feel less secure.

[GoCubsGo]

35. That's a good question.

And, why are they not helping to support Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill, instead? Both could lose their Senate seat for doing the right thing, instead of the political expedient thing. And, it will happen next month, not two years from now.

[brooklynite]

37. Answer: you won't be defeating Deb Fischer

Fischer is an unrepentant conservative in a Red State. She's never claimed to be a pro-choice moderate.

[Power 2 the People]

40. Excellent point

[lark]

43. I'm so mad at her because she says (lies, all lies) that she's on our side & stabs us in the back.

I never hoped for or expected sanity from Ernst or the others, but did for Collins. She has always run on "women's issues", but obviously that was a self-serving lie. When the rubber met the road, she hurt all women for her own profit and political gain. She's an outrageous fraud. The others never pretended to be sane or to care about women, it's the backstabbing that hurts the most. WEll, tht and the fact that I expect assaults and rapes to go up exponentially since it's been proven there are no consequences for this if you are a rich white male. That's what I can't get over nd why I totally hate Collins and wish for really bad things to happen to her because of her bad karma.

[raccoon]

44. She's a liar, a hypocrite, and she played that half-assed game of pretending that she hadn't decided

which way she was going to vote. She knew all along how she was going to vote. She's disgusting.

[VOX]

45. When Democrats have to get on their knees and plead with REPUBLICANS for help, it's an ominous sign.

Decades of politeness and “high roading” and a need for purity in candidates have combined to neuter the party, and leave it powerless in the face of fascism.

Signal example: As much as I love Adam Schiff and all he’s done, and as ambivalent as I feel about Michael Avenatti (especially as a candidate!), the Democratic Party needs more Avenattis right now— boldness, direct talk, going on the offensive, repetition of talking points, etc.

Pleading with a Susan Collins or a Jeff Flake— or even holding them responsible for a right-wing SCOTUS, is misdirected anger. Republicans have out-generaled Democrats time and again, and now they have FULL control of every branch of government, a 24/7 propaganda state-“news” cable outlet; untold billions in dark money, the assistance of a major hostile foreign power, etc. And they are motivated by the idea of a PERMANENT Republican majority government.

All of which means that Democrats/progressives HAVE to stick together and tear down this fascist monster that is shredding democracy as rapidly as possible.

VOTE IN NOVEMBER, and make sure others you know do the same!

[helpisontheway]

49. I'm pissed because she is FAKE..she never intended to vote no..

That’s all good because I hope she loses that seat. Let her go down with that piece of trash Mitch Mcconnell.

[RhodeIslandOne]

54. I'd prefer that money go to Heidi

Susan will be dealt with later, IF she even runs again.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

58. I'm good with that

Although well placed oppo research on Fischer could be fun.

[Ilsa]

55. We have no reason to believe anything she says now.

She said she she didn't believe the accusers. I'll never believe her again.

[Charmin One]

59. She keeps digging a deeper hole

She says the Bart hearings will help more women speak out about sexual assaults. That's the biggest load of rubbish I've heard about the Bart hearings.

[Ms. Toad]

61. My anger is focused on Collins for two reasons.

First: I have a relationship with her, of sorts, through a national lobbying group for which I'm on the governing board. In the past we have recognized her for her bipartisan leadership on peace and social justice issues we care about.

Second: She went out of her way to trivialize the claims of Dr. Blasey Ford, and others - and whitewashed Kavanaugh's lies and blatantly unsuitable temperament. Had she just voted yes, without the speech, I would be far less furious with her.

[diva77]

62. I called other female rethug senators as well as Boofin' Collins to try to get them to vote no

Of course it felt like talking to , , , but I made the calls

They all make me ill. Collins especially because she bled every activist dry putting on her "on the fence" act.

[Cha]

64. 8 Democrats in Senate races who could use any Kavanaugh rage dollars..

Link to tweet

[Kaleva]

65. The media followed Collins so most here did too.

As for Deb Fischer, Shelly Capito, Joni Ernst, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, I think I saw one post that contained a link to an article that mentioned Joni Ernst.