What do you think about Senator Susan Collins- (R) Maine?

[Up2Late]

I kind of like her, she seems like a nice person.

I wish she would switch to the Democratic party, maybe we could trade her for Lieberman and a future draft pick?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. She's my senator and I am not generally impressed. I wish we could have

gotten Chellie Pingree into office instead.

Susan does the right things once in a great while, but mostly she is pro-business and looking out for number 1.

[johnnyrocket]

30. She's an enabler to the GOP majority

...no matter how she votes.

[stray cat]

2. She is more of a traditional republican than the extremists

[WI_DEM]

3. Lieberman has a much better record on most issues

despite his stand on the war. I think she supports the war too. So we may as well keep Lieberman.

[SteppingRazor]

4. She's a Republican -- nuff said.

Even the most moderate Republicans represent one more vote toward a majority in the Senate. At this point, given the state of the Republican leadership, the pseudo-fascist policies they adopt, all you need is that R next to your name and you're the fucking enemy as far as I'm concerned.

[OKNancy]

5. She is a REPUBLICAN

She might be a moderate Republican...but not much.
She has a lifetime ADA rating of only 35, Lieberman is 76.

http://www.adaction.org/lifetimesenconnecticut.html
http://www.adaction.org/lifetimesenmaine.html

[MidwestTransplant]

6. I can't stand her voice. Much prefer Olympia Snowe to her.

[tx_dem41]

7. Why would you want to trade Lieberman for her???

Lieberman is vastly more liberal on just about every issue I can think of.

[PurityOfEssence]

20. I have to agree, much as I can't stand him

I'm a bigot: I can't stand fundamentalists, pantywaist moralists and snotty opportunists. What he did to Clinton was unforgivable, and for Gore to suck up to him by putting him on the ticket to help distance himself from Clinton was spineless and naive.

Having said all that, Lieberman has a morally decent record on most of the issues we hold dear, like economic fairness, the environment, union protection and the like. He's in the pocket of the accounting industry and almost singlehandedly called off the dogs on Enron, he's an orthodox prude out to get rid of pornography and "clean up" broadcast programming, and he'd sell everyone of us down the river to do whatever Israel damn well pleases, which also explains his hatred of Hussein.

Still, the guy's a liberal, and he's to be given the respect that's due, regardless of his other problems. Collins is a nothing. If she has a brain, it's well concealed, and her obedience to the powers of extreme money and control are well documented.

Lieberman remains a thorny issue to most of us, but if you take away the wacky religion and the moralistic opportunism (which is part of the same problem) he's been a fairly good ally of the common folk.

People hate complexity, and Quisling Joe is the epitome of it.

[Rowdyboy]

8. Who did she vote for to ruin the senate? Bill "Catkiller" Frist....Thats

all I need to know. Screw her and all the "liberal" Republicans who keep the Christofascists in power.

[Pirate Smile]

9. She is a vote for Frist for ML. She goes along with almost everything

so I don't have much use for her. She should know better.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. She seems like a very nice lady

and reminds me of a homeroom mother I had a few years back.

Always sounds so positive.

But her politics are just center of delusional, in my opinion.

[...of J.Temperance]

31. Susan Collins is very much like Olympia Snowe and Lincoln Chafee

And I can't see how any of the three are very moderate...considering they vote 100% for every Junior Right-Wing Reactionary judicial choice, they also voted Aye on Cloture on the debate on the Patriot Act.

So the way I see it, no I wouldn't want to swap. Lieberman sucks on Iraq we know this, but as has already been pointed out on social issues he's far more Liberal than Collins, Snowe or Chafee.

[mainegreen]

11. Take my senator...

please! :eyes:

[ticapnews]

12. She and Snowe do what the President and Leadership want

The exceptions are few and far between. They are able to pad their voting stats and maintain that "Aw shucks, I'm a moderate" line for the folks back home by casting opposing votes when the margin of victory is beyond doubt. Then they can tell the media that they opposed right-wing judges who would abolish privacy laws. The truth is, if their vote was needed to break (or create) a tie, either one of them would bend over backwards to please the leadership.

They both have higher ratings among Democrats and Independents in Maine than Republicans, because Maine GOP sheep don't get that they are padding their stats when casting those few opposing votes. They both talk a good game about being moderates, but when push comes to shove, they can be counted upon to follow the leader.

[Up2Late]

13. Good to know

Thanks!

[MaineDem]

14. I couldn't have said it better!

Thank you.

Rarely, if at all, does her vote contradict her Party when it counts.

She once made a statement that she would always approve the President's appointments.

And she said she wouldn't serv emore than two terms. That will be interesting to see play out.

She's a Republican through and through and any idea that she's anything different is all smoke and mirrors.

[Donna Zen]

21. Exactly!

You saved me the trouble of explaining exactly how the "evil sisters" operate. Also, I was once heard that the staffers on the hill consider Collins the dumbest senator in DC. That Maine passed up Chellie Pingree for Collins will always be a stain on the state. Pitiful, just wicked pitiful.

[Neil Lisst]

15. As Republican senators go, she's one of the better ones.

I can't listen to her talk for 15 seconds, however.

[high density]

16. She's my senator and an idiot

IMHO She's worse than Lieberman.

[PurityOfEssence]

17. She. speaks. so. slowly. it. makes. Lorraine. Bracco. sound

smart.

Besides the stultifying delivery that is only charitably not to be considered a speech impediment, she seems unable to grasp simple concepts. When chairing hearings, she blithely ambles on in a cheery fog.

Is she an imbecile? What bizarre constructs does she use to keep in league with the masters of hate?

Snowe, on the other hand, seems to have a brain, but why she's in league with evil also makes little sense.

[snowbear]

19. I agree! Boring as hell to listen to!!!

Oh man.. I could fall asleep just thinking about her..

:boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring:

[kentuck]

18. She's a Republican....

Maybe a nice lady, but still a Republican. We need to defeat her.

[election_2004]

22. She claimed she'd only serve two terms....

However, look for her to go back on that self-pledge in 2008, when she runs for a third term.

Maine Democrats should nominate Hannah Pingree or Beth Edmonds to run against Collins.

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. Lieberman and Clinton vs. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine (voting record)

I did this last week as part of another thread

I choose Sen. Collins because she is regarded-not as a moderate Republican-but as a LIBERAL pro-choice Republican; and almost certainly the most liberal Republican in the U.S. Senate


Interest group ratings

This is courtesy of project vote smart - link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm
_____________________

"2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League 20 percent in 2004.
__________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 78 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 83 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 56 percent in 2003-2004.
_____________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 95 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 75 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 45 percent in 2004.

__________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 83 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 50 percent in 2004.
_________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 110 percent in 2004

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 92 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 18 percent in 2004.
__________________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the National Education Association 85 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the National Education Association 88 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the National Education Association 55 percent in 2003-2004.
______________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 88 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 88 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 88 percent in 2003-2004.
_____________________________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 100 percent in 2003-2004

2001-2002 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 94 percent in 2001-2002.(for some reason 2003-2004 was not available for Sen Lieberman)

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 42 percent in 2003-2004
___________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 95 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 32 percent in 2003-2004.


_____________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Arab American Institute 25 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Arab American Institute 50 percent in 2004

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Arab American Institute 40 percent in 2004.
__________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Family Research Council 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Family Research Council 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Family Research Council 17 percent in 2004.
____________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 66 percent in 2004
_____________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 0 percent in 2004

2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 68 percent in 2004.
____________________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Concerned Women for America 7 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Lieberman supported the interests of the Concerned Women for America 8 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Collins supported the interests of the Concerned Women for America 43 percent in 2003-2004.
______________________

for Collins link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC032786

for Clinton link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=WNY99268

for Lieberman link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0141103

[wiley]

24. Thanks!

Who would run against her? That's the issue. You need a Maine favorite son or daughter. Did they lose a base? That would be a real factor here.

[MaineDem]

26. What is more relevant is how did she vote when it counted

I don't have the stats here right now but she rarely bucks the traditional GOP when her vote would actually make a difference.

Many times she's "allowed" to appear moderate or even liberal but the GOP usually have the votes they need so her's is a throw-away.

Don't be deceived. She's a loyal Republican.

[formercia]

27. Collins and Snowe both voted for Patriot Act II

Fearless Leader usually gets the votes when he needs it.

[Skittles]

25. I cannot stand the way she speaks

like she is talking to little kids

[Neil Lisst]

29. She's intolerable with that kindergarten teacher voice!

She always sounds like she's explaining nap time to 5 year olds.

[DaveinMD]

28. She's a Republican

and enables the Bush agenda. Therefore, I don't like her. Republican Senators are not nice.