Susan Collins, FTW

Author: Harold Pollack

Harold Pollack is Helen Ross Professor of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. He has served on three expert committees of the National Academies of Science. His recent research appears in such journals as Addiction, Journal of the American Medical Association, and American Journal of Public Health. He writes regularly on HIV prevention, crime and drug policy, health reform, and disability policy for American Prospect, tnr.com, and other news outlets. His essay, "Lessons from an Emergency Room Nightmare" was selected for the collection The Best American Medical Writing, 2009. He recently participated, with zero critical acclaim, in the University of Chicago's annual Latke-Hamentaschen debate.

3 thoughts on “Susan Collins, FTW”

  1. A powerful statement indeed. But I kept listening for something along the lines of "and therefore I not be voting for this bill. I will never vote for a bill that cuts Medicaid and there's no inducement that my party could include that would cause me do so." Didn't hear anything remotely like that so evidently she's still leaving her options open to cosmetic changes, so probably not worth very much.

    This is the exact problem with the Republican "moderates". Sen. Collins may not like this bill but she voted to make the man pushing it majority leader. And she probably will eventually vote for some variation of this bill, albeit with some cosmetic changes, out of party loyalty. A vote for Collins is also a vote for Mitch McConnell and nobody should ever forget it.

  2. Collins would be an excellent Governor for Maine.

    May she resign from the Senate to to run for that office.

  3. The other day, Collins was asked about Pence's assertion that the Republican bill “strengthens and secures Medicaid for the neediest in our society.” She replied, “I would respectfully disagree with the vice president’s analysis.”

    Of course, Pence had offered a blatant lie, not an "analysis," and it therefore deserved no respect. I suppose that "respectfully disagree" was rote, but I wonder whether "analysis" was sarcastic. Because Collins is a Republican, I doubt it. Actually, I imagine that no Democrat, except perhaps Franken, would have used "analysis" sarcastically. Given the level of debate in Washington today, Pence's assertion constitutes "analysis."

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