Posted on 09/23/2026 4:55:00 AM PDT by Merrick
In the final weeks of 2019, a top fundraiser for Sen. Susan Collins walked into a perilous meeting at a Corner Bakery in Washington, D.C.
For the first time in her two-decade Senate career, the Republican lawmaker from Maine was in danger of losing her seat. President Donald Trump’s dismal approval ratings were dragging her down in the polls, and she was falling behind her likely 2020 Democratic challenger in fundraising.
Scott Reed, head of the Collins super PAC, was on a mission to close that gap. Reed was meeting that day with three executives from a Hawaiian defense contractor, Navatek. A year earlier, Collins had helped their company land a multimillion-dollar Navy research contract in Maine. Now, seated at a coffee shop not far from the U.S. Capitol, Reed asked them for a $500,000 donation.
(Excerpt) Read more at propublica.org ...
The first obvious BS point - making this about Trump.
The second obvious BS point, "President Donald Trump’s dismal approval ratings were dragging her down in the polls..." - yeah - sure - in fever-dream Democrat LA-LA land where Collin's polls mean something. In that election the poll averages put Gideon, her challenger, at +6 on election night - which Collins beat by 15%.
But it's important to know where the attack vectors are...
I don't dispute some of the facts. The FBI looked into it, and I suspect it was "ok" - as in Collins did the minimum she needed to avoid crossing the line. They make the rules. I'm not going to bitch about our guys walking up to the line when we all know the Democrats cross it every day.
I love what you wrote...Ditto...
The first obvious BS point was that it was Propublica. The second was “4 writers?” That is always a clue.
Check
Well said. I dislike Collins intensely, but she like many weak, RINO oriented Republicans are afraid to express their support for Trump.
I can’t stand it. Anyone who doesn’t support the efforts of Trump is no better than the likes of Dole, George W. Bush, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, and any number of stinking “establishment” Republicans.
They are the controlled opposition.
They don’t want the responsibility of being in charge. Because if you accept being in charge, that means you actually have to DO something...which EXEMPLIFIES President Donald J. Trump.
“Establishment” Republicans enjoy holding office and being important, getting money from all the avenues it opens up, being noticed, and holding all the trappings of power without the responsibility of doing anything.
It is disgusting, and I am sick of it.
Collins is one of those. She is useful only as another “possible” vote, if she doesn’t decide to show how “independent” she is. She makes me want to spit.
I give Leftists more credit for guts than I can give to her. If they stab you, at least they do it to your face in full view...not in your back.
Correct. Pro Publica is garbage.
Dole was pro-Trump.
Dole was pro-Trump.
FBI walked right past 100 democrats on the way...
That may be true, but at the time, especially when he was running for President, Bob Dole was the epitome of an “Establishment Republican”.
That said, I always liked Bob Dole. I respected his physical sacrifice in the military, and when he poked fun at himself (in the style of Saturday Night Live by referring to himself deliberately in the third person as they made fun of him for doing) that really gave me insight to his personality in a positive way.
But at the time...he wasn’t someone to break the rules and bring us out of submissive Republican politics. That is what I meant when I referred to him.
But what you should also know is that Collins has appointed "Graham" to the committee.
So are we looking at Collins, Murkowski and "Graham" as the vote spoilers in the future??
We are in the middle of the Trump counter-revolution.
There are fence sitters like Collin and Murkowski.
They came in with the old guard, and are trying to decide if the counter revolution is here to stay.
If we win the mid-terms, keep the House and the Senate, they will come around.
And she should have known enough to discuss it intelligently. So, I am nervous about her, but she has yet to prove herself in any way. We shall see.
I look at Collins and Murkowski (especially the execrable Murkowski) as givens in that role.
They’re also old and my be slowly realizing that their time has passed.
Dole was another example of “it’s his turn” nominations in the Republican party. Dole, McCain, Romney... all had been around long enough that it was “their turn” to run for president. And all lost.
Not writers, typists, jowhorenalists.
Sigh. “His turn” indeed. That is true. Most of us recognized that even then, but...we dutifully voted for him.
What was the alternative? Fundamentally, he was indeed a good man, but the political part of it was just so flawed and wrong.
To require a purity test for Republican candidates is a recipe for disaster.
Most of those called RINOs voted with the GOP majorities in both houses 98% of the time. That they are unwilling to be dragged down by a president unpopular in their districts and states is self-preservation and is a pragmatic measure to prevent a Democrat tidal wave.
Yes.
Some people think that doing what is politically expedient regardless of the consequences is preferable to doing what is right.
When first bush then Dole, two war vets, lost to the draft dodger I knew it was all over. This commie push right now is simple, promise free stuff while taking down those who worked for their wealth is a winner.
The only tax reform I want is everyone pays and stop using the IRS as a welfare agency.
Meanwhile the “affordability” argument is a winning stance for the dems and their lackey media. It is another way to say I want a cheaper life style that someone else pays for. Free medical, free college, no sacrifice like rationing or military service.
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