Posted on 10/31/2026 9:05:16 PM PDT by KingofZion
***
“It’s just an environment of possible retribution,” Mr. Wood said. “It is that fear she instills.”
Over nearly 30 years, Ms. Collins, a self-styled moderate in a familiar Maine mold, has cultivated a public persona as a workhorse and a fastidious maestro of constituent services and pork-barrel disbursements, using her Washington know-how to get her constituents what they need.
But for just as long, her detractors say, she has managed to mostly mask another reality. “The gentlewoman from Maine,” as her colleagues say on the Senate floor, is a formidable power broker who can play a fierce brand of politics with a how-dare-you air. According to more than 40 interviews with Republicans and Democrats in Maine politics, former staff, colleagues and longtime observers, Ms. Collins has wielded power not so much as a Yankee Republican but as a shrewd machine politician.
“It’s almost like Tammany Hall,” said Amy Fried, a retired political scientist from the University of Maine. “You’re going to get this benefit here if you vote for me.”
Lance Dutson, a Republican strategist and former aide to Ms. Collins, did not disagree.
“Senator Collins has been extraordinarily effective,” said Blake Kernen, a spokeswoman for Ms. Collins. “She works tirelessly to deliver results for the state, meets with thousands of Mainers every year, and she secures billions of dollars for communities in all of Maine’s 16 counties whether they vote for her or not.”
*** Her whole life has been a lesson in the accrual and use of power.
Elected Democrats and political donors, Mr. Wood said, told him Ms. Collins reviewed the lists of who gives more than $1,000 to whom — and kept score.
“People told me they could not give me money because they knew she would look at the report,” he said. “Democrats.”
***MORE
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
“Washington Know-How” what BS is that?
A moderate? 😄
Yep…. SOOOO surprising and completely unexpected. 🤦🏼🤦🏼
Sure Susiie.
Is Politics now a science? Or is that just a fancy name academia likes to toss around?
Well, Hari Seldon used psycho-history ...
I dont care.
We need hard left wing republicans in seats that otherwise would generally be lock ins for democrats. We need seat warmers to play the role of blocker.
Can we convince that putz Cornyn to run for the senate in Illinois? I’m serious. As a Texas senator, Cornyn was a complete insult. But as an Illinois senator? We seriously need him!! Illinois or Minnesota or Washington State or any which are only going to elect a putz. And more like him and like Susan Collins.
We need situational awareness. - based on the seat in question.
Of how many times she votes with the RATS.
too bad shes a liberal, but the President needs her for the majority just like the dems need illegal aliens for the census.
Hari Seldon had a much higher accuracy rate!
🤣
I expected a lezzy rape allegation from 30 years ago.
Is Collins going to follow suit and offer the citizens of Maine $5,000 if and only if she wins.
I’m sick of her and Murkowski. What are they, some kind of RINO tag team?
If only there were more women in politics. ;=)
The trouble with politics is there’s too many politicians in politics.
EC
Maine, like Alaska, has RCV for very good reason.
Probably the most moderate senator in the country. But she has to be if she survives this election, most likely her last I can’t see any Republican being able to replace her in Maine. The northeast will be gone completely want to find a number elsewhere.
Insightful observation.
What reason is that?
And why does RCV only seem to benefit ‘Rats?
She surely isn’t a liberal or conservative
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.