Posted on 09/04/2010 7:22:52 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
At the frenzied peak of congressional negotiations over the federal stimulus in 2009, there was a surplus of phone calls and e-mails in U.S. Sen. Susan Collins' office, but a deficit of Diet Coke.
"Literally, every six to eight seconds a new (e-mail) would come through from all over the country," recalled Steve Abbott, Collins' former chief of staff. "In our front office, the phones would be ringing and when you hung up, it would ring."
The demand on phones and BlackBerries was only surpassed by that on Capitol Hill vending machines, as the flocks of lobbyists and staffers roaming the halls drained supplies of a key, all-night negotiating ingredient.
"It was like an encampment," he said. "You'd get to soda machine after soda machine in the Senate complex and they were all out of Diet Coke. It was just one of those things where everybody was there all the time and the cupboards were bare."
Negotiating the stimulus marked a period of growing influence -- and searing scrutiny -- for Collins, a centrist Republican, in the Senate, as its partisan makeup thrust Maine's junior senator into the heart the country's top policy debates.
"I enjoy playing a key role in the U.S. Senate, but it's been very difficult to be in a pivotal position on every single major issue, on every single vote," she said. "The excessive partisanship has eroded the trust among members -- and that is corrosive and destructive. There's fault on both sides."
Collins has aided Democrats by providing key votes on bills that, if not for her support, would have failed.
(Excerpt) Read more at kjonline.com ...
As long as Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Lindsey Graham receive money from the NRSC, I refuse to send them a penny.
These three are nothing more than RATs in RINO clothing.
Smart move. Contribute to individual candidates who share our views.
Please don't flame me, I know she's a RINO. Unfortunately in Maine, she's the best we can do because of all the liberals that invaded the state.
The sad truth is that she and Snowe are well regarded and well liked here, and the far lefties who have run against them would have made Ted Kennedy proud.
The solution is to devalue their worth, and you do that by having an overwhelming majority in the Senate. We need their votes, but not their leadership.
Our two, plus McCain and their ilk are useful ONLY when they're back-benchers.
Which reminds me of what Rush says about moderates...no one ever wrote a book about great Moderate Leaders of our Time. Lets get as many Conservatives wherever we can, and where we can't (Maine and New England) we'll have to settle for RINOs. At least they're ours.
We need to get enough Real republicans in the Senate that the votes of these two Democrats in sheep’s clothing don’t amount to anything.
They are both pukes.
Well, if that's your attitude, then you're right...she's the best you'll ever get.
In the past, people struggled and sometimes even fought to affect change. But you're right...that's too much to ask of people these days.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
The problem is that none of them are.
They delight in stabbing conservatives and giving aid and comfort to liberal elements of the Democrat Party.
“Smart move. Contribute to individual candidates who share our views.”
Well, the national Republican organization has repeatedly shown me that they didn’t manage the money I was giving them very well. I’d contribute assuming the money would go to different Republican candidates around the country, and it did- Larry Craig, Foley, Duke Cunningham, etc, so now I watch the races, read up a bit, and spot money in varying amounts (nothing really large) to candidates that show me something. Most are not incumbents.
I got a call the other day from the national committee and I told the poor b*****d on the other end exactly the above, then reminded him that the last I heard, the party foot the bill for a night out at a S&M themed disco, and until they show me better, no contributions.
Then there’s Mike Steele...
“Well, if that’s your attitude, then you’re right...she’s the best you’ll ever get.
In the past, people struggled and sometimes even fought to affect change. But you’re right...that’s too much to ask of people these days.”
You said a mouthful, Brother!
As long as there are those among us that are NOT willing to fight for what is right, this is the kind of crap that we will have to deal with.
You and I are just going to have to hit the bad guys even harder.
Note that the ABCNNNBBC’s MSM writers are now politely complimenting ONLY RINO’s like Snow, Cain, and (un)Able (Miskowski)....
"I enjoy playing a key role in the U.S. Senate, but it's been very difficult to be in a pivotal position on every single major issue, on every single vote," she said. "The excessive partisanship has eroded the trust among members -- and that is corrosive and destructive. There's fault on both sides."
Senator's McCain, Snowe, Collins, Graham, Grassley and the other "reach across the aisle" incumbent traitors are precisely what's wrong with our side of the aisle. They've been in DC too long, they've formed "friendships" and they think they're there to "get something done" regardless of whether it's Constitutionally authorized.
Lord, guide the voters to send us the new Senators we need! Our Tea Party candidates are a good start.
Joe Miller has leadership written all over him!
Does Ms. Collins realize she no longer has credibility with the voters?
-sigh- bump
People Orin Hatch and Dick Luger will be voting and talking much differently if 7 or 8 seats change hands. They will see what happened to their wishy washy friends - like Bennet and realize that they will have a serious primary challenge in 2012. HAH serves them right. Graham is going to KNOW that folks are after him in 2012.
One more reason why electing Castle is worthless.
Their votes affect me in Indiana. And, Lugar is in our pitchfork sights when he is up.
You bet. My gloves are off, and I'm ready to clean some clocks if necessary.
I was watching "Patton" for the umpteenth time the other day, and the line in the monologue about "all real Americans love a fight" struck me, because it's no longer true. We Americans shy away from confrontations, we talk 'til we're blue in the face, compromise our principles, and go along to get along. But for the most part, we dare not speak our minds because we might offend someone, or tell the vulgar loudmouth in the restaurant to shut up or step outside. On a personal level, and on a political level when it comes to much of the GOP, we've become a nation of spineless jellyfish.
What happened to the Spirit of '76? As much as we bash the French for being surrender monkeys, on a personal and political level, we're not that much better.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Disagree. They are not marginalized. Even if we take the Senate there are enough of her ilk that become huge power brokers. They get to decide what legislation gets passed or fails. Their wishy-washy-ness means they control the Senate for the same reason that Anthony Kennedy’s vote controls a lot of the ideologically charged decisions that come out of the Supreme Court.
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