Maine Senator Susan Collins has a lot of friends. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she developed a reputation as a reasonable, moderate Republican willing to work across the aisle to get things done. These years of niceties and moderation, culminating in her party-breaching vote to convict Donald Trump in his post-Jan. 6 impeachment trial, have turned Collins into one Democrats’ last remaining hopes for making progress in a deadlocked Congress, and a potential saving grace should the Grand Old Party decided to wholeheartedly embrace Trumpism once again.
Or, that’s the narrative that Susan Collins likes to put forward. In reality, she has proved time and time again to be just as craven as the rest, and only interested in moderation or bipartisanship when it serves her agenda.
Last week, shortly after Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, Collins…
