- Pardon our juxtaposition, Mitch’s deference to Susan Collins makes it hard to differentiate
CLEARLY THE GOP SENATE CAUCUS IS SORELY IN NEED OF NEW (REAL) LEADERSHIP
Oh, and can somebody tell me why Susan Collins is assigned to the following committees?:
1) Health education, labor and pensions?
2) Appropriations?
3) Select Committee on Intelligence?
…or ANY committee in the Senate?!
Maine Republicans must be very proud of their senior senator.
Let’s review all the stuff Susan has done for the Republican caucuses during her nearly 20 years in the Senate:
– In 2015, Senator Collins was ranked by the Lugar Center (remember him?)…hold your applause… “the most bi-partisan senator in the 114th Congress!
– a member of the “Republican Majority for Choice” (Wow! Who doesn’t like ‘choice’?)
– she’s consistently endorsed by the “Human Rights Campaign”, a “major” LGBT rights organization!
– and, here’s one to chew on: In 2015, Morning Consult gave our gal a 78% approval rating! Now you may not think that’s such a big deal until you’re told that that’s the second highest rating for a ‘sitting’ or presumably ‘standing’ as well, senator.
But, guess who was the highest rated ‘sitting, standing, or prone’ senator? Bernie Sanders…yep, that Bernie Sanders! (source: Wikipedia)
– and, finally…Susan regularly uses the Men’s Rest Room in the Senate chamber! OH WAIT! THAT’S FAKE NEWS…Susan hasn’t yet thought to do that!
I have to ask, being just a know-nothing observer of the political scene: Would the GOP, or the entire nation for that matter, be worse off if Susan and “Mumbles” McConnell would just go caucus with the Dems? Well, maybe “Mumbles” does some things right…Justice Gorsuch does come to mind, but…
Another question is, how do the Dems keep their caucus members in line? Maybe Mitch oughtta ask. DLH
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GOP leader tempers ObamaCare expectations
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is tempering expectations that the Senate will pass an overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system, promising his colleagues a vote but not success.
McConnell in his public comments and private conversations about the ObamaCare repeal and replace bill is painting a more sober picture than Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who in March guaranteed passage through the House.
McConnell is stopping well short of any grand pronouncement.
He says he will bring a bill to the floor for a vote, but is not making any promises whether he will get at least 50 members of the 52-member Senate GOP conference to back it.
…………………………
Is there a Republican Party in Maine or a “Bipartisan Party”?
From the Susan Collins Wikipedia bio: (one a Democrat could be proud of)
Described as one of “the last survivors of a once common species of moderate Northeastern Republican”,[6] Collins is considered a bipartisan and centrist member of the Republican Party, and an influential player in the U.S. Senate.[10][11][12][13] In 2015,The Lugar Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded by Senator Richard Lugar released a bipartisan index in cooperation with Georgetown University, ranking Senator Collins the most bipartisan senator in the 114th Congress (and the only U.S. Senator from the American Northeast ranked among the top 10 most bipartisan senators).[14] She is a member of several moderate organizations within the Republican Party, including the Republican Main Street Partnership, Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans for Choice, The Wish List, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and the Republican Leadership Council. Although she shares a centrist ideology with Maine’s former Senator, Olympia Snowe, Collins is considered a “half-turn more conservative” than Snowe.[6] Collins has consistently been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, a major LGBT rights organization; she was one of six Republicans running in 2008 to be endorsed by the HRC.[15] She supported John McCain in the 2008 election for President of the United States.[16]
