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I long ago decided never to vote for Susan Collins, and my resolve is unchanged. My decision not to vote for her isn’t simply about what I see as her subservience to President Donald Trump’s agenda of vengeance and disdain for the rule of law. My decision rests on my thinking about the role of a U.S. senator.
We’ve had some great senators from Maine during my long years of voting here: Ed Muskie; Bill Cohen; George Mitchell; and in one important moment, Margaret Chase Smith. All were distinguished, I believe, not just by their loyalty and love for Maine but by a deeply felt awareness of the broader concerns of our country and even its place in the world.
Senators should be accountable to us as citizens of their home state, and we should feel that they’re the people to turn to when we’re up against local conditions and urgent personal needs. But beyond the local and immediate concerns, what about Collins’ votes on healthcare impacts across the country?
I don’t know whether Troy Jackson will develop into the kind of senator we were fortunate to have representing us when Bill Cohen came from Bangor and kept us in mind while he went onto the national and international stage. Perhaps Jackson has it in him to grow into that kind of wisdom.
I believe that Collins isn’t and has never been that kind of senator. We need our senators to look outward, as I believe Angus King does, while staying in close touch with us. We need and deserve someone greater than Susan Collins has ever been.
Ruth Nadelhaft
Bangor