To paraphrase Mr. Lincoln, you can fool some of the people half the time and half the people some of the time, but you can’t fool a majority of the people all of the time. Up to now, Susan Collins has been doing the latter, but her time is running out.

The senator has been fooling Mainers since 1996. That is 24 years of deftly manipulating her words, her promises and her constituents, starting with her pledge to only serve two terms. That was four terms ago. The math does not add up and neither does her voting record – unless you are the wealthiest of Americans, an out-of-state corporation or Big Pharma:

1. Collins has voted more than 20 times to deprive Mainers of health care.

2. She voted to withhold paid sick leave from workers at large businesses (who can afford to pay it) during this global health crisis.

3. She singlehandedly led the charge to cut $870 million of pandemic preparedness funding from the 2009 stimulus.

A D.C.-based PAC is spending at least $700,000 on her re-election. Now, ask yourself, why would they do that? Do they love Maine and Maine residents like you and me? Does it matter to that PAC if you can’t afford health care, or do not have a salary that pays the bills, or are unable to find affordable housing?

Susan Collins apparently doesn’t, either. Ask her. Look at her record. And come November, say, Bye-bye, Susan.
 
Dr. S.I. Gioro
Portland