Big Pharma Boosts Collins

The Maine Race catches the pharmaceutical industry using a disingenuous ad to help re-elect Sen. Collins.

This is at least the fourth pro-business group to run ads in Maine designed to distract viewers from the major contrasts in the Allen-Collins race.

It's not hard to understand why corporate fatcats might not want to run spots lauding Collins for supporting tax subsidies for companies that outsource US jobs while opposing Republican-sponsored minimum wage increases--even if these are the real reasons they support her.

Of course, in a mature, sophisticated democracy, a vigorous press would shed light on these cynical maneuvers, neutralizing their effect and perhaps even prompting a backlash against the organizations themselves.

But that's not exactly a risk in Maine.