Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Collins Hits Back

I've only found one on-the-record response from the Collins camp to the Allen ad on the economy. And sure enough, it's all bluster and misdirection. No attempt at an actual rebuttal.

Sen. Collins has also launched two new ads (here and here) that aim to blunt Rep. Allen's attack with a mix of gauzy, bipartisan language and misleading statements.

To wit: "She voted to increase the minimum wage." You mean at least once? Sure, fine. But she's also cast at least one downright ugly vote against it.

Specifically: She was one of just 16 senators to oppose both the early-2005 minimum wage increase plan put forward by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and the Republican substitute.

It's a vote that, as far as I know, she's never explained. Even though it puts her well to the right of former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) on the issue.

Of course, Sen. Collins is more popular on Wall Street--and in corporate boardrooms--than Santorum ever was. It's not hard to see why.

UPDATE: Kevin Wack says it's "disingenuous" for Democrats to criticize Collins for voting against the Santorum substitute...because Democrats themselves opposed it.

Um, no. Either Wack is unfamiliar with the context of Collins' hypocritical vote, described at the bottom of this post, or he and I have different opinions about what the word "disingenuous" means.

What's really disingenuous, of course, is portraying yourself as a defender of working people while voting for policies that help make the gap between the rich and poor wider than it's been since the Great Depression.

No comments: