Monday, February 8, 2010

Collins' Blind Spot

After campaigning for and winning reelection as a results-oriented centrist who brings people together to get things done, Sen. Collins has spent the last two weeks spouting often-false, ultra-partisan talking points and making objectively ludicrous, hyperbole-laden assertions like, "this administration cannot see a foreign terrorist even when he stands right in front of them."

Even though the Obama administration followed Bush administration precedent (and the law) in its handling of the Christmas Day bomber.

Even though the junior senator registered no qualms about the Bush administration's approach to similar cases.

And even though there's no evidence that her preferred--illegal--approach to the case would have resulted in a better outcome.

But now we learn that Collins was briefed on the administration's handling of Abdulmutallab on Christmas day? And that she raised no concerns about the actions that only weeks later she would call "dangerous" and "a charade" and "inconceivable"?

It doesn't get much more brazen and disingenuous than this.

It's pretty clear that the last couple of weeks have damaged Collins and debunked, once and for all, the idea that she's a straight-shooter. I suspect that it'll be a while, for example, before she gets any glowing "above-the-fray" treatment from the big, national news organizations.

But her debut as GOP attack dog has been so poorly managed--and so cynically executed--that you have to wonder if she knew what she was signing up for.

Did Sen. Collins jump off the diving board without checking to see if the pool was full of water?

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