As demonstrators chanted “Show up for Maine women, vote no!”, Senator Susan Collins announced her support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on the Senate floor Friday, citing concerns with the “special interests” that allegedly raced to oppose Kavanaugh from the onset and misrepresent him, as well as the inability of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s witnesses to corroborate her accusation that Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her in high school.
Responding to constituents’ concerns that Kavanaugh would dismantle the Affordable Care Act and undermine Roe v. Wade, Collins said she “disagreed,” pointing to the outcomes of particular cases Kavanaugh ruled on to justify her disagreement. She had previously described a CrowdPAC effort spearheaded by Mainers to finance her Democratic opponent’s campaign, primarily through small donations, in 2020 if she votes for Kavanaugh as amounting to a “bribe.”
“He has been an exemplary public servant,” Collins said on the Senate floor.
Viewed as a critical swing vote, Collins’ support comes after months of remaining officially undecided and despite relentless activism in Maine and multiple sexual allegations against Kavanaugh — with Ford testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee late September. The senator had just a day earlier expressed that she was satisfied with the one-week FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, saying that it appeared to have been “very thorough,” according to a report from CNN.
While once a popular senator, Collins’ support in Maine has eroded, with a recent poll showing her disapproval rating at 59 percent. The poll, released days before her announcement, also showed that 50 percent of Mainer voters would be less likely to vote to re-elect her in 2020 if she votes for Kavanaugh.
“Collins’ support of Brett Kavanaugh is an astounding betrayal of her constituents,” said Amy Halsted, co-director of Maine People’s Alliance, one of the organizations behind the CrowdPAC, in a press release. “The legacy of moderation she has worked so hard to craft, has today disintegrated.”
A final vote to confirm or not confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is expected Saturday.
(Top photo from C-SPAN video.)
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