Sen. Susan Collins’ rationalization for voting not guilty on the impeachment articles against President Trump is dramatic proof that her time in the Senate needs to come to an end.

Her claim that Donald J. Trump “has learned … a pretty big lesson” from this impeachment was widely ridiculed a day later when the president exploited a National Prayer Breakfast to rant at anyone who had not kneeled down and kissed his feet – from all “evil” and “corrupt” Democrats to the sole Republican senator with courage, Mitt Romney.

Ms. Collins’ integrity and reputation as a moderate member of the Republican Party has been torn up one side and down the other by Donald Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell. Any thought that she is a true representative of Maine in the tradition of Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund Muskie and her one-time mentor, William S. Cohen, has been shattered.

The evidence: her votes on the tax cut for the 1 percent, to confirm Brett Kavanaugh and to acquit Trump of grave charges of inviting foreign countries to interfere in American elections for his personal benefit. Rather than respecting the traditions of the party of Lincoln, civil rights, fiscal discipline and national security, the Republican Party today is in thrall to a vulgar, ruthless and unprincipled demagogue who cares more about his ego and pocketbook, and Russia, than he does about American values and the rule of law. Susan Collins, who once said Trump was unfit for the presidency, is right in the middle of the pack.

Fred Hill

Arrowsic

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