Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced that she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, ending weeks of silence on the pick – but a columnist warned that she’s up to her old tricks again.
The Maine Republican criticized the acting attorney general for “actions that have further eroded the [Justice] Department’s independence,” citing Blanche’s approval of an arrangement shielding President Trump, his sons and the family business from IRS audits, but MS NOW’s Max Burns expressed skepticism.
“Collins’ objections all sound correct in isolation, but her admission that the Department of Justice has become a partisan weapon in Trump’s pocket raises a host of tough questions she cannot answer,” Burns wrote. “Most pointedly, if Collins really believes what she’s saying, why is she only speaking up now? And why has she fought against Democratic efforts to bring accountability and independence back to the DOJ?”
Blanche’s confirmation hangs on a narrow margin, Burns noted. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) announced his support Tuesday, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Collins in opposition Friday morning, leaving Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) as a potential deciding vote, but Collins’ announcement comes against the backdrop of her own competitive re-election race.
A University of New Hampshire poll cited in the piece found Collins trailing Democratic challenger Troy Jackson 49-46, with only 36 percent of respondents rating her representation of Maine as “very good” or “good,” compared to 47 percent rating it “very poor” or “poor.”
The same polling data cited shows Collins has voted in line with the Trump administration’s agenda roughly 95 percent of the time, and Trump endorsed her reelection bid last month.
“Maine voters may be finally tired of this act,” Burns wrote.
“Collins’ mistake is thinking Mainers will let one noisy vote against Blanche make up for a decade of disastrously bad choices,” the columnist added. “Despite what she wants to be true, voters shouldn’t give her any credit for complaining about a Justice Department corruption crisis she helped create.”