The Republican Party has always had to worry about how its RINOs would vote, and the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett has been no different. Fortunately, Sen. Mitt Romney announced his intention to vote for the judge, as did Sen. Lisa Murkowski, but Sen. Susan Collins is a hard no.
“Prior to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, I stated that, should a vacancy on the Supreme Court arise, the Senate should follow the precedent set four years ago and not vote on a nominee prior to the presidential election.,” Collins said in a statement. “Because this vote is occurring prior to the election, I will vote against the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.”
But does it matter? As Matt reported over the weekend, no. The GOP has the votes to bring Barrett over the finish line, but should Republicans be upset with her?
Dinesh D’Souza explained why he's not.
“I’m not mad at Susan Collins,” he said on Twitter. “I would rather she vote against Amy Coney Barrett and get re-elected, than vote for her and get defeated. We needed Collins’s vote for Kavanaugh; we don’t need her for this one #Realpolitik101.”
I’m not mad at Susan Collins. I would rather she vote against Amy Coney Barrett and get re-elected, than vote for her and get defeated. We needed Collins’s vote for Kavanaugh; we don’t need her for this one #Realpolitik101
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) October 25, 2020
Collins’s challenger Sara Gideon called the Republican senator out for her position on Barrett, saying it’s nothing but a “political calculation.”
“Susan Collins confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on the 7th Circuit even though she called the ACA unconstitutional & Roe v. Wade "barbaric," Gideon tweeted. “This vote is a political calculation—she's rubber-stamped 181 far-right nominees, including Amy Coney Barrett.”
Susan Collins confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on the 7th Circuit even though she called the ACA unconstitutional & Roe v. Wade "barbaric."
— Sara Gideon (@SaraGideon) October 25, 2020
This vote is a political calculation—she's rubber-stamped 181 far-right nominees, including Amy Coney Barrett.
According to RealClearPolitics’s average of surveys, Gideon is up 4.2 percentage points, with RCP rating the race as a toss-up.