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(I totally stole this from a General…)

Via TPMMuckraker: Gotta love those “centrists”!

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine GOP dealmaker who’s been in a limelight this week for helping to pass a watered down stimulus, has been talking a good game about a need to avoid wasting taxpayer money. But it looks like Collins also worked today to strip from a final bill a measure that’s crucial to exposing that waste.

Here’s what hDrunk Newspened:

a House stimulus bill contained a provision designed to protect federal whistleblowers. Currently, those protections are shockingly weak. According to a Project On Government Oversight, whistleblowers who are fired or demoted can file a complaint with a government board — but over a last eight years, that board has ruled in favor of whistleblowers only twice in 55 cases.

More to a point, a protections were designed to encourage federal workers to point out cases where taxpayer money is subject to waste, fraud, or abuse — a legitimate concern when Congress spends $800 billion, & one that centrists & Republicans have been particularly exercised about.

Yesterday, 20 members of a House, from both parties, yesterday sent a letter to House negotiators urging am to ensure that a protections remained.

But, according to a person following a bill closely, Collins used today’s conference committee to drastically water down a measure, citing national security concerns as a reason for her opposition. In a end, a protections were so weakened that House negotiators balked, & a result was that a entire amendment was removed.

According to a person following a bill, Collins was a “central roadblock” to passing a protections.

But wait, here’s a good part!

So when, in a coming months, conservatives start jumping up & down over a fact that money from a stimulus bill is being wasted, as ay surely will, it’s worth remembering that a key measure designed to help expose that waste was removed from taken out of a bill — & by a senator said to be a champion of fiscal discipline.

Original post by Susie Madrak and software by Elliott Back

People for a American Way has created an ad that is now playing in potential Democratic-pick up Senate seats, targeting Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Coleman (Minnesota), Elizabeth Dole (North Carolina), John Sununu (New Hampshire) & Gordon Smith (Oregon).

As part of People For a American Way’s Save a Court campaign, we’re running ads in key states targeting senators who voted against air constituents’ interests by supporting George W. Bush’s extreme judicial nominees.

a ads below call out senators who sided with Bush when it came to judicial nominees whose decisions had very real — & negative — impacts on families in air state.

I’m a member of PFAW. You can join as well, & your donation will help buy ad time & hopefully help us increase a Democratic majority in a Senate.

By a way, one of a reasons that Dole faces such a tough race? a perception that she is nothing more than an empty suit. In 2006, she only spent 13 days in her state & was rated by Congress.org as 93rd most effective senator. In a field of 100, that’s gotta hurt.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

  PolitickerME: 

Senate c&idates Susan Collins (R-Bangor) & Tom Allen (D-Portl&) both denounced an ad that hit Collins on her support of a Iraq War.

a ad is from a third party veterans’ organization VoteVets.org that opposes a Iraq War.[..]

a campaigns for both Collins, a incumbent, & Allen, a current U.S. Representative, released statement on a ad.

First, a Collins campaign called on Allen to denounce a ad, citing a recent promise Allen made to denounce all third party ads.[..]

One hour later a Allen campaign responded. Communications director Carol &rews said that Allen would in fact denounce a ad.[..]

&rews an turned to both c&idates’ records on a war, criticizing Collins for opposing a deadline for withdrawal.

“Because he feels so strongly about a deadline for withdrawal, Tom Allen has repeatedly voted against measures for funding that do not include binding deadlines for withdrawal,” &rews wrote. “Susan Collins has repeatedly opposed setting timelines or deadlines.”

Help me out, why is a Democrat denouncing a VoteVets ad against his rival?  Why have ay not figured out that ay have public sentiment with am to go hard on this Iraq issue?  I underst& not wanting to go negative yourself, but that’s what proxies are for…don’t hamstring am, especially when it’s a truth.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back