“Susan Collins” by Gae Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Mayhaps She is Concerned?

Tiresome is as tiresome does.

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Via The Hill: Collins asks White House to consider ‘negative impact’ of Canada trade war.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) pushed the Trump administration to “consider the negative impact” that engaging in a tariff war with Canada may have on American constituents, straying away from some of her GOP peers.

Let’s just say that “pushed” feels like too aggressive a verb for any interaction between Collins and, well, anybody.

I mean, she posted it on social media, so that’ll do the trick.

Collins, a frequent critic of Trump administration policy, said in a Saturday statement posted to social platform X that she wants “both sides to return to the negotiating table.” The Maine lawmaker said she expects the move will increase costs for her state’s residents and urged the neighboring countries to reach a “fair agreement.”

“Ever since the tariffs were first announced, I have heard from many businesses, farmers, and lobstermen concerned about the cost of navigating the tariffs, the lack of domestic supply chains, and the likely imposition of retaliatory tariffs by Canada,” she wrote. 

The tit-for-tat attacks represent a trade war that Collins believes will “lead to higher costs, risk, and uncertainty for Maine businesses.”

Gee, you don’t say.

And all I want from The Hill is to be empirical and append “but ultimately staunch ally” to “frequent critic.”

In fairness, the piece does go on to note:

While Collins has publicly decried some of President Trump’s policies, a vast majority of her votes — like many of her fellow Congress Republicans — align with his position on given issues. Though not all her GOP colleagues condemned the latest trade war.

Still, the whole charade that she is some kind of independent or bipartisan force is just utter nonsense, and her bleating concerns have well beyond reached the level of nails on a chalkboard.

11 responses to “Mayhaps She is Concerned?”

  1. All the “frequent critic” label does is kill any chance at a second career at Faux news or other Reich-wing network.

  2. And all I want from The Hill is to be empirical and append “but ultimately staunch ally” to “frequent critic.”

    Ah, but you see . . .

    While Collins has publicly decried some of President Trump’s policies, a vast majority of her votes — like many of her fellow Congress Republicans — align with his position on given issues. Though not all her GOP colleagues condemned the latest trade war.

    Republicans are graded on a curve by the media. They are graded on a curve in federal statewide elections. In House elections, they went to the principal to get the teacher who refused to use a curve to implement one.

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  3. I don’t know how accurate this piece is WRT to the tariff food fight but is sure entertaining.

    From Down Under:

    KING CARNEY ACTIVATES KONG MODE WITH ZERO FUCKS

    At two minutes to midnight on Friday, Mark Carney did something no Canadian prime minister has done in living memory. He looked at the most powerful man in the world, checked his watch, and told his negotiators to pack their bags and come home.

    Not “we’ll reconvene Monday.” Not “talks are paused pending further discussion.” Suspended. Finished. Wheels up, boys, fuck this wanker, we’re going back to Ottawa.

    And here’s the part the American press keeps missing, because they’re too busy live-blogging the tantrum to read the room. Carney didn’t storm out. He timed his exit like a bloke who’s read the fixture list.

    There’s a lot more Aussie snark where that comes from.

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    1. Best Substack I’ve read today. Thanks, mate.

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    2. Well, at least one good thing has come out of Trump’s tariff lunacy: that article. 😉

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    3. That article is something to behold. What a way with words…

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  4. As I said yesterday, this is a stupid move when Maine and Michigan are critical to control of the Senate.
    I can only speak to my home state of VT but the effect on tourism and trade has been significant even before this latest bullshit.

    1. The US-Canada tiffs have impacted the snowbird migration to Florida, Texas, and Arizona. It is sure to be worse coming this fall.

  5. That long running series, “Senator Collins and the Absent Spine”, episode 127.

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  6. The tit-for-tat attacks represent a trade war that Collins believes will “lead to higher costs, risk, and uncertainty for Maine businesses.”

    Wait, what? Unreasonable tariffs coupled with bad-faith negotiations might lead to a trade war? No way!

    Bright side: We’re only 20 months into this bad tariff kabuki, but maybe Senator Collins’ strong words will force Trump and his team to change course.

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  7. Charley in Cleveland Avatar
    Charley in Cleveland

    Surprised that no one (i.e., media, Senators, Congressmen) mentions that Trump’s tariffs are ILLEGAL. He is merely tiptoeing around the last ruling of the MAGA-friendly Supreme Court by claiming another national emergency. Once again, one of his impulsive, ignorant moves is allowed to wreak havoc while those who could stop it sit and twiddle their thumbs.

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