“Year in, year out, no senator has matched her devotion to constructing bipartisan legislation in the interest of getting things done for her constituents and our country.” That’s what Dan Diller, the nonpartisan Luger Center had to say about our senator, Susan Collins, when announcing that she has again ranked as the most bipartisan member of the Senate for the eighth year in a row.

While many in Washington talk of working across the aisle, Sen. Collins actually does the work. Across our nation, Americans consistently say they want their elected officials to work together, to set aside partisanship for the greater good. Yet fewer and fewer in Congress have the courage to do what is necessary to meet this expectation. And thus, we continue to see debates about things like ending the filibuster in the Senate.

Sen. Collins is the embodiment of what Mainers expect of their leaders. Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, Olympia Snowe and others worked to bridge the political gaps, and Collins continues this tradition.

Right now both Democrat and Republican leaders are constantly working to keep their members firmly opposed to their opposition. This constant partisanship is very dangerous for our nation.

But by sending Sen. Collins back to the Senate for an historic fifth term, Maine has done what it can to try combat the division. Eventually our nation’s partisan fever will break, and when it does, we’ll be thankful that leaders like Sen. Collins set the example for others to follow.

Robert Caverly

Chelsea