“Once upon a time, in a land far away,” begins most fairy tales.

For the purposes of this piece, the “land far away,” today, sadly, is the United States. The “once upon a time” is now.

In this fairy tale, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is our main character. Our tale has three chapters.

Chapter One. In the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, sided with the plaintiff, giving rise to super PACs and, thus, unleashing a torrent of money into elections. Therefore, the authority of “we the people” to govern, via the ballot box, was eroded and now appears to be undertaken mostly on behalf of corporations, outside entities and the ultra-wealthy. By virtue of their unrestricted money, these unelected entities can/do exert enormous political sway.

The fairy tale: Collins has stated: “Throughout my service … I have worked for greater transparency in our campaign financing system and I continue to believe … this system … must … be further reformed.”

Her actions stand in contrast. How? She voted to confirm two of the five justices (one of whom was a member of the Federalist Society) who voted in favor of the plaintiff.

The real story, as the website of End Citizens United puts it: “In 2014, Collins voted to block a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.” Why? It may be related to Sen. Collins having taken $6 million from corporate PACs by 2020. Why abolish a system that allows an incumbent senator to remain in the Senate?

Chapter Two. In 2022, our real story was the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, an earlier ruling that protected the constitutional right to abortion for over 50 years. Commenting on said decision, Collins said: “This ill-considered action will further divide the country at a moment when … we need the Court to show consistency and restraint.”

The fairy tale: Collins may have publicly supported a woman’s right to abortion.

The real story: She had previously voted to confirm four of the six justices (three of whom are members of the Federalist Society) who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. All four of these justices had previously, under oath, stated that Roe v. Wade was protected by “established precedence.” Was it? It appears that, quite often, Collins publicly affirms and supports the nation’s majority wishes, but at heart she is a member of the MAGA/Trump Republican Party, which has always wanted to restrict/outlaw abortions. Their wish has come true.

Chapter Three. In the case of Trump v. United States (2024), the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, sided with the plaintiff. In response, Sen. Collins said that the justices distinguished between official and unofficial acts, on the question of immunity, and that a lower court would determine whether the decision applied to criminal charges against Trump.

The fairy tale: Collins apparently does not cherish the ideal that no one, even a president, is above the law.

The real story: Collins had previously voted to confirm all six justices (three of whom are connected to the Federalist Society) who sided with the plaintiff. The court’s decision eventually resulted in the termination of two cases being brought against Trump by special prosecutor Jack Smith, in which Trump was alleged to have instigated the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and that he mishandled illegally stored classified/secret documents.

Quietly, Sen. Collins continues to support a “system” that does not hold members of the MAGA/Trump Republican Party accountable for abuses of power.

Our story ends with: Now we know who Collins really is. Not truthful, but duplicitous. Why is this knowledge important? Because all Maine citizens require a senator who truthfully believes in fairness (in campaign financing), abortion access and the rule of law, among other rights. Collins does not.