I used to think of Sen. Susan Collins as the Charlie Brown of the U.S. Senate, and Mitch McConnell as Lucy. In the cartoon strip “Peanuts,” Lucy promises to hold the football for Charlie to kick, only to pull it away at the last moment, leaving Charlie embarrassed. Charlie, earnest, continues to attempt the kick.

I thought Susan Collins, time and again, was the Charlie Brown — earnest, and good-natured, only to be played the fool by her Senate colleagues, who repeatedly pulled the proverbial football as she attempted her kick (to do the right thing).

Only now have I come to realize a terrible mistake in my analogy. Susan Collins is Lucy, and we, the citizens of Maine, represent Charlie Brown.

Sen. Collins has helped, in major ways, to usher in this era of “theater of the absurd.” Think Bushmaster Firearms founder Richard Dyke bankrolling Collins’ early political career, Brett Kavanaugh’s promised fondness for stare decisis, President Trump’s “learning his lesson” and RFK Jr.’s assurances to follow the science on vaccines. At this point, her legacy is largely settled, and I think she will simply do and say whatever it takes to remain a U.S. senator from Maine.

Collins voted “No” against the Big Ugly Bill because she is up for reelection and Trump and his team gave her a pass.

When will it end?

Michael Perfetti
Cumberland