Taking credit: Collins and the Bath Iron Works myth

There has been a lot of talk this election year about how important it is to re-elect Susan Collins because of what she does for Bath Iron Works.

It’s a myth. First, let’s dispose of the idea that Collins is unique. Every federal elected official in Maine supports BIW. It is the fourth largest employer in the state, with about 7,000 employees. Chellie Pingree, Angus King, Jared Golden, even Sara Gideon all support BIW. Even I do, living 10 miles away from the yard and liking a healthy Navy. Shoot, it’s political suicide in a small state like Maine to say anything else.

Second, there is a particularly phony assertion she is making that she had a hand in ending the recent strike at BIW. Several BIW workers assert this in a recent Collins political ad. Only to be shot down by a representative of Local 6 at BIW, who says Sen. Collins was unresponsive to union requests for assistance in the strike.

But basically, what Collins is saying is that her seniority and seat on the Appropriations Committee is such a powerful asset that it should not be thrown away for a junior member of the Senate, which is what Sarah Gideon would be. If the Senate stays Republican, she might even become Appropriations Committee chair.

Read the full article in the Portland Press Herald.