Susan Collins shakes things up...

Oh Susan Collins! How I can't wait for our interview in your kitchen on Thursday. There is so much I want to ask you.

This article in The New York Times about Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe was a joy to read. These ladies have a tough job. First, they are Republicans in liberal New England. Second, they're women in a world dominated by men. Lastly, they are voting outside of their party lines for a bill they both strongly believe it, a vote that is making them extremely popular with the Democrats and extremely unpopular with the Republicans.

The two Maine senators acknowledged that some of their Republican cohorts might be disenchanted. But they say they are simply doing what the pragmatic and independent people of Maine sent them to Washington to do.

“This crisis is extraordinary, and my constituents don’t expect me to stay on the sidelines,” said Ms. Collins, a onetime Senate aide who easily won re-election last November in a terrible year for Republicans elsewhere. “They expect me to jump in. People don’t want us to be the party that says no, just no.”

Susan Collins was the only Republican I voted for in September. I like her because she doesn't do what is popular with the rest of her party. She does what she believes is best for the people she represents.

It also reflects the political reality that the nature of a Republican from Maine, a state where President Obama received almost 58 percent of the vote, is much different from that of the conservative Southern and Western lawmakers who constitute much of the rest of the Senate Republican side.

“I think it is safe to say that Republicans in the Northeast are not exactly the same as Republicans in the Deep South,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

The fact that she is not afraid to vote outside of party lines and to voice her opinion shows her true Maine roots. Thank goodness we have someone in Washington who is ready and willing to cross party lines if it's in the interest of their constituents. Whether I agree with this economic stimulus package or not (I haven't decided yet) Collins' hard work and determination to work on a team to solve this crisis makes her my hero. We need more people to cross the line and extend a hand in the other direction...even if it makes other people angry.

NYT Photo by Doug Mills