To the editor:
I read with interest the letter penned by the new Lincoln County Republican Committee chair (“County Republicans send letter to Sen. Collins,” Aug. 3). It was particularly intriguing given a related headline in the same paper, “New county GOP chair pledges to pursue unity.”
The letter to Susan Collins sparked a big question in my mind for the Lincoln County Republican Committee, and by proxy all Lincoln County Republicans: how can you pursue unity when you openly rebuke one of Maine’s greatest Republican assets?
I found it fascinating that instead of praising the courage and leadership of fellow Republican Susan Collins, the Lincoln County Republican Committee chose to distance themselves from this venerable public servant.
The Lincoln County Republican Committee should embrace her, not chastise her. She understands what it means to be a politician; that it takes compromise to get things done. She understands that there is work to be done above and beyond spouting rhetoric and rigid party ideology; that working collaboratively across the aisle is productive.
She understands that making policy is a process that should be open and transparent, not something agreed upon behind closed doors. To me, that is what she voted for – a fair and open system of government.
While I don’t agree with all her politics, I do think she did the right thing for the people of Maine on her health care vote. Sen. Collins appears to care about the people she was elected to serve, and is clearly willing to vote for people over party. I think we can all agree that our health care system needs fixing, but the process of reform needs to be thoughtful and deliberate, just as Sen. Collins is proposing.
M.A. Moisan
New Harbor and Windham
