Dear MoveOn member,
43 minutes and 30 seconds. That's how long Maine Senator Susan Collins spoke on the floor of the Senate defending Brett Kavanaugh before casting the deciding vote to grant him a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
43 minutes and 30 seconds spent disregarding the harrowing testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, railing against the countless women and men who worked tirelessly to bring the truth to light, and spewing Donald Trump's talking points.
In 43 minutes and 30 seconds, Collins destroyed what reputation she still had as a "moderate" by ramming through Kavanaugh's confirmation.
And after The New York Times on Saturday published an excerpt from an upcoming book corroborating one of the other allegations of assault by Kavanaugh from Deborah Ramirez and revealed a new, very similar allegation, one thing has become very clear: Those 43 minutes and 30 seconds should mark the end of Collins' career in the Senate.1
Collins is up for re-election, and defeating her is not only key to defending survivors and protecting Roe v. Wade, but also essential to ending GOP control of the Senate. There just aren't many other competitive seats.
But we can defeat Susan Collins, if we come together, starting now. That's why MoveOn is going all-in on defeating Collins and her GOP allies.
Will you chip in $5 a month to support MoveOn's campaign to defeat Susan Collins, end GOP control of the Senate, and defeat Donald Trump in 2020?
Yes, I'm in! I'll chip in monthly.
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
During her testimony before Congress, Dr. Blasey Ford shared the horrifying experience of Kavanaugh and a friend pushing her into a bedroom during a party, holding her down, and laughing while they assaulted her.
Collins didn't believe her.
And although Dr. Blasey Ford was the only victim allowed to testify, she was not the only victim to come forward during his confirmation hearing.
Ramirez, Kavanaugh's Yale classmate, also came forward to share her story of assault—when Kavanaugh exposed himself and forced her to touch his penis.
It's her story that The New York Times corroborated this weekend.
And, now, we've learned that a male classmate from Yale told the FBI that he saw Kavanaugh with his pants down at a party and that friends had pushed Kavanaugh's penis into a woman's hand. The FBI did not interview him or investigate.2
Collins has been silent about these new accusations, as well.3
Collins has spent her career cultivating a persona as a moderate and champion of women—she was even honored by Planned Parenthood in 2017—but with Trump as president, she has lurched to the right.4 And, now, we know that if the Senate stays in Republican hands, she likely would support Mitch McConnell in keeping Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat, should it come open, vacant for as long as four years—or filling it with another right-wing extremist like Kavanaugh.
We can't let this happen, and with your help, we won't. Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia just announced that he's retiring from the Senate, expanding the field for competitive Senate races. We can defeat Collins and end GOP control of the Senate in 2020, but it's going to be very tight. Sen. Collins' re-election could be the decisive race that allows Democrats to win enough seats to end GOP control of the Senate, but Maine isn't a key battleground state in the battle to defeat Trump in 2020—which means we need extra resources to compete there, defeat Trump, and take back the Senate.
If you are outraged by the newest reports about Brett Kavanaugh, here is how you can take action:
Or, if you can't chip in monthly, click here.
By voting for staunchly anti-choice Kavanaugh, Collins proved that she does not care about defending Roe or access to abortion.
By voting for a man who repeatedly lied under oath, she proved that she does not care about defending the institutions of our democracy.
And by voting for a serial sexual predator, she proved that her only loyalty lies with the Republican Party, no matter how low it stoops.
The citizens of Maine deserve better than Collins, and the Senate must be more than a protectorate for shameless, amoral partisans like Collins, Mitch McConnell, and so many more.
That's why MoveOn is going all-in to defeat Susan Collins and end GOP control of the Senate. The stakes couldn't be higher, and we simply can't do it without you. Which is why we're asking:
Will you chip in $5 a month to support MoveOn's campaign to defeat Susan Collins, end GOP control of the Senate, and defeat Donald Trump in 2020?
Yes, I'm in! I'll chip in monthly.
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Thanks for all you do.
–Kelly, Tzyh, Reggie, Nick, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Brett Kavanaugh Fit In With the Privileged Kids. She Did Not." The New York Times, September 14, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/93063?t=8&akid=246194%2E40999114%2Ehf-OjN
2. Ibid.
3. "Sen. Susan Collins faces fresh fire after emergence of new Kavanaugh allegation," The Washington Post, September 16, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/93068?t=10&akid=246194%2E40999114%2Ehf-OjN
Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
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