Want To See The Last Of Susan Collins? Help Betsy Sweet Win Maine's Senate Primary June 9

Just as he's done in Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, etc, Brooklyn's Chuck Schumer has decided to choose who Maine's U.S. Senate nominee for the Susan Collins seat will be. This is bad on enough the face, but Schumer almost always gets it wrong. He picks losers and Republicans win seats-- the way Marco Rubio did in Florida when he wrecked Alan Grayson's campaign. And when he does manage to come up with someone who can win, they always turn out to be the worst members of the Senate, like Kyrsten Sinema and Jackie Rosen. He's decided he wants establishment hack Sara Gideon as the Maine candidate, someone who shies away from anything that ever rocks the boat and opposes Medicare for All and the Green New Deal just at a time of an existential tipping point for the country. The word "bold" is like a curse word for Gideon who has tried to present herself as similar to Susan Collins as she can without being Susan Collins.

The alternative to Collins and Gideon is progressive Democrat Betsy Sweet, who has been endorsed by Blue America.

"News of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States," Betsy told us this week, "has not only dominated the American news cycle but it has also remained a pivotal worry in the minds of millions of Americans. Each day, the fear grows greater that these hardworking Americans will contract the virus, left with no safety net to heal without concern. Most vividly, the coronavirus is showing the holes in our systems of care. It showcases the vulnerability of working families and single moms like me who have high deductibles that far surpass the testing costs for COVID-19 as well as those who have no insurance at all. People without insurance are not going to be able to get the care they desperately need until it is too late. We have to do better."

The coronavirus outbreak in the United States," she continued, "highlights two things most prominently-- the need for paid family leave and paid sick leave. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are actively advocating for Americans to stay home from their places of work, Americans need reassurance that their livelihoods aren’t threatened. Without paid family leave and paid sick leave, parents risk spreading the virus to their friends, their coworkers, their children. More so, we need a health care system that works for all Americans so that they have access to the care and treatment they need. By implementing Medicare for All, every single American would have access to the tests for COVID-19 without worrying about being unable to afford their rent and groceries."

We need representatives who recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation. What do we get instead? Trump refusing to acknowledge the reality of the rapid spread of coronavirus throughout the country. McConnell recessing Congress when a reasonable bill finally passes, Biden relying on private insurance companies to overcharge hardworking Americans and price gouge in a time of dire straits. Candidates like Sara Gideon, Schumer's candidate in Maine, who refuse to acknowledge that health care is a human right. Mainers deserve better. Americans deserve better.

Don't think for a moment that if Schumer pushes Gideon into the nomination, Collins would use all her shortcoming against her. Conservative outlet the Free Beacon, noted a couple of months ago that "Gideon is campaigning as a 'champion for the environment' but is also relying on oil executives to help finance her Senate run. Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, invited four millionaires from the oil industry to host her Jan. 10 fundraisers in Houston. These four Democratic megadonors already donated thousands of dollars to Gideon's campaign before the fundraiser. Gideon's state leadership PAC also collected thousands of dollars from fossil fuel companies, including from a firm that the PAC's treasurer lobbied for... Gideon's ties to the energy industry has not stopped her from attacking Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for receiving donations from the 'Texas fossil fuel industry.'"

Gideon started building ties with the fossil fuel industry during her time in the state house. Her leadership PAC, launched in May 2014, employed Jay Nutting, a lobbyist for Emera Energy, as its treasurer. Emera Energy would donate nearly $2,000 to Gideon's leadership PAC, according to filings with the Maine Ethics Commission. In total, the PAC has received $7,000 from oil and gas companies.

While Gideon touts environmentalist positions on the campaign trail, she has avoided supporting bills that undermine the fossil fuel industry in the state house. She abstained from voting for both the Green New Deal and a 2017 bill that prohibited banks from supporting the Dakota Access Pipeline. She also pushed a bill through the legislature that relaxed rules around oil storage sites, a major win for fossil fuel companies.

"The Maine Democrat has raised $7.6 million for her Senate campaign. The impressive war chest, however, has drawn attention not only from her primary opponents but campaign finance watchdog groups. The state's ethics watchdog unanimously voted to fine Gideon's PAC after it was revealed that she used illegal means to reimburse donations.

Gideon is seen as the favorite to win the Democratic primary, which is slated to take place in June 2020. She faces an uphill climb in the general election. She trailed Collins by 14 points in a poll conducted last June.

That leaves one clear path forwards-- Maine needs a Senator who not only recognizes that direct, immediate action is needed to counter the spread of COVID-19 but who also pushes forward bold ideas like paid family leave, paid sick leave, and Medicare for All that ensure that Americans can safely continue their lives and heal from coronavirus without astronomical medical bills. Betsy Sweet is that candidate. If we want candidates like Betsy to prevail, we need to help. We need to donate so that Betsy can push forward these bold progressive policies on a national stage. That's what the Blue America 2020 Senate thermometer is for. Please click on it and contribute what you can.