"Moderate" in name only

Susan Collins has written a plea for civility in Washington. It's subtitled "The Lonely Moderate", at least in the print edition, and titled "Why divided government would be less divisive". Here's a plaintive cry from it:

I was shocked when, in 2008, two Democratic senators came to Maine and unfairly criticized my work during my highly competitive race that year. My willingness to work with Democrats had been well established over the past decade, and there was no one running that year with more bipartisan legislative initiatives and accomplishments than I had. But that didn't stop them.

Gosh, Susan - how horrible. Democratic senators campaigned for a Democrat to win. I wonder why that was... Hmm, maybe this will help us understand:

Because of his stance, I found myself in the awkward position of voting against moving forward on legislation that I supported and that contained a change in policy I advocated.

Yes, that's right. You voted your party's line instead of your own conscience. All the "bipartisan initiatives and accomplishments" in the world don't alter the fact that when legislation is on the line, you're a Republican. Not a "moderate" - a Republican.

I don't give a damn if you vote holding your nose and weeping and gnashing your teeth. I care which way you vote. When it counts, there's no difference between a moderate who won't cross her party and a zealot who never wants to. So don't blame Democrats for wanting a Democrat to have your seat. Look in the mirror first.

And voters - remember this. "Voting the man not the party" is a noble-sounding sentiment. But even this self-proclaimed moderate votes extremist when that's where her party stands.