Washington Post: A Horse and Pony Show

From Dana Milbank's column in the Washington Post:

Lawmakers, the saying goes, are either workhorses or show horses. As they debated the economic stimulus package yesterday, senators took this truism a step further: The workhorses and the show horses split into rival herds and began whinnying at each other.

The workhorses -- an ad hoc group of 18 moderates and dealmakers from both parties -- holed up in a committee room on the third floor of the Dirksen Building, tossed out their staff and got to work on a compromise plan that could get bipartisan support.

The workhorses, taking a lunch break so some of them could confer with the White House about the compromise, were pleased with their labors.

The show horses -- including the leadership of both parties -- gave speeches on the Senate floor and news conferences either to trade blame for partisan deadlock or to denounce the Group of 18's dealmaking efforts.

"It is unusual to think of senators actually doing that kind of painstaking, thorough work," said Susan Collins (Maine), leader of the Republican workhorses.

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Abandoning six-day mail delivery is unacceptable

Column by Senator Susan Collins, from Foster's:

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has traditionally prided itself on the fact that "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" can keep its carriers from the "swift completion of their appointed rounds." That is why I was astonished to hear that the USPS is considering reducing mail delivery from six days a week to just five.

Postmaster General John Potter recently made this unexpected recommendation during a hearing before a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, of which I am the ranking member. The purpose of this hearing was to examine the impact of the current economic crisis on the U.S. Postal Service.

There is no doubt that the recession is affecting virtually every sector of our economy, including the postal service. The statistics are alarming. Maine's unemployment rate hit a 16-year high of seven percent at year's end, with widespread job losses in the retail, forest products, construction, boatbuilding, publishing, and hospitality industries.

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CQ: Senate Sees Finish Line for Stimulus

from CQ Politics:

Senate Democratic leaders hope to finish work on an economic stimulus bill Thursday as moderates from both parties push for spending cuts in the package, arguing that they are the best way to secure a bipartisan vote.

Ben Nelson , D-Neb., and Susan Collins , R-Maine, are leading the moderates’ effort, even as the Senate added billions more in spending provisions and tax cuts Wednesday evening, including a major expansion of a tax credit for homebuyers.

Both lawmakers met individually with President Obama earlier in the day, as he again urged quick passage of the legislation, warning that any delay could have dire consequences for the economy.

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CBS Evening News: Senator Collins meets with Obama

from tonight's CBS Evening News:

Politico: Obama courts moderate senators on stimulus

from Manu Raju at Politico:

Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose support is critical for the fate of the economic stimulus package, told President Obama Wednesday that billions of dollars of programs would need to be slashed from the bill in order to win bipartisan backing.

Emerging from a White House meeting, the two senators said they believed Obama was open to making changes to the bill, which has become the new president’s first big test in Congress. The senators – both moderates whose votes would help the Senate hit the critical 60 vote threshold on the stimulus -- met separately with the president on Wednesday afternoon....

Collins said she raised concerns over provisions that would do little to stimulate the economy, citing spending to upgrade facilities and information technology at the State Department, addressing pandemic flu spending and boosting cybersecurity. She called on such measures to go through the regular appropriations process, and she said the president acknowledged that some provisions added by lawmakers “do not really belong in the bill.”

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AP: U.S. Senators From Maine To Meet With President Obama

from the Associated Press, via WMTW:

Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins will meet with President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

The meeting comes as centrists in both parties seek to clear away spending items that won't jump start the economy right away.

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Press Herald: Maine Senators at center of stimulus negotiations

from Dieter Bradbury at the Portland Press Herald:

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are playing key roles as the Senate struggles to fashion an economic stimulus package that enjoys bipartisan support.

The two Maine Republicans, moderates with a willingness to work with Democrats, are deeply involved in negotiations to shape a bill that blends tax cuts and targeted spending.

They will meet with President Obama in the White House today as part of a group of senators summoned to discuss the stimulus. Both agree that a stimulus is needed, but both have expressed concerns about the $819 billion bill passed by the House last week.

Snowe and Collins said the House bill, and the $885 billion Senate version drafted by Democratic leaders, include spending provisions that would not boost the economy. They said they wanted to see a more streamlined, amended proposal with spending targeted to quick economic benefits.

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