On Aug. 13, Sen. Susan Collins speculated on radio that Sen. John Edwards is the father of an illegitimate child. Collins brazenly stated that, “Would he be sneaking into the hotel in the middle of the night to see a child who’s not his? I don’t think so.” It is reassuring that Collins is concerned with the personal life of Edwards because she certainly is not concerned with lowering the price of home heating oil and gasoline.

In November 2005, Collins voted against an amendment that would tax the windfall profits of oil companies and direct the tax revenue toward struggling American consumers. In September 2005, Collins voted for the Bush-Cheney Energy Bill which gave the oil and gas industries $14 billion in tax breaks and tax incentives. In June 2003, Collins voted against an amendment which would regulate the trading of online energy derivatives and impose penalties for market manipulation. This amendment would have closed the “Enron Loophole” which exempts from regulation most over-the-counter energy trades and trading on electronic energy commodity markets. Experts say that as much as 75 percent of future trading is conducted through unregulated “black markets” created by the Enron Loophole in 2000, which Collins supported in 2003.

Is Susan Collins going to help reduce the price of home heating oil and gasoline? Using Collins’ own words, “I don’t think so.” Collins should spend less time rolling in the mud of political gossip and more time explaining why she has repeatedly voted to provide big oil with tax incentives and why she opposed regulation of energy market manipulation.

Jody Mullis

Corinna