Sen. Susan Collins: Will She Stay Or Will She Go? The Torn Moderate Republican Plans Her Future

Sen. Susan Collins said her committee work and seniority “really matter” — but she is tantalized by the opportunity to help the less prosperous parts of Maine as governor. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Will she stay or will she go? Maine Senator Susan Collins admits to being very torn over her pending decision to remain as the moderate Republican Senator or run for governor. North Dakota Democrat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is begging her not to do it. Leave the Senate that is. 

Collins admitted to Politico that the buzz about her prolonged indecision is "accurate". After hoping to finalize her decision by the end of September, Collins is not shooting for a mid-October deadline. 

“Given the contentious environment in Washington right now, my voice and vote matter a great deal,” Collins said. Her role in derailing attempts to end Obamacare are evidence of her power. “On the other hand, if I were fortunate enough to be elected governor, I could work more directly on job creation.”

Maine's other senator Independent Angus King is begging Collins to stay in the Senate. So are moderate Democrats. If Democratic voters are smart, they should be begging Collins to stay as well. 

Republican Calls San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz "A Political Hack" On CNN Sunday Morning News

San Juan Mayor Carmen YulínCruz hugs a resident of a seniors home after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. (Thais Llorca/European Pressphoto Agency-EFE)

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz made waves on Friday, speaking to media outlets including CNN and MSNBC about the need for more support from the Trump administration in dealing with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. 

Cruz's comments were prompted by those made by Elaine Duke, acting Homeland Security Secretary, on Thursday. In an astonishing lack of empathy for the scene millions of Americans watched all week -- including frequent images of Mayor Cruz walking through sewage-laden waters with her bullhorn calling for her people. 

Duke iterated her satisfaction with the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, explaining that it was “really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths.”

Mayor Cruz vehemently disagreed, saying, "When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story. When you have to pull people down from buildings -- I'm sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me."

Recognizing the error in her words Duke arrived in Puerto Rico on Friday, clarifying her earlier remarks in more humane terms.

The result of Cruz's pleas for more help was America's president Trump going ballistic on Twitter on Saturday morning, from his Bedminster Golf Club. 

Early Saturday morning, Trump responded to Cruz’s critical remarks with his own, on Twitter. “The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” he said. “Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help."

Trump set off a furor with his accusations that the people of Puerto Rico "want everything done for them." We will cover them in a new article, but to hear Republicans calling San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz a "political hack" on the Sunday morning CNN news is just so distressing. 

Related: Who Is Carmen Yulín Cruz, the Puerto Rican Mayor Feuding With Trump? The New York Times