Independent Analyst: “When you have mom and pop stores that can’t get funding but Ruth’s Chris Steak House and the LA Lakers did, it’s not a good look.”
Portland, MAINE — In case you missed it, The Daily Beast this morning published a story lambasting Maine Senator Susan Collins for taking credit for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that has failed to provide relief for the small business owners it was supposedly designed to help. Instead, it has turned out to be a taxpayer-funded giveaway for big corporations. The story details how the failure of the PPP is another example of “a familiar pattern of Collins burnishing her brand as a moderate while bowing to Mitch McConnell, the Senate leader, and President Trump.”
Per The Daily Beast:
“Republican Senator Susan Collins got a boost in the polls when she took credit for helping write the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. But now she’s back in the doldrums, her job approval at 37 percent, as she faces increasingly steep odds to win re-election.
“Big corporate chains scarfed up the taxpayer money before most of the small businesses in Collins’ home state of Maine had a chance to access the funds. Some of the free-riders were shamed into returning the money, like the LA Lakers, who don’t exactly need tiding over.
“Collins called Democrats “disgraceful” when they held up the CARES stimulus package to win concessions that included oversight of a special “slush fund” for corporations. Now she’s on the hot seat for supporting a no-strings-attached bailout and crafting a rescue plan for small business that turns out to be a cash cow for big business.“It’s a familiar pattern for Collins burnishing her brand as a moderate while bowing to Mitch McConnell, the Senate leader, and President Trump. The cross pressures are intensified by her bid for a fifth term in a seat that could determine which party holds the Senate next year, and by a pandemic that has exposed the chasm between what Collins says she stands for and how her actions play out. “
“Susan Collins is in real trouble,” says Jessica Taylor with the non-partisan Cook Political Report. “When you have mom and pop stores that can’t get funding but Ruth’s Chris Steak House and the LA Lakers did, it’s not a good look.”
