Yet another embattled Senate Republican incumbent has been caught begging supporters for gas money — after voting to continue President Donald Trump's war in Iran.
According to The Daily Beast, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told her supporters in a fundraising email this week that “organizing a tour of this scale takes a lot of coordination, enthusiasm, and quite literally fuel. Will you chip in just $5 today to help us put gas in the tank and keep our team moving forward?”
Collins, age 73, belatedly voted in favor of curtailing Trump's Iran war under the War Powers Act in April. However, prior to that, she repeatedly voted against the legislation, saying, “Passing this resolution now would send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops. At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the administration with Congress.”
Numerous economic experts have linked the Iran war to rising gas prices, as the hostilities have shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping artery through which 20 percent of the world's oil is shipped.
Collins, who is locked in a tough re-election battle with Democratic state lawmaker Troy Jackson, is not the first Republican to vote in favor of Trump's war and then beg supporters for gas money.
In May, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), told his supporters that "To continue ushering in America's Golden Age and delivering results for Alaska, I'm personally reaching out to you to ask for a grassroots donation of $3, $5, or $10," and that the contribution will, among other things, "Pay for gas as we visit isolated rural areas of Alaska."