Susan Collins is already running scared from Susan Rice -- and deletes endorsement from her website

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is in a race for her political career, and she doesn't even have an official opponent yet.

When rumors began to fly that Susan Rice, a former senior aide to President Barack Obama, had a home in the state and that her mother was born there, Collins was quick to attack.

According to CNN's Manu Raju, Collins took a whack at Rice, saying she doesn’t really live in Maine and says Rice “pleaded with me” to introduce her during her confirmation hearings as UN ambassador.

That prompted a response from those who remember, like Erin Pelton, former Director of Communications & Media Relations at National Security Council!, who linked to the statement that was removed from Collins' site.

Former Obama special assistant Ned Price noticed it too, tweeting out the video from Collins' endorsement of Rice.

"Thanks for recalling," Rice tweeted. "I was very grateful for Senator Collins’ extremely generous endorsement of my nomination and her detailed description of my deep ties to Maine. 2009 seems like a long time ago now — on so many levels."

If Rice is in, she begins the race with a massive war chest after a series of donors invested in an opponent if Collins supported Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Thus far, the total is approaching $3.5 million.

“UN Ambassador Nominee’s Deep Roots in Maine," Collins' website once said before it was removed.

"Dr. Rice’s ties to our great state are the foundation of her character. Her grandparents emigrated from Jamaica to Portland one hundred years ago," a capture of the endorsement reads.

"Although I knew of Dr. Rice when she worked at the National Security Council, I first met her when we both participated in seminars sponsored by the Aspen Strategy Group. I was so impressed with her brilliance and nuanced insights as we discussed foreign policy challenges," the endorsement continued.

Collins has also come under fire from some on Twitter, claiming she does not really live in Maine. She purchased a Capitol Hill rowhouse where she and her husband live in Washington.