美国国家公共电台 NPR As Impeachment Trial Looms, Sen. Susan Collins Faces Scrutiny In Congress And At Home（在线收听）

NOEL KING, HOST:

This crisis in Iran is unfolding as we get ready in this country for a Senate impeachment trial. Republican leaders have promised to shape that trial in coordination with the defendant, which is, of course, President Trump. But because the Senate is closely divided, the defection of just a few Republicans could really matter. One of them is Susan Collins of Maine, who's seeking reelection in a very divided state. Maine Public Radio's Steve Mistler has this story.

STEVE MISTLER, BYLINE: Collins announced her reelection the same day the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump. It was curious timing given that her vote to either convict or acquit the president could affect her chances of winning a fifth term. Collins has generally said little about impeachment, citing her role as a juror, a position her Democratic challengers say is a cop-out. Now Trump's opponents want her to use her leverage to ensure a fair and thorough trial.

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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Key witnesses in the Ukraine scandal must testify in the Senate impeachment trial. These witnesses include Rudy Giuliani...

CHRIS CUOMO: So you did ask Ukraine to look into Joe Biden.

RUDY GIULIANI: Of course I did.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: ...Mick Mulvaney...

JONATHAN KARL: What you just described is a quid pro quo.

MISTLER: That ad is from a group called the Republicans for the Rule of Law. It's part of a pressure campaign to get Collins to push for witnesses that the White House has so far blocked. Just four Republican senators could force McConnell to call those witnesses.

Collins' political brand is tied to being a centrist, and she's viewed as possibly persuadable. But Collins has stayed quiet on what she'll do. She says there should be bipartisan agreement on how the trial goes, just as there was during Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1999 - although Collins also acknowledges that sort of agreement is unlikely now.

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SUSAN COLLINS: Hundred to zero - I can't imagine anything like that happening today, regrettably.

MISTLER: Echoing recent criticism from her friend and close ally, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, Collins says it's inappropriate for McConnell to coordinate with the White House but that Democrats have also rushed to their corner.

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COLLINS: There are senators on both sides of the aisle who, to me, are not giving the appearance of and the reality of judging this in an impartial way.

MISTLER: Like Murkowski, Collins says Democrats should not have held a hasty impeachment vote in the House. She says they should be asking the courts to compel Trump aides to testify and says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate instead of holding on to them for now.

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COLLINS: So that seems an odd way to operate.

MISTLER: Unlike many Senate Republicans, Collins says she's open to witnesses in the Senate trial but also that it's too early to say which ones. And she stopped short of saying she'll publicly force the issue, as she did during the run-up to the Clinton impeachment trial.

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COLLINS: I need more evidence. I need witnesses and further evidence to guide me to the right destination, to get to the truth.

MISTLER: The president's supporters are also keeping a close eye on Collins, who declared in 2016 that Trump was unfit for office. If she breaks ranks on impeachment, Collins could draw a primary challenge. Trump is also paying attention. Last week, he retweeted an endorsement of Collins' reelection bid to his 68 million followers.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Mistler in Portland, Maine.

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