Look, no one wants the Republicans to lose more than I do…they are disgusting and they’ve torched this country and caused the deaths of untold numbers of human beings. BUT…fair is fair…

A reader pointed out to me that Maine’s two Republican Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (the latter always seemed kind of a dope to me…but of course I worked to defeat her when my friend Chellie Pingree challenged her in 2002 so I’m biased) both refused to cross a picket line in Maine. From the Boston Globe today:

Top elected officials shun ribbon cutting as workers picket
SCARBOROUGH, Maine –None of Maine’s top elected officials walked past picketing postal workers to take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday that celebrated the opening of an $82 million mail distribution center that began operations this summer.

Dozens of employees were protesting what they said was streamlining of operations at the new facility that threatened job security through transfers and consolidations.

After talking with members of Local 458 of the American Postal Workers’ Union, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins stayed outside and did not attend the ceremony.

“Until these issues are resolved,” Collins said, “I just don’t feel comfortable in participating in the ribbon cutting.”

Neither Gov. John Baldacci, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen nor any of their representatives attended the event.

Snowe and Collins later wrote to Postmaster General John Potter, asking that he reconsider job reclassifications at the site and explain the justification for the changes.

“As we celebrate today’s opening of the state-of-the-art facility in Scarborough, it is critical we not lose sight of the fact that the success of the mail processing center depends on the dedicated people who work there,” the senators wrote.

Good for them. You could say that this was simply election-time politics but Snowe will win her re-election race in a blow-out and Collins isn’t up until 2008.