Pity poor Susan Collins, Republican senator from Maine and career summer soldier on anything that really matters. All she wants is to be a Moderate Republican and thoughtfully, carefully, maybe change the nature of the Supreme Court for the next 20 years, but still guarantee her right to protest futilely when said Court throws the privacy rights of 51 percent of the population out the window. Really? Is that too much to ask?

Instead, here are these people trying to show her that legislative votes might have political consequences. From The Portland Press-Herald:

The “Be A Hero” campaign – coordinated by national health activist Ady Barkan, and liberal groups Mainers for Accountable Leadership and the Maine People’s Alliance – asks people to donate at least $20.20 to a future Collins opponent if she votes “yes” on Kavanaugh. If she votes “no” the money would be refunded to donors. Collins has said she remains undecided. The moderate Republican, 65, would be up for re-election in 2020, although she hasn’t announced yet whether she would seek another term.

Collins went to wingnut wind-farm Newsmax to call this fundraising effort a "bribe." Elsewhere, Erick Erickson lit his shoes on fire and did a buck-and-wing. From themaven.net:

The if is important because they are threatening action based on a voting condition. That may very well run afoul of federal law. If someone wants to run against Collins because of her vote, that is perfectly legal. But to tell Collins a punitive act against her will happen if she votes a particular way is illegal. Telling her someone will be given money to defeat her if she votes a certain way falls into that ethically. Another legal expert told Collins it sounds more like extortion, which I agree with. Senator Orrin Hatch is calling on Senate Democrats to publicly reject this extortion.

Bear in mind that, under ordinary circumstances, people like Erickson and organizations like Newsmax wouldn't care if Susan Collins wandered into Boothbay Harbor and washed up in Iceland. But Kavanaugh, as we have learned, makes all the difference. He's the culmination of a 30-year campaign to re-establish a Supreme Court that is Lochner-friendly on corporations and Plessy-friendly on race. They're inches from the finish line, and that's why this is driving them so crazy.

Congressional Quarterly Getty Images

And, all due respect to Mr. Noti, this is not remotely close either to bribery or extortion. This is a demonstration of how post-Citizens United campaign-finance works, CU having essentially legalized influence peddling. Have any of these people noticed the way that the NRA or the Club For Growth or a hundred other organizations "rate" members of Congress based on their votes? They even warn members of Congress in advance as to the votes on which the members of Congress will be rated.

All these people in Maine are doing is telling Susan Collins in advance that, for them, and for the people sending them money, a vote for Brett Kavanaugh is a deal-breaker as far as they're concerned. If she votes against Kavanaugh, and these people don't send the contributions back, as they've promised to do, then I'll be the first to call out the grift. However, right now, all they're doing is exercising their inalienable rights according to Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here.

Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io