Susan Collins would be happy to return as the senior senator representing Maine. She is often more concerned and freequently worried about legislation matters in Washington DC than Margaret Chase Smith was. But Susan Collins is always so reliable and ultimately votes 97.8% MAGA. And her squeaky little voice just grows on you.

I wonder if we should stick with her ?

Trump praises Collins as she holds MAGA hat at bill signing

Beacon Staff February 4, 2026

Any past divisions between Pres. Donald Trump and Maine’s senior senator weren’t in view on Tuesday as Sen. Susan Collins stood next to Trump at a bill signing, held a red hat emblazoned with the slogan “America is Back” and received his praise.

“All right, you’re doing good,” Trump told Collins, as he lauded a series of lawmakers and signed a budget bill that he called “a great victory for the American people.”

Trump noted that the bill cuts funding for PBS and NPR, “continues the closure of USAID,” and cuts funding for tax evasion enforcement at the IRS.

The bill provides only temporary funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and sets up a potential showdown over their violent and lawless tactics over the next two weeks.

Trump also took the opportunity to oppose requiring ICE to obtain judicial warrants to search homes and to downplay controversy over the latest release of documents related to child rapist Jeffrey Epstein.

More at link below,...

https://mainebeacon.com/trump-praises-collins-as-she-holds-maga-hat-at-bill-signing/

that's over 90% white, half of which despises it's most populous city, I don't think this will be much of a liability.

How gas prices and prices behave the next couple of months is going to be key. If it's half as bad as I expect, a lot of vulnerable incumbents in the Republican Party are going to be looking for jobs in the lobbying and consulting fields.

and that, I guess, is a good thing. Where does Joe Rogan live? If we could convince him to run for Congress, the Senate or for Governor as a Democrat, wherever that is, most of the nasty shit he has said over the years wouldn't be a liability, either.

Wouldn't necessarily be a great Democrat, or a sincere one, but he could likely draw MMA voters!

I would support his election.

Even though he's a piece of work.

That turned into a hump-back whale as we got older?

(Judging by their behavior, I would guess there are a whole LOT of them!)

Nor was I aware of them filling trains of people to go to death camps.

As to their behavior their civilian casualty rate has been no different than any other war that involves un-uniformed opponents in urban areas who embed themselves with civilians. (see second Iraq War)

And blamed women for rape?

which is destined to go unanswered.

I suppose we should get used to this if it is going to be 'when they go low, we go lower'.

I was against Tulsi Gabbard when she was still an elected Democrat in the House. And I've been saying for many years that RFK was a weirdo, back when he was still a long time registered Democrat who had fans among the party base.

I get similar vibes from Platner. Maybe my instincts are wrong this time but I'm glad I don't live in Maine because it would be very difficult to vote for him. Naturally, I still hope we win that seat because it will be better than Collins.

and RFK Jr.

Gabbard was my rep, and I started voting against her in the primaries in 2014. She turned out to be a nazi.

I never paid attention to the nazi bobby until he started running for President. Gawd!

And, I was for Coonor Lamb.

So I figured out he was a weird nut job back then. Though he was a little more guarded about it.

Tulsi set off red flags for me with some thinly veiled Islamophobic and homophobic stuff early on and then she associated with Modi and Assad. its been so long I don't remember exactly all the things that tipped me off. But she also just has a vacant look in her eyes. I just always knew something was off about her.

Du. She had some fans standing up for her.

Speaking of the GOP, what kind of tea are you hearing on the ground re: other gop voters and Platner?

We might be able to accept he didn't know it was a popular Nazi symbol. I never saw that symbol before this ordeal, so I can believe he just thought it looked cool.

We might even be able to accept a redemption story that, as a young man, he explored other philosophies, including Nazi thinking, and has rejected that as he matured.

What is hard to accept is that, once confronted with the Nazi connection, he didn't simply repudiate that and pay $1000 to get the tattoo removed. That indicates bad judgment. And the fact that he still hasn't dealt with this amplifies that concern.

and whether or not he gets the tattoo removed is a personal choice. The only reason that people understand that it may be a Nazi themed tattoo is a minor detail of the overall work. Don't overlook the forest for the trees.

To be fair, I'll look it up again, but I do believe it was a small detail that if not expert in Nazi regalia would be totally unnoticed.
Removing it doesn't mean it never happened.

Forehead, dead center.

I’m not an expert. And neither are millions upon millions upon millions of other citizens of the world who know what Nazis look like.

Im supposed to believe he’s an ex-mercenary, who wore the military insignia of the Nazi SS for almost twenty years without ever knowing it? I’m never going to buy that story, and I will loudly oppose that notion every time it’s brought up.

So if you people don’t want to keep hearing it from me and people like me, then quit bringing it up.

Maybe I'm thinking of a different image than you are.

I’m out of here before I say something stupid.



VOTE FOR PLATNER.

I guess I'm naive,
I wonder how many people, before this controversy started, knew the difference.
I just assumed the artist was being creative.

I guess I’m not an expert on nazi imagery or uniforms.

Because I would call that a skull and crossbones.

I’ve heard the term “death’s head regiment” and always thought the hats a skull (no bones).


I wonder if Jerry was a nazi. Lately, right wingers have been claiming Jerry would have been a Republican

I'd bet money on it. I didn't know the difference myself until the other day, when someone used the word "totenkopf" in a post and I used that word to do some googling,

Aside from that, I didn't and still don't know what the original tattoo actually looked like. All I've seen are photos of the covered tattoo as it looks now. But even if it looked EXACTLY like a Nazi totenkopf, I'm skeptical of how many people would immediately make that association. I would not have, and I'm someone who has read fairly extensively about the holocaust. I remember reading that the SS used a symbol called a "death's head," but no more than that.

This is the kind of thing that if you know it, you KNOW it. I get that. Now that I know, I'll never be able to forget it, but until a few days ago I didn't associate a skull and crossbones with anything other than pirates. I also had no idea that the Nazis used a certain specific style of of skull and crossbones, or that that particular style is supposed to be instantly recognizable as a *GASP* Nazi symbol.

Like I said, if you know, you know, and once you do know, you can't unsee it. But if you don't know, the meaning of that image is far from obvious imo. I can easily believe Platner didn't know what it was when he got the tattoo. I can easily imagine a young man seeing that and thinking, "Oh, that looks badass!"

He found out out what it was somewhere along the way, and he eventually got it covered, so good for him. If he didn't get it covered immediately, it's probably because he liked his "badass" skull and crossbones tattoo and didn't immediately comprehend the seriousness of what it could be taken to stand for, even after someone alerted him to it. When he finally did realize just how much it really mattered, he took care of it. Good for him. I just don't see what the big deal is.

I know some are uneasy about possibly electing another Fetterman, but I think thst was just a weird fluke. The man had a stroke that damaged his brain and changed his whole personality! I know Platner is not perfect, but Mainers seem to REALLY like him. If he has a chance of flipping Collins' seat from red to blue, I say more power to him.

Last edited Tue May 5, 2026, 08:12 AM - Edit history (1)

There have been any number of characters throughout history who have sounded like the "voice of the people" and have turned out horribly. We are all troubled by recent examples (Fetterman, Gabbard, Kennedy).

All we can do is pay close attention and see if any cracks in the persona emerge.

It has become mostly moot. Mills has dropped out and I doubt that Platner would be any worse than Collins. Collins has never been there at the moment of truth on ANY issue.

Here are the positives I take:

* It is ultimately the decision of Mainers, and they seem to be strongly behind him.
* Platner is being very specific about his populist values, articulating a worldview that is closer to traditional Democratic Party values than 95% of today's Democrats say out loud. And this would require a really monumental flip-flop if he is truly of the Nazi persuasion.
* If he is genuine, he can become a very important voice in our politics, challenging other Dems to show more backbone.

Just don’t try to defend the Nazi shit.

Vote for Platner.

with that symbol on their hats 'dead center'....


Since I'm not a Nazi or Nazi sympathizer, I never spent much time studying their 'regalia'
so much that I would ever recognize this particular symbol---

and I wonder why there are so many members of Democratic Underground
who apparently DID.....

I believe he just got it altered to look less like the Nazi artwork.

You might say, "What's the difference?" And to some people maybe one is as good as the other. To me, I think just about everyone who gets tattoos knows that we have technology to remove them. It may be more expensive than the original tattoo, but we’re talking something like $500 for one treatment to $2000 for several treatments. It seems really obvious to me that removal would have been the best solution. That would fit the story:

However, I saw one reference: "He stated he was 'horrified' to learn of the connection (with the Nazi symbology), moved to have the tattoo covered immediately, and planned to have it removed."

It isn't clear to me that he followed through on that last bit.

It can take many visits over many months and cost thousands of dollars. Lots of people elect to get an undesirable tattoo covered, rather than removed, just because it's faster, easier, and cheaper.

He had it covered, which seems like a sensible choice to me. It can cost a lot more than a thousand bucks to remove a tattoo. Exactly how much depends on the size, the complexity of the design, the color(s) used, and so on. Those factors also affect how long it takes. A large tattoo can take multiple visits, spaced out over many months to allow for healing in between sessions. It's not a "one and done" kind of thing.

I have finally ound a pic of the original tattoo that I can post along the current one, for comparison. Here's the "before" version:



And here's "after":



As you can see, the original was mostly solid black. It would have been quite a project to remove and would have looked pretty awful for months as the process continued through various stages. I think most people would have opted for coverage rather than going through all that.

off base to visit tattoo parlors, topless bars, and pawn shops.

Those businesses know their market, late teens to mid 20s, and disproportionately men.

Thanks for the thread ShazzieB

That’s the math of it.

He’s selling the second option, which you say may, in fact, be the truth.

Let’s say it is. That doesn’t make me feel any better.

But also changed to a scan code that played
Love Peace and Happiness.
Or something like that.

Therefore I support him all the way.

Interesting thread.

close to 20 years ago, when we all knew what the attacks on Joy were really about. How does this work -- if you object to offensive comments or symbolism, you are conservative?

Isn't excused because some might have criticized her for racist reasons. Nor can you honestly lump all criticism of her actual homophobic posts on her own website as due to racism.

who slur others as conservatives because they are offended by commonly recognized offensive things.

THAT is funny.

Many of my fellow soldiers got tattoos, especially near Fort Benning, GA.

I couldn't swear to this, but knowing what was like when you were on leave, most of them WERE drunk or close to it when they got their tattoos.

You have to remember, these young men are 18 to 23 years old, and many of them had never used alcohol until they went on leave from a military base.

In other words, Platner's explanation could be and most likely is true!

Vote for Platner. He can't be worse than Collins.

Think about it. Assuming a young drunk military guy gets a tattoo that he doesn't understand. OK, I guess that happens. Surely in the intervening TWO DECADES he learns what it represents. Why wouldn't he have had it removed or covered up then? Why did he wait until it became an issue in his campaign?

Could it be because he actually agreed with the sentiment represented by that tattoo?

wow, that is interesting. Obviously I haven't been reading the media articles about him, but this does change things if he just did it to run for office.

who voted for Trump. He said he works on the water now. Combine all that with his military background, and it's highly doubtful he didn't know what the tattoo was when he got it and it suited him -- until it didn't.* But his macho persona doesn't seem to match a dumb guy going to get a tattoo. He knew what he was getting and it fit his image at the time. Having nazi tattoos probably didn't help him in business much as he aged, but I wouldn't buy any dumb drunk guy story of not knowing what he was putting on his body.

*just seeing that Platner only covered up his tattoo because of his current campaign.

...from a few days ago by a historian whose field includes Nazi Germany. He said he wouldn't have recognized it as a Nazi symbol. I, for sure, didn't. Looks like another stupid skull and crossbones to me.

but he's a lifelong war history buff. He can identify all the planes in the old films, all the uniforms. They are symbolic.

But I don't take it that people are judging the tattoo itself, only the implications of the mindset of what that might imply about the person who chooses that and what that means about his real political affiliations since he's new to the scene and voted for a Republican before. Those are fair questions.

"a historian whose field includes Nazi Germany" to have at least a passing familiarity with Nazi symbols.

In this subthread, not the candidate, aren't we.

I have voice my opinion about his alleged ignorance previously. Since he is now the presumptive candidate I will not repeat here.

Is not an expert on Nazi Germany.

If they were even an amateur historian they would know the Totenkopf was worn on SS caps, the symbol of the 3rd SS Pz Division and most infamously by the SS-Totenkopfverbände [SS- Death's Head Battalions], the units that ran the concentration camps.

So not just another stupid skull and crossbones to someone familiar with history.

I have seen a great deal on this. This is just one example that Collins would use against Platner in a general election campaign.

Link to tweet

yes indeed

But they need to stop trying to explain away the Nazi shit. Too many of us have been dealing with that for fifty, sixty, seventy years or more. There are no grown up accidental Nazis. In fact, “Yeah I fucked up. I should’ve got that covered up years ago…” would’ve been better than trying to play dumb about it.

But yes, definitely Vote for Platner.

And next time, pick a better candidate.

...he had a literal prison tattoo (he got it in prison) that was very badly rendered, and said "STAIRDUST" instead of STARDUST.

That amused me.

We all gave Kegsbreath a pass, too.
Let’s be consistent here.

Seems very silly and performative. I’m not going to pretend that I hate a Dem who I’m not terribly thrilled about as much as I hate Trumpy GOP subhuman vermin who have proven to be enemies of democracy.

1. f-get the purity tests, there is no perfect candidate, only the better choice (and sometimes the lesser of two evils - I've a story about the latter, for later).

2. see the forest in spite of the trees.

If I had to choose between a Democrat with a shitty tattoo and a questionable explanation,

and a Republican who's toed the TRUMP/MAGA LINE 97% of the time, I wouldn't have a second's doubt about who to vote for.

3. Stop bringing knives to gunfights.

...and if I lived in Maine, I would have to vote for him as the Democratic nominee. I don't sit out elections; I vote no matter what my reservations might be.

However, it is way more than the Tat, which is a pretty big alarm for me, add the comments about women, blacks and gays. If you haven't read them, you should. I am neither black nor gay though I have friends that are and they are people I care about. However, blaming women who are drunk/intoxicated for their rape, well that one hurts the most.

I have posted an OP more than once about 'What Were you Wearing' when you were raped. It was a heartbreaking exhibit. Perhaps we need a new one...What Were You Drinking when you were raped.

that spell out "chicken soup dumbass white girl" or something equally ridiculous and embarrassing.

I REALLLLLY hope it's something that isn't the worst case.

I'll bet most of the older guys here have stories about their own youthful idiocy.

Unfortunately some guys never outgrow it. Let's hope Platner's not one of them.

She got it while she was on a sea turtle tagging/conservation project on Hawai’i when she was 17.

Fast forward to when she is 25, graduating from a so-called “second tier” law school, and looking for a job in the aftermath of the Cheney-Bush recession. She was warned to get the tattoo removed, or fail any job interview with a serious firm, and possibly face a career as a waitress.

At 31, she became the youngest partner ever (international law) in one of New York’s top law firms, and now earns five times as much as I do. She still has her tattoo.

I might still get a tattoo which commemorates my individual 'claim to fame'
about the shortwave pirate radio station which I started in my youth
and hope to reactivate soon, and that might include a skull and crossbones---
but to include the station name, I might have to design it myself....

anyway, I don't yet bear ANY tattoos, but that is one that I might consider getting
before I die

If not, it's not much of argument but to vote for him.