Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Tom Allen agree on a host of issues, such as civil rights, improved funding for education, women’s reproductive rights and stem cell research. They are both decent and respectable people who have served Maine very well. But their differences in some critical judgments are noteworthy.

Allen researched the Bush Administration’s push to go to war in Iraq and voted against it. Collins voted to go to war and, unfortunately, she has had an open-ended commitment to the war ever since.

Allen, unlike Collins, is committed to investigating businesses such as Halliburton whenever there is just cause. Collins has been on the committee that has not pursued investigations for three-and-a-half years and, up until very recently, has voted to give $14 billion in tax breaks and incentives to oil companies.

Allen’s commitment to energy independence, his determination to find a responsible end to the war, and his push to hold big businesses accountable to the public is evident in his sponsorships and voting history.

Collins has recently sponsored bills that are in sharp contrast to her voting history (such as rescinding tax breaks for oil companies), and although it is admirable to see her change, Allen’s voting record indicates that he makes careful decisions that reflect his resolve and consistency.

Never has it been more important for the voting public to scrutinize the voting records and intentions of the Congressional candidates.

Jan Kubiac, Albany Township