The Sun Journal editorial Oct. 21, giving Sen. Susan Collins credit for a “principled stance” and supposedly “repudiating” John McCain’s false and offensive robo-calls in Maine, missed the point completely.

Collins did the bare minimum after pressured to do so. That’s not enough for the head of the Republican ticket in Maine and the co-chairwoman of McCain’s campaign.

The editorial omitted the point that Collins (primarily through her spokesman) only denounced the robo-calls under pressure from the Maine Democratic Party to do so. The editorial left the impression she took that step on her own, which few honestly believe would have occurred.

Also omitted was that Collins took no real action to stop those calls. She didn’t call Sen. John McCain, as Sen. Olympia Snowe said she would do, and she didn’t resign her campaign position.

Now, Maine families are seeing the next round of McCain’s desperate Karl Rove-style tactics. A mailing sent by the Maine Republican Party using William Ayers, words such as “terrorism” and “9/11” is another attempt to smear Sen. Barack Obama. Collins has yet to comment on this mail piece. As head of the Maine Republican Party ticket, she either knew about it, or should have known. Her campaign contends she didn’t know.

Either way, shouldn’t she at least put some teeth behind her spokesman’s comments, that “these kind tactics have no place in Maine,” by taking real steps to stop them?

If the Maine Democratic Party had been asked by a national party or campaign to send out such offensive material against McCain, we would have discussed it with Rep. Tom Allen’s campaign first, then declined to send it.

To commend Collins for a mere statement when she’s taken no real action is misleading and dismisses the leadership and effectiveness qualities she professes to have.

Collins often claims she is a victim of “negative” campaign ads. I believe that ads challenging Collins’ votes or policy positions – which she defines as “negative” – are fair game. This is an election year, and there’s too much at stake not to point out the differences between the candidates’ positions.

But if she truly believes such ads “have no place in Maine,” then surely she is outraged by the personal, false attacks in the McCain robo-calls and Maine GOP mailer. She must believe such attacks require real action, not a token statement, if they are to be deemed “principled.”

Collins should step down as McCain’s campaign co-chair, call for the resignation of the Maine GOP chairman, and explain why her campaign refuses to focus on the real issues affecting Maine families this year.

Rebecca Pollard, Portland

Communications Director, Maine Democratic Party