Snowe Shifts Right in Effort to Thwart Primary Threat

Moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine can’t help but be aware that she faces the possibility of a tea party challenger in her race for re-election next year. So she has moved her policy stances to the right this year, perhaps as protection, The Hill reports.

Sen. Olympia Snowe

Democrats were shocked Wednesday when Snowe mounted a filibuster to a small business bill she herself co-wrote because Democratic leaders refused to allow a vote on an amendment.

The amendment would have required federal agencies to first investigate the impact on small businesses before implementing regulations.

Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said they were surprised at Snowe’s action on a bill that had strong bipartisan support.

 She also bucked environmental activists last month by voting for an amendment sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from taking action to address greenhouse gas emissions.