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- Women Are the Only Adults Left in Washington  By Jay Newton-
Small  At one of the darkest moments of the government shutdown,
with markets dipping and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue
hurling icy recriminations, Maine Republican Susan Collins went
to the Senate floor to do two things that none of her colleagues
had yet attempted. She refrained from partisan blame and
proposed a plan to end the crisis. "I ask my Democratic and
Republican colleagues to come together," Collins said on Oct. 8.
"We can do it. We can legislate responsibly and in good faith."
Senate Appropriations Committee chair Barbara Mikulski, a
Maryland Democrat, happened to be standing nearby, and she soon
picked up a microphone and joined in. "Let's get to it. Let's
get the job done," she said. "I am willing to negotiate. I am
willing to compromise." Ten minutes later, a third Senator stood
to speak. "I am pleased to stand with my friend from Maine,
Senator Collins, as she has