How did the party of civilized leaders such as Margaret Chase Smith, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins become the party of Donald Trump, Paul LePage and Ted Cruz, who act like schoolyard bullies?

A common definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Republicans have wasted taxpayers’ money by voting unsuccessfully against the Affordable Care Act at least 50 times.

Every Republican presidential candidate wants to destroy programs such as Social Security and Medicare (“privatization” is doublespeak that in reality means “cut”) although all that is needed is raise the $118,500 cap for Social Security deductions. A large majority of both Republicans and Democrats want to keep or expand Social Security and Medicare, not cut them.

Republicans fight abortion, but care nothing about the lives of children after birth, proven by their cuts to every program that helps women and children. The majority of women having abortions  are women who already have children (61 percent, Guttmacher Institute, 2010). There is nothing moral about forcing a woman to go through a pregnancy against her will.

Many Republicans deny established scientific facts on evolution and climate change.

Some Christian Republicans ignore Jesus’ words about caring for the sick and poor and welcoming strangers. They ignore Proverbs 31:9 “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Today’s Republicans have set an agenda that totally ignores the will of most voters. It’s sad to see a once reasonable party in such a decline.

Ellen Field, New Gloucester