WASHINGTON — Maine Republican Susan Collins has been captured on a live microphone making fun of GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold.
That's the Texas congressman who a day earlier blamed "some female senators from the Northeast" for blocking health care legislation and said he wished he could challenge them to a duel "Aaron Burr-style."
Making small talk at a hearing on Tuesday, Collins was overheard telling a colleague about Farenthold: "I don't mean to be unkind but he's so unattractive — it's unbelievable."
Later Tuesday, Collins apologized.
"Neither weapons nor inappropriate words are the right way to resolve legislative disputes," she said. "I received a handwritten apology from Rep. Farenthold late this morning. I accept his apology, and I offer him mine."
Collins on the open microphone also mentioned to Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed a widely circulated picture of Farenthold wearing pajamas posing next to a scantily clad woman.
Farenthold said Monday he was only joking with his comments about Collins.
"Like the President, I am sick and tired of the left-wing biased media trying to make something out of nothing," he said in a statement. "This was clearly tongue in cheek. That being said, I'm extremely frustrated with Senate republicans who are breaking their promise to the American people to repeal and replace Obamacare."