evidence: Following the Senate's confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, the White House hosted a ceremony where Justice Clarence Thomas administered the official constitutional oath to Barrett. [...] As Barrett gets ready to join the court just one week before the election -- and Democrats fear she’ll intervene in any disputes arising from the vote -- Barrett added, "A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her." [...] That move left Collins alone among the GOP opposition who voted against Barrett on Monday. Collins is in an extremely difficult fight for reelection in a moderate state where she has been lambasted for her past support of conservative jurists, including Trump's highly contentious nominee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh.