OP-ED: Across the aisle, Show-Me State senator shows how it's done

A female Republican U.S. senator from Maine identifies Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as an inspiration in public office for her bipartisan work.

Sen. Susan Collins writes in a Politico op-ed, she finds McCaskill to be independent, plain-spoken, trustworthy and feisty. Perhaps most importantly, Collins says though the women are on other sides of the political aisle, they've been able to work for a consensus.

"McCaskill understands that no one party holds a monopoly on good ideas," Collins writes in the essay, part of a series in which dozens of women reveal what women they most admire. "It has been a pleasure to work with her, across the aisle, on many issues. We have worked together to strengthen the inspectors general, the watchdogs against fraud and wasteful government spending. We have worked together to improve the security clearance process in response to the tragic shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C."

But not all things are agreeable between the two senators, and other female lawmakers who meet regularly for dinner.

"Of course, there are some issues on which we do not agree. But we can disagree on one issue and come back together on another because we trust each other," Collins writes.

Read more from Politico.