Ramesh Ponnuru points out what’s wrong with Kathleen Parker’s interpretation of Sen. George Voinovich’s (R-Ohio) recent anti-Southern remarks: Big George is as socially conservative as any oogedy-boogedy Parker would like to chase out of the party. As senator, he has voted with the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent of the time and he supported the federal marriage amendment. As governor, he defended Ohio’s “With God, all things are possible” motto against legal challenges.
Where Voinovich really parts company from Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint is on size-of-government issues. In fact, it is economic conservatives and gun-rights activists who have always complained about Voinovich in Ohio and hoped to mount a primary challenge against him. Voinovich’s strong social conservatism, particularly his pro-life stand, made such a challenge implausible: conservative primary challengers are usually only successful when they can mobilize a broad range of conservatives behind them. If there is a God-n-gubmint Republican in Washington right now, it’s George Voinovich.