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The inimitable Mark Steyn Here's the week that was, according to one of the world's greatest living columnists, Mark Steyn: HH: On this, the first full day of the papacy of Benedict XVI, we begin a conversation about that day with none other than Mark Steyn. He, columnist of international fame and fortune, based in either Canada or New Hampshire, as the moment requires. He joins us now from I don't know where. Mark, welcome. How are you? MS: I'm in New Hampshire today, Hugh. HH: Well, if you move to Vermont, I will support your bid to replace Jim...

Democrats trying to sink the nomination of John Bolton as United Nations ambassador scored a big victory yesterday, when Sen. George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, declared himself unready to back the nominee. The Dems' efforts to beat Bolton on ideological grounds--that he's too pro-American and has "disdain" for the U.N.--having failed, they turned to that old standby, the politics of personal destruction. Voinovich's concern for the Golden Rule is certainly touching, but does it apply to air traffic controllers? What prompts the question is an incident that occurred in 1995, when he was...

As if the constant retreat on judicial nominations didn't demonstrate the lack of effective GOP leadership in the Senate clearly enough, today's embarassment at the Foreign Relations Committee certainly underscored the fecklessness of the Republicans in garnering effective support for the President's agenda and nominees. Today's victim left twisting in the wind was played by John Bolton, and the role of Brutus was filled by George Voinovich (R-OH): The Senate Foreign Relations Committee delayed a scheduled vote Tuesday on President Bush's pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations when a Republican member balked at voting during a contentious hearing....

4 Senate moderates vow limit on tax cuts 2003-03-14 By Alan Fram Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON -- Four moderate senators signed a letter Thursday stating that any tax-cutting economic growth plan must be limited to a 10-year price tag of $350 billion, dealing a major blow to President Bush's plan for a package twice that size. The stance by the bipartisan group -- which includes two Republicans, Olympia Snowe of Maine and George Voinovich of Ohio -- could be decisive in a Senate the GOP controls by just 51-48, plus a Democratic-leaning independent. Republicans pushed a plan for cutting spending...