Sob Story on the Senate Floor

Senator George Voinovich of Ohio gave a speech last night against the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the U.N.

He admonished his fellow senators to vote against John Bolton because Voinovich was afraid for his grandchildren’s future. In the Senator’s tortuous reasoning, the U.N. Ambassador today will have an adverse effect on the future of his grandchildren. He punctuated his speech by choking on his words and sobbing. I was listening on the radio so I don’t know if there were tears in his eyes as he said this.

This kind of illogical reasoning and emotional appeal sounds too much like a Democrat. I hesitate to label the Senator as crazy.

Rather, Voinovich’s behavior reminds me of King David as he sought to escape from King Saul who was out to kill him by escaping to the Philistine camp and feigning madness so that he would be granted asylum by the Philistines. The Senator from Ohio is fighting for his political life. He knows that he has fallen out of favor with the Republican Party because of his unprincipled opposition to John Bolton, and is seeking asylum among Democrats.

5/27 UPDATE: It could also be just a naked and shameless power play for votes by the Ohio Senator.