George Voinovich
Senior Senator from Ohio
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 6, 1999 Serving with Sherrod Brown
Preceded by	John H. Glenn, Jr.
65th Governor of Ohio
In office January 14, 1991 – December 31, 1998
Lieutenant	Mike DeWine (1991–1994) Nancy P. Hollister (1995–1998)
Preceded by	Richard Frank Celeste
Succeeded by	Nancy P. Hollister
54th Mayor of Cleveland
In office 1980 – 1989
Preceded by	Dennis J. Kucinich
Succeeded by	Michael R. White
Born	July 15, 1936 (1936-07-15) (age 71) Cleveland, Ohio
Nationality	American Serb
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet Voinovich
Alma mater	Ohio University Ohio State University
Religion	Roman Catholic

George Victor Voinovich (born July 15, 1936) is the senior United States Senator from the state of Ohio, and a member of the Republican Party. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) John Herschel Glenn Jr (born July 18 1921 in Cambridge Ohio) is a former United States Senator who first rose to fame as the first American to Orbit Governors Initially after the American Revolution, parts of the area now known as Ohio were claimed by New York, Virginia, and Connecticut Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852 Richard Michael "Mike" DeWine (born January 5, 1947) is a former Republican senator from Ohio Nancy Putnam Hollister (born May 22, 1949) is a Republican politician from the U Richard Frank "Dick" Celeste (born November 11, 1937, in Cleveland Ohio) is an American politician from Ohio, and a member Nancy Putnam Hollister (born May 22, 1949) is a Republican politician from the U The Mayor of Cleveland is the chief executive of the city 's government Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for Early career White who grew up in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood began his political career early on during his college years at Ohio State University, Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Ohio University is a public university located in Athens Ohio that is situated on a 1800 acre (7 The Ohio State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research university in the state of Ohio. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Previously, he served as the 65th Governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998, and as the 54th mayor of Cleveland from 1980 to 1989. Governors Initially after the American Revolution, parts of the area now known as Ohio were claimed by New York, Virginia, and Connecticut The Mayor of Cleveland is the chief executive of the city 's government Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state

Personal life

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, his father was a Serb from Croatia^[1][2] (from Kordun [2]), and he had a Slovenian mother. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Serbs are the largest National minority in the Republic of Croatia. The Kordun region is a part of central Croatia from the bottom of the Petrova Gora (Peter's mountain mountain range which extends along the river Korana Slovenes or Slovenians ( Slovene Slovenci, dual Slovenca, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenke, dual Slovenki Voinovich earned a bachelor of arts degree in government from Ohio University in 1958 and a law degree from The Ohio State University in 1961. Ohio University is a public university located in Athens Ohio that is situated on a 1800 acre (7 Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional The Ohio State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research university in the state of Ohio. Voinovich is a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Phi Kappa Tau ( ΦΚΤ) is a US national college fraternity History Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity (commonly called Phi Tau He married his wife, Janet, in 1962. They had four children: George, Betsy, Peter, and Molly, as well as seven grandchildren. Molly, their youngest child, was killed in an auto accident at age 9.

Early career

Voinovich began his political career in 1963 as an assistant attorney general of Ohio. He then served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1967 to 1971. The Ohio House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U From 1971 to 1976, he served as county auditor of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Cuyahoga County (pronounced /ˌkaɪəˈhɔgə/ or /ˌkaɪəˈhoːgə/ is a County located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 1975, he made an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for mayor of Cleveland against incumbent Mayor Ralph J. Perk. The Mayor of Cleveland is the chief executive of the city 's government Ralph Joseph Perk' ( January 19, 1914 &ndash April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican Party who From 1977 to 1978, he served as a member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners. In 1978, Voinovich was elected lieutenant governor on the ticket with James A. Rhodes (the first Ohio lieutenant governor not to be elected separately from the governor). James Allen Rhodes ( September 13, 1909 – March 4, 2001) was an American Republican politician from Ohio, and

Cleveland Mayoralty, 1980–1989

1979 Cleveland mayoral election

By 1979, elections in Cleveland had become nonpartisan, and with then-Mayor Dennis J. Kucinich (D) about to enter a tough re-election campaign, Voinovich began to consider running for mayor again. In Political science, nonpartisan denotes an Election, event or organization in which the participants declare or do not formally have a Political party Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for Twice, Voinovich suggested his intent to stand for office but then changed his mind. Finally, on July 26, he made "one of the most difficult decisions in [his] life. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus " He resigned from the office of lieutenant governor and entered the primary election.

A 1979 Voinovich campaign poster for mayor of Cleveland.

Aside from Kucinich, Voinovich's other opponents included state Senator Charles Butts and city council majority leader Basil Russo. As the election drew closer, The Plain Dealer announced its endorsement of Voinovich. The Plain Dealer is the major daily Newspaper of Cleveland Ohio. Voter turnout in the primary was greater than that of 1977 race among Perk, Kucinich, and Edward F. Feighan (when Voinovich had endorsed Kucinich). Edward F Feighan (born October 22 1947 in Lakewood Ohio) is an American Politician, popularly known as Ed Feighan In the 1979 nonpartisan primary election, Voinovich led with 47,000 votes to 36,000 for Kucinich. Russo (who obtained 21,000) and Butts (with 19,000) did not qualify for the general election. The biggest surprise was Voinovich's showing in predominantly African American wards, where he was expected to finish last. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa He trailed only Butts, with Kucinich last.

Then, a few days after the primary, Voinovich's nine-year-old daughter, Molly was struck by a van and killed on October 8. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses This tragic event brought the campaign to a virtual halt and made it difficult for Kucinich to attack his opponent. Still, he challenged Voinovich to a series of debates in Cleveland neighborhoods. However, the former lieutenant governor declined these invitations saying they would be unproductive. Finally, however, a debate between Voinovich and Kucinich was held at the City Club on November 3. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Following the debate, Voinovich went on to win the election with 94,541 votes to Kucinich's 73,755.

After his victory in 1979, Voinovich won re-election in 1981 against Ohio state Rep. Patrick Sweeney (107,472 to 32,940) and in 1985 against councilman Gary Kucinich, Dennis' brother (82,840 to 32,185).

Voinovich highlights Cleveland's misspent bond funds at a November 1980 press conference.

"The Comeback City"

Voinovich was considered a rather low-key politician, a description he adopted himself. Once elected, he announced that he would meet immediately with Ohio Governor James Rhodes to solicit the state government's help in clearing up the city's debts. He negotiated a debt repayment schedule. In October 1980, eight local banks, with the state guaranteeing the loans, lent Cleveland $36. 2 million, allowing the city to emerge from default. Despite this, the city's economy continued to decline and federal funding was cut. Two weeks earlier, voters turned down another 0. 5 percent income tax increase. The opposition was led by Kucinich, who had been keeping a low profile since his defeat in the 1979 election. Voinovich said he would resubmit the tax issue on the February ballot to avoid facing a deficit in 1981. This time the voters approved the tax increase.

By the time Voinovich was elected, Cleveland had long been the butt of late night comedians' jokes. When Boston mayor Kevin White remarked that the city's finances had gone from "Camelot to Cleveland," Voinovich protested. Kevin Hagan White (born September 25, 1929) is an American politician best known as the longest-serving Mayor of Boston a position he held from White responded by saying that Boston had survived facetious remarks from a wide range of jokesters, from Mark Twain to Johnny Carson. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist "I am sure Cleveland will also," he said.

The defensive attitude projected from the Cleveland media and Voinovich began to make inhabitants of other cities look twice at Cleveland. The Smythe-Cramer Co. especially helped restore the city's former glory by running a series of ads with photographs of downtown Cleveland captioned "Take Another Look. Downtown Cleveland is the Central business district of the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. It's Cleveland!" In May, The Plain Dealer sent its Sunday subscribers bumper stickers saying, "New York's the Big Apple, but Cleveland's a Plum. " The paper also passed out thousands of "Cleveland's a Plum" buttons and also ran a huge picture of Publisher Thomas Vail, with a smiling Voinovich beside him, throwing out the first plum at a Yankees-Indians game. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Sportscaster Howard Cosell hailed the city during a baseball game and Voinovich subsequently presented him with a key to the city. Howard William Cosell (born Howard William Cohen; March 25 1918 - April 23 1995 was an American sports journalist A survey showed 65 percent of the residents of Greater Cleveland were very satisfied with their life in the city and even 57 percent claimed to be very satisfied, even in 1978, the year of default. Also, a national poll rated Detroit as the city with the worst image, with New York City second. The City of New York Cleveland was fifth-worst.

The New Cleveland Campaign, a promotion agency formed in 1978, began sending out news releases bragging about Cleveland's virtues and proudly circulating reprints whenever it got a favorable story. Unfortunately, to show how much the "new" Cleveland had improved, it had to stress how bad the old Cleveland was. In particular, it stressed on the city's 1978 default, even though New York City defaulted on 300 times as much in 1975 (which they referred to as a "moratorium. ").

Former Cleveland Mayor Voinovich speaking at the May Company ribbon cutting ceremony in 1981. May Company Ohio, was a regional Department store based in Cleveland Ohio.

The restoration campaign reached its peak in October with the society magazine Town and Country. Town & Country, formerly the Home Journal and The National Press, is a monthly American Lifestyle Magazine "Cleveland's Come-Around" explained how "businessmen, lawyers and concerned citizens" rescued the city from "the petulant, pugnacious Dennis Kucinich. " It called Voinovich's Operation Improvement Task Force under E. Mandell de Windt "the most significant undertaking in Cleveland since Moses Cleaveland stepped ashore on the bank of the Cuyahoga River in 1786. Moses Cleaveland ( January 29, 1754 &ndash November 16, 1806) was a lawyer politician soldier and surveyor from Connecticut " It also enticed its readers of Lake Erie and its "beautiful and exciting year-round sailing. Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally "

So confident was Voinovich, that during election season, he even attracted presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan to debate in Cleveland. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 "Cleveland is making a comeback," Time Magazine declared at the close of 1980, "During the past year, convention business has flourished, school desegregation has proceeded peacefully, and a modest construction boom has begun. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and . . Most impressive of all, the city dug itself out of default. "

Downtown development and other improvements

In order to accomplish more, Voinovich felt that the terms for mayor and Cleveland City Council ought to be extended. Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Cleveland in Ohio. He offered a referendum to voters to extend them from two to four years and additionally asked voters to approve cutting down the number of council members from 33 to 21 in order to help ease the city's strained economy. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita They approved both requests.

Throughout the Voinovich years, neighborhoods began to see some improvement starting with the Lexington Village housing project, $149 million in Urban Development Action Grants, and $3 billion of construction underway or completed. In particular, the neighborhoods of Hough and Fairfax, then two of Cleveland's worst east side neighborhoods, began to see new houses built and lesser amount of criminal activity. Hough may refer to The term for hamstringing or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal particularly to disable warrior animals such as an enemy's chariot horses Voinovich also quietly moved to reconcile the warring groups of the 1970s. He made peace with business leaders and even posed with them in photographs that ran in New Cleveland Campaign ads in business magazines, captioned with the Voinovich slogan: "Together, we can do it. " He refined the neighborhood groups, which, with the breakdown of the Democratic Party, became the most potent political force in the city. He also extended his hand to unions as well, in particular the Teamsters truck union. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming TemplateInfobox Union for usage-->The International Brotherhood of Teamsters ( IBT) formerly known by the

As mayor, Voinovich oversaw a huge scale urban renaissance downtown. Sohio (purchased by BP America in 1987), Ohio Bell, and Eaton Corporation all built new offices downtown (most notably the BP Building). Standard Oil of Ohio or Sohio was an American oil company that was acquired by British Petroleum, now called BP BP plc, previously known as British Petroleum, is the third largest global Energy company, a multinational oil company (" Oil major The Ohio Bell Telephone Company is the Bell Operating Company serving most of Ohio. Eaton Corporation ( is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2007 sales of $13 The BP Tower (also known as the Sohio Building, Standard Oil building, the BP America Building, BP America Tower, 200 Public Square Brothers Richard and David Jacobs astonished the city by rescuing its troubled Indians franchise, ultimately turning it around for the better. The two also improved the desolate area located by the Erieview Tower and turned it into the glass-roofed Galleria at Erieview. The Erieview Tower (also known as the Tower at Erieview, 100 Erieview, or the Erieview Plaza Tower) is a Skyscraper located in downtown The Galleria at Erieview is a two floor Shopping mall that opened in 1987 in Cleveland Ohio, on the east side of the city's downtown. Voinovich also attracted the Key Bank company, which eventually led to the construction of Key Tower, the largest skyscraper in Cleveland and the 15th largest in the nation. KeyBank ( is a Bank headquartered in the Key Tower in Cleveland, Ohio. Key Tower is a Skyscraper on Public Square in downtown Cleveland Ohio designed by Architect César Pelli. A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable Building. There is no official definition or a precise cutoff height above which a building may clearly be classified as a skyscraper In addition, the National Civic League awarded Cleveland the All-America City Award three times, in 1982, 1984, and 1986, in addition to its first, won in 1950. The National Civic League is an Organization founded in 1894 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania at a meeting of politicians policy-makers journalists and The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.

Voinovich and Municipal Light

One of the key issues surrounding the previous Kucinich administration was canceling the sale of Cleveland Municipal Light (today Cleveland Public Power). Cleveland Public Power (also known as CPP) is a publicly owned Electricity generation and distribution company in Ohio. Kucinich's insistence on saving it from being absorbed into the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI) led the business community to force Cleveland into default. Voinovich's successful negotiations reversed this action when he first assumed office as mayor. However, Voinovich's pro-business attitude did not change CEI's position on the issue, as they persisted in making efforts to buy out Muny Light and pressuring Voinovich into giving them the right to do so. Voinovich resisted. Early in his tenure, he arranged for capital improvements to strengthen the operation of Muny Light and by 1982, it was able to compete with CEI. He asserted that the company was making attempts to cripple Muny Light by lobbying council against much-needed legislation. "We still have a battle going on," Voinovich said, "They [CEI] are as dedicated as ever to laying away the Municipal Light system. "

Voinovich as Mayor of Cleveland.

In 1984, however, Voinovich's pro-Muny attitude began to change, when his administration began negotiations for CEI. The deal would have allowed CEI to take over all of Muny's private customers in exchange for various benefits including a cash payment of $40 million. Furthermore, CEI threatened to move its more than 1,000 employees to the suburbs, instead of placing them in a major downtown development, if Voinovich did not agree to sell. CEI put additional pressure on the mayor to sell when it widely publicized its advantages in a full-page newspaper advertisement and letters to all city residents. Perhaps fearing a Kucinich comeback and after stating that he had been "leaned on by everyone in this town," Voinovich cancelled the sale once and for all. CEI itself was eventually acquired and became part of FirstEnergy. FirstEnergy Corp ( is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron Ohio

Criticisms

Despite the achievements of the Voinovich administration, there were still some problems and criticisms. The city's population continued to decrease and its public school system continued to experience issues, a problem that still plagues the city to this day. Critics of The Plain Dealer's "plum campaign" produced counter-bumper stickers that read "If Cleveland's a plum, no wonder why The Plain Dealer is the pits. "

The Plain Dealer also criticized Voinovich after he threatened mass layoffs if a second income tax increase (proposed in 1984) would not pass. It failed by an almost 2 to 1 margin. Instead of offering mass layoffs however, Voinovich apologized saying that he exaggerated the probable extent of the layoffs in an effort to persuade voters.

In 1988, Voinovich announced his retirement from his position as mayor and ran to unseat then U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum while still in the mayor's office. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Howard Morton Metzenbaum ( June 4 1917 &ndash March 12 2008) was an American politician who served for almost 20 years as a During his campaign, Voinovich charged that Metzenbaum was soft on child pornographers. He was roundly criticized for this attack and lost to Metzenbaum in a landslide.

Governorship

Voinovich as Governor

In 1990, Voinovich was nominated by the Republicans to replace Governor Richard F. Celeste, a Democrat who was barred from running for a third consecutive term. Richard Frank "Dick" Celeste (born November 11, 1937, in Cleveland Ohio) is an American politician from Ohio, and a member In that race, Voinovich defeated Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., a victory that made Voinovich the first Serb American ever to hold office as governor; no others were elected until Rod Blagojevich won the governorship of Illinois in 2002. Anthony Joseph "Tony" Celebrezze Jr (1941&ndash July 4, 2003) was an American politician of the Democratic party. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Rod R Blagojevich (bləˈgɔɪəvɪtʃ, born December 10, 1956) is an American Politician from the state of Illinois. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. In 1994, Voinovich was re-elected to the governorship, defeating Democrat Robert L. Burch Jr. in a massive landslide. Robert L Burch Jr is an American politician of the Democratic party. He won 72% of the vote.

Voinovich's tenure as governor saw Ohio's unemployment rate fall to a 25-year low. The state created more than 500,000 new jobs. Under Voinovich, Ohio was ranked #1 in the nation by Site Selection Magazine for new and expanding business facilities.

Beyond the Governor's office

In 1996, Voinovich hoped to be chosen by then U. S. Senator Robert J. Dole to be the Republican nominee for U. Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole (born July 22 1923 is an attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas from 1969–1996 serving part of that time S. vice president. Dole, however, chose Jack Kemp instead. Jack French Kemp Jr (born July 13 1935 is an American politician and former professional American football player In 1998, barred from running for a third term as governor, Voinovich set his eyes on the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by long-time incumbent Democrat John Glenn. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives John Herschel Glenn Jr (born July 18 1921 in Cambridge Ohio) is a former United States Senator who first rose to fame as the first American to Orbit Voinovich won that race, defeating Democrat Mary O. Boyle. Mary O Boyle is an American politician of the Ohio Democratic party.

Senate career

Voinovich introducing George W. Bush at Ohio Campaign Rally, 2004

Particularly in his first years in the Senate, Voinovich was opposed to lowering tax rates. He frequently joined Democrats on tax issues and in 2000 was the only Republican in Congress to vote against a bill providing for relief from the "marriage penalty. The marriage penalty in the United States refers to the higher taxes required from some married couples where spouses are making approximately the same Taxable " While he did vote for the tax bills of 2001 and 2003 and has voted in favor of eliminating the estate tax, Voinovich is still more hesitant to support cutting taxes than most in his party. Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which

On gun politics, Voinovich generally supports gun control legislation, which has earned him criticism from the NRA. Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership use and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the

In November 2004, in his bid for re-election, Voinovich defeated the Democratic nominee, Ohio state senator Eric Fingerhut, whose candidacy was overshadowed by persistent speculation that TV talk show host Jerry Springer might enter the race. Fingerhut redirects here For the retailer of the same name see Fingerhut (retailer Eric David Fingerhut (b Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer (born February 13, 1944) is an English -born American Television personality, a former

Voinovich gained national attention at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's confirmation hearing of John R. Bolton, nominee for U. US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American public servant who has served in several Republican presidential administrations S. Ambassador to the United Nations, when he commented "I don't feel comfortable voting today on Mr. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security John Bolton. " As a result, the committee recessed without a vote and thus stalled the nomination. ^[3] Voinovich later allowed the committee to send the nomination to the full Senate, but forced the committee to do so without a recommendation. Democrats refused to invoke cloture and end debate on the Bolton nomination — the first time, Voinovich voted to end debate, the second time, he joined Democrats in voting to extend debate and urged Bush to choose another nominee. Voinovich has since amended his views and determined that Bolton did a "good job" as UN Ambassador, praising him by saying "I spend a lot of time with John on the phone. I think he is really working very constructively to move forward. "^[4]

Voinovich has a reputation of being overcome by emotion in public situations and has choked up on several occasions during important speeches, the latest example being during his May 25, 2005, address in the Senate pleading with fellow Republicans to reject Bolton's nomination. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. ^[5] Voinovich lost his composure as he explained that he ran for re-election in order to try to secure a stable future for his children and grandchildren. Voinovich also got choked up when the Cleveland Browns announced their intent to move to Baltimore as the Ravens. The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore Maryland. In 1999, Voinovich said that President Clinton's signing of the "Ed-Flex" bill had brought tears of joy to his eyes. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States

In an interview, Voinovich has expressed his intent on running for re-election as Senator. ^[6]

With the Senate debating lobbying reform following the Jack Abramoff scandal, Voinovich has expressed opposition to the creation of an independent "public integrity" office to police members of Congress because he believes that the Senate Ethics Committee already handles that job. Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. "Why create another entity that will do the same thing we are already doing and build up a big staff?" asked Voinovich. He stated that his committee will "get into the Abramoff situation" after the Justice Department finishes investigating the lobbyist's claims of bribing members of Congress.

Voinovich backed most of the reforms that were discussed by the Senate in the spring of 2006, and was particularly pleased with a section that would require his committee to publicly divulge its activities at the end of the year without revealing who was investigated unless they were sanctioned. Still, Voinovich worried that his committee's confidential nature makes the public wonder whether it's doing anything at all. "We do a tremendous amount of work in terms of following up on anything we feel would bring dishonor to the Senate," he said. "It bothers me that I am working my tail off in this committee, spending hours and hours, and I can't talk about what I'm doing. "

On March 17, Voinovich brought issues regarding the Great Lakes to the Senate, stating that failure to promptly fix the Lakes' environmental problems could lead to a catastrophe as severe as Hurricane Katrina. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States

In January 2007, Senator Voinovich expressed concern to Condoleezza Rice that the President's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq would not be effective. Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Senator did not share President George W. Bush's optimism. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. "At this stage of the game, I don't think it's going to happen. " As a moderate Republican, the Senator was viewed as one of few that could potentially influence the President. Five months later, Senator Voinovich requested to Bush in a five-page letter that the US begin pulling troops from Iraq and asking that the Iraqis start taking care of their own territory, calling for a "comprehensive plan for our country's gradual military disengagement from Iraq. " ^[7][8]

In May 2007, Voinovich and fellow Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced a bipartisan bill giving states the opportunity to receive grant money for hiring and training highly qualified early childhood educators. Sherrod Campbell Brown (born November 9 1952) is the junior United States Senator from the state of Ohio, and a member

On April 9, 2007, Voinovich broke from party lines and stated at a hearing on the war in Iraq: "We've kind of bankrupted this country [with the war spending]. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. We're in a recession. . . and God knows how long it's going to last. " ^[9]

Committee Assignments

• Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on European Affairs
  • Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights
  • Subcommittee on Near East and South and Central Asian Affairs
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration
  • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
  • Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia (Ranking Member)

Electoral history

See also

• Ohio gubernatorial elections

References

• The Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History by Cleveland Bicentennial Commission (Cleveland, Ohio), David D. Van Tassel (Editor), and John J. Grabowski (Editor) ISBN 0-253-33056-4
• Cleveland: A Concise History, 1796–1996 by Carol Poh Miller and Robert Anthony Wheeler ISBN 0-253-21147-6
• The Crisis of Growth Politics: Cleveland, Kucinich, and the Challenge of Urban Populism by Todd Swanstrom ISBN 0-87722-366-1
• Seven Making History: A Mayoral Retrospective by The League of Women Voters of Cleveland
• 25 Years of Cleveland Mayors: Who Really Governs? by Roldo Bartimole
• The New York Times, August 26, 1979. Mayor Kucinich Himself Is Issue In Upcoming Cleveland Primary by Edward Schumaker.
• The Cleveland Press, September 21, 1979. Mayor Accuses Rival On Funding by Walt Bogdanich.
• The Cleveland Press, November 3, 1979. City Club Debate: Candidates Go At It by Brent Larkin.
• The Cleveland Press, November 7, 1979. Mayor-Elect Voinovich Moves To End Default by Brent Larkin.
• The Cleveland Press, November 7, 1979. The Winner: Voinovich Is Subdued Victor by Fred McGunagle.
• The Plain Dealer, August 7, 1999. Our Century: Muny Survives, But Kucinich Is Out of Power by Fred McGunagle.
• The Plain Dealer, August 14, 1999. Our Century: Cleveland Climbs Out Of Default by Fred McGunagle.
• The Plain Dealer, August 22, 1999. Our Century: Beleaguered Cleveland Prunes Its Image – 'Plum' Campaign To Rescue City From the Nation's Punch Lines by Fred McGunagle.
• The Plain Dealer, September 5, 1999. Our Century: A Welcome Breather At City Hall While Voinovich Keeps Peace and Mends Fences, Kucinich Begins His Comeback, And Forbes Consolidates Power On City Council by Fred McGunagle.
• The Plain Dealer, March 9, 2006. Ethics Panel Chief Voinovich Opposes Key Lobbying Reform by Sabrina Eaton.
• The Plain Dealer, March 17, 2006. Great Lakes Need Help, Voinovich Says by Sabrina Eaton.

External links

• United States Senator George Voinovich, U. S. Senate site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• New York Times — George V. Voinovich News collected news and commentary
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — George Voinovich profile
• Bills Sponsored on Statesurge