NP: CMJ New Music Monthly, Volume 124

I've always been a proponent of a more viable multi-party political system in the United States. That said, I always approached it as a progressive, centrist independent at odds with the Democratic Party as the closest ideology.

As with Jim Jeffords before him, Ohio's George Voinovich has gotten me thinking a little differently. Voinovich is the guy who ultimately torpedoed John Bolton's appointment as ambassador to the U.N. yesterday, at least for the time being and maybe for good. Slate's Today's Papers column goes to the L.A. Times for this bit:

The LAT quotes a GOP strategist saying Voinovich's move is a sign of things to come. Republican moderates are "starting to stand up and be counted—and to rebel," said the operative. "They are tired of being strong-armed."

Is this fissure within the GOP enough to fracture it in two? Is the moral values fixation dividing not only the country, but the Republican Party? I have no idea, but it should be interesting to watch how this all plays out. Voinovich definitely took a shot across the bow here, and the GOP leadership can't be too happy about it.