Democrats applauded. “When we help small businesses, we help to get Americans back to work,” Sen. Max Baucus (Mont.) said in a statement, for instance. “This is exactly the kind of targeted, job-creating legislation that folks in Montana and across the country are urging us to enact. This bill creates the right conditions right now to help small businesses create jobs by spurring investment and entrepreneurship with tax cuts and improved access to capital.” And they had special praise for Voinovich.

However, two competing amendments to end a tax-reporting requirement that might prove onerous for small businesses failed to pass. Both Democrats and Republicans want to drop the “1099″ requirement, created in the health-care law, but cannot agree on how to pay for it.

When I think of George Voinovich, I think of his inane blubbering about the shamnesty debacle. Blubber, blubber.

I think of his crusading for the massive auto bailout.

And I think of his mortifying meltdown in opposition to John Bolton’ UN ambassador nomination in 2005, which prompted embarrassed conservatives to start a “Console George” campaign to send him tissues.

The ironic thing is that Malkin had a lot of fun with liberal Democrats (“nutroots”) who wanted to purge their party of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in 2006 and 2008. But of course, all Lieberman did was side with President George W. Bush against the Democrats’ Iraq policy, then endorse GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, rather than President-elect Barack Obama. Voinovich wanted to give work visas to Mexicans.