Obama to Host Voinovich Tuesday for Oval Office Chat
President Barack Obama will meet Tuesday in the Oval Office with Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), the White House said Monday.The meeting with Voinovich could be a sign that as Democrats face the possibility of losing a Senate seat in Massachusetts Tuesday, the White House has begun trolling for a Republican vote to preserve its 60-vote filibuster-proof tally for the health care reform bill. White House officials were not immediately available for comment. But Voinovich is a moderate Republican who is retiring and may be viewed by Obama and his advisers as a potential vote for the legislation.All 40 Republicans voted in unison against the measure during its initial run through the Senate last month. Democrats and the Senate’s two Independents provided the 60 votes needed for passage.