To nobody's surprise, Sen. George V. Voinovich last week announced his firm opposition to a global-warming bill co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Barbara Boxer of California.

In a statement that Voinovich read in a Senate hearing last week, the Ohio Republican said that "this bill will cost my state of Ohio and the country jobs." He said that "despite wild claims of green-job creation, there is no credible analysis that this bill will be a net job creator."

Voinovich said that the bill would prompt many companies to switch from cheap coal to natural gas, which he said would lead to higher utility bills for companies and individuals.

He also took an indirect swipe at Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, when he said that "some of my colleagues would like to insulate our nation's manufacturers by including a 'border tariff' provision. But this is likely inconsistent with" requirements established by the World Trade Organization.

It was a combative week for Voinovich. The Ohio Republican also got into a verbal tussle with Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee who is holding the hearings.

Voinovich wants Boxer to hold up the progress of the climate-change bill until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency comes out with an analysis that, in his view, doesn't just paint a rosy economic scenario for what will happen under the bill. He and Boxer exchanged tense words over his desire, with neither backing down, but Boxer, of course, holding the committee gavel and all the power.