QUOTE OF THE DAY…. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this morning for the kind of softball interview one might ordinarily associate with Fox News. One of the two hosts, for example, thanked the Republican “for his leadership” because “we’re headed off a fiscal cliff.”

The interview wrapped up with this interesting exchange.

Host: Senator, one question, before we go, on health care. How much of this disagreement with the administration is about the policy of health care and how to fix it, and how much of it is Republicans’ obviously understandable desire to declaw the president politically. How much does that fit into the equation?

Voinovich: I think it’s probably 50-50.

Putting aside the obvious slant of the question, Voinovich’s candid response was nevertheless interesting. At least half of the Republican opposition to health care reform, according to a sitting Republican senator, is nothing more than partisan politics.

Good to know.

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Follow Steve on Twitter @stevebenen. Steve Benen is a producer at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He was the principal contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog from August 2008 until January 2012.