Republican Ohio Sen. George Voinovich's decision to support a package of small-business proposals backed by President Obama instantly created an issue in the state's competitive Senate race to replace the retiring lawmaker.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Voinovich said he would no longer support GOP efforts to delay the measure. "We don't have time for messaging," Voinovich said. "We don't have time anymore. This country is really hurting."

Obama mentioned Voinovich's comments in today's news conference. Read more about the conference on The Oval.

Voinovich's support could give Democrats the 60 votes they need to advance the legislation when the Senate returns from its summer recess period next week. It also created an issue in Ohio's Senate race between Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and former GOP congressman Rob Portman.

"Congressman Rob Portman spent two decades in Washington following lockstep with the Republican agenda," Fisher spokeswoman Holly Shulman said in a statement. "Will Congressman Portman do what's right for Ohio by supporting small-business job creation or continue to play politics with Ohio jobs?"

Portman spokeswoman Jessica Towhey responded: "Rob believes there's a better way to help small businesses than a TARP-like approach that would open the door for more government take-over of banks."

The pending legislation calls for about $12 billion in tax incentives for small businesses. The bill would also create a $30 billion government fund used to encourage community banks to loan money to small businesses.

Ohio's industrial economy has suffered for years because of the loss of manufacturing jobs and the economy is the leading issue in the race. The state's unemployment rate was 10.3% in July, higher than the national average of 9.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state has lost 183,000 manufacturing jobs since 2005.

Updated at 4:40 p.m. ET. Portman spokeswoman Towhey has issued a more formal statement, attacking Fisher as having "absolutely no credibility... on growing our economy" because of his role as the state's economic development director at a time when Ohio lost hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Towhey said that business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, support Portman because "of his opposition (to) the job-killing policies ... that (have) not created the jobs promised by Washington Democrats."

(Posted by John Fritze)