...Then Mr. Hanna delivered the ultimate blow: "I'd vote for you!"

In a Congress marred by ideological division, Mr. Owens and Mr. Hanna are trying to wedge in some pragmatism and good cheer, at least as far as their party identification will let them.

WASHINGTON - Rep. William L. Owens traveled to Taiwan last week to promote Northern New York to a computer chip maker that may be considering an investment in the state.

Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he met with executives from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., which competes with a California company that is building a computer chip factory in Saratoga County