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Breaking News: MSNBC Reports Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) Suffers Stroke
MSNBC is reporting that Senator Tim Johnson, 59, D-SD, has apparently suffered a stroke. In the event of Johnson’s death or retirement, the Senate could change control in January – South Dakota’s governorship and legislative chambers are both currently held by Republicans.
Our thoughts should be with the senator and his family this evening.
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29 Responses to “Breaking News: MSNBC Reports Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) Suffers Stroke”
SD has a Republican Governor and Legislature.
This could change things.
Maybe Senators Specter or Snowe will consider changing parties?
“the Senate could change control in January – South Dakota’s governorship and legislative chambers are both currently held by Republicans.”
There won’t be a new election, but simply an appointment?
And you still call this a democracy???
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Gray… seems quite amazing to us Europeans isn’t it?
UH, there are two independents who vote Democrat.
?
MvdG: LOL, I guess that remark is payback for Elrod razzing you about having a Queen.
What is amazing to me is that the balance of power is so precarious one Senator’s health has the potential to shift it from one party to the other.
Despite my party affiliation, I hope that he makes a full and swift recovery.
As of now, the balance in January would be 49 Dems, 49 Reps., plus two Indies caucusing with the Dems, making it 51-49. If Johnson were to be replaced by a Republican, that balance would shift to 50-50, with Cheney casting the deciding votes.
Michael, I’m not sure about the special election – usually in the case of the Senate, an appointment would fill out the remainder of the senator’s term – in this case, through the November ’08 elections.
From new reports coming out, it appears that Johnson is alive and at GWU trauma center, which is probably the best place possible in cases like this. Hopefully all will be well.
They killed him. Now the neo-cons bring Civil War home. Keep your eye on your neighbor.
“seems quite amazing to us Europeans isn’t it?”
Uh, amazing isn’t the phrase I have in my mind, I’m thinking more along the line of ‘stark raving mad’…
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“They killed him.”
Hey, no conspiracy theories without even a hint of evidence, pls!
However, it’s unbelievable that a single fanatic assasin could change the balance of power in the US and effectively override democratic elections.
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First, Johnson will probably be fine, and he’s in great hands. Second, if he isn’t fine and a replacement must be appointed the choice is entirely the Governor’s, and the appointment would be for the remainder of Johnson’s term (through 2008).
My best wishes for this good and decent man and his swift recovery.
“South Dakota actually has the fairest of all coping mechanisms. The Governor has to call an election within 10 days of a vacancy, to be held no more than 90 days later.”
Rzra Klein
Here’s the Statute:
“12-11-1. Special election to fill congressional vacancy–Time of election of representative. If a vacancy occurs in the office of a senator or representative in the United States Congress it shall be the duty of the Governor within ten days of the occurrence, to issue a proclamation setting the date of and calling for a special election for the purpose of filling such vacancy. If either a primary or general election is to be held within six months, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress shall be held in conjunction with that election, otherwise the election shall be held not less than eighty nor more than ninety days after the vacancy occurs.”
Differs from standard practice–most states allow the guv to fill the seat through the next regular election. Choice of interim appointee remains the guv’s.
BUT….
“12-11-6. No special election if appointed senator’s term expires at normal time. No special election, to fill a vacancy, may be held if the term of office of the appointed senator expires in the month of January immediately following the next general election that would occur after the vacancy.”
Does SD have a state-wide general election is in 2007? Because Johnson’s term expires in the January following the 2008 general election.
That’s how it should be settled in every state. To do otherwise is to subvert the will of the voters.
Having said that, best of luck to Sen Johnson for a speedy recovery.
Amen.
Prayers for Sen. Johnson. Good man. Strokes can be very scary. Hopefully it is “minor,” such as that can be the case.
On a seemingly tactless note, it does seem Rounds would appoint a Republican replacement, if God forbid, Johnson could not serve.
’08, on the other hand, could see Senator Herseth, who would add some, ahhhh, “appeal” to the US Senate.
But again, hopefully we’ll NEVER get to those scenarios and Sen. Johnson makes a full recovery.
Gray62
Its not a “single”, its an organization. Same people killed John Kennedy. Robert Kennedy, Dr.Martin Luther King. Soon by nefarious means, there elected power base will swing back to republican, maybe even an American Penochet will emerge. Maybe marshal law. Then the neo-cons will begin to kill us. The military industrial complex will not be denied it’s blood money.
Cheer the Bush, wave the flag, send your children to die for nothing, turn on the TV and be happy America.
just kidding….I think.
Paul in Austin
Why would they do that? They resisted the Jeffords impulse before, why would it be any different now?
Godspeed to Senator Johnson. Strokes these days can be quite major or fairly minor. If it was a clot-based stroke, and they administered anti-clotting agents quickly enough, he might make a very swift recovery.
As to the politics of it all, I didn’t hear a lot of talk from the middle or the left about “subverting democracy” when Sen. Jeffords decided to change his party affiliation after the national elections had delivered the Republicans a majority (albeit a close one) in the Senate.
South Dakota senator hospitalized but NOT a stroke or heart attack – Yahoo! News
Not to speak for Paul, but there’s one name that makes things different than before: Lincoln Chafee. The northeastern moderate Republicans can either take their chances that 2006 was a blip on the radar and maintain the status quo, or they can get ahead of the game and bail out of the sinking ship that is the Republican party in the northeast. (The third option would be, of course, to demand the renewal of their voice in the party that’s held hostage by the extreme “religious” right, but that’s not likely to happen.)
I would disagree with Paul that Snowe and Specter are the likely candidates, however. Neither of them is up for election until 2010. (Specter probably will not run again, so if he switches it will be almost entirely a move of conscience.) The senator with a 2008 election most likely to switch would be Susan Collins.
Yes as Holly notes above, doctors have ruled out both a stroke and a heart attack, but will be keeping Sen. Johnson overnight for observation. Things seem to be on a positive track, but do keep up the good thoughts for Senator Johnson.
Nick, Collins’ approval ratings – in Maine, as a Republican – have dropped beneath 70% a grand total of twice since May ’05 – and only then to 69%. She doesn’t seem to be in any peril, even assuming, arguendo, that the anti-Bush wave that drove the midterms has not now crested.
I suggested the remote notion of one of the moderate Republicans switching parties because it may seem to them that to revert control of the Senate to GOP control may doom some of the reforms and temperament they support. They may flinch at Mitch O’Connell and Trent Lott in control.
Sort of a profiles in Courage inspiration.
It seems unlikely, since Snowe was a cheerleader for Lott’s return to office – and in any event, Snowe and Collins wield considerably more authority in a narrow GOP majority than they do in a narrow Democratic majority. Back before Jeffords jumped, CQ described them as two of the most important members of the Senate precisely because they were seen as swing voters.
Best wishes to the Senator. I’d say the same thing if he were a Republican.
I just heard an update, that the Senator had surgery- the doctors are sounding like it was a stroke- maybe the Senator’s spokeswoman didn’t want to jump the gun. Hopefully, he will fully recover and have a short rehab period. If his stroke was a serious one, they probably won’t know anything for a while.
Psycho Christian Extremist Republicans I’m sure are praying he’ll pass in the night. SD Gov will not pass up a chance like this. Cheney will call the tie in his favor. Greed continues to rein ruler and the evil American Nazi party wins.