Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) suffers possible stroke(Update Spokesman says NO stroke)

MSNBC

[NonZeroSum]

Only problem is the best GOP candidate for the seat IS the Governor.

He's probably not precluded from appointing himself, assuming he wanted the job. Then they'd probably have to have a special election to replace him as governor.

[Verginius Rufus]

The runner-up in the election should replace him.

That wouldn't work at the Presidential level, or fanatical partisans of the losing candidate would be doing their best to kill the winner of the election. Fortunately the Constitutional Convention provided for a Vice President.

[ConservativeMind]

What does that get anyone?

[LiveFree99]

Does the law specify how long the replacement has to be a member of the party of the senator he's replacing? If not, then a Repub could simply change his party registration to D and get appointed with no legal problems.

[globalwhiplash]

hahha haaaaa haaaaa gotta watch those fatty oils.

[Rushmore Rocks]

Hmmmmm..........you must have heard the rumors, too.

[Proud2BeRight]

I know from having close family members who have suffered stroke, how devastating it can be. I wish him well and hope he can recover fully. I will put aside politics in wishing him well.

[Halls]

oh, that sucks! I pray for him and his family. Strokes can be bad or not so bad. I hope he comes out ok and able to function normally.

[gakrak]

We should pray for him and his family, this kind of thing also effects so many of his loved ones. Amen.

[zbigreddogz]

but Stephanie is much prettier.

Herseth is downright hot. She's the hottest woman in Congress. This isn't a partisan thing, this is just a fact.

[RetiredArmy]

You can bet your last Ruble that the dims will demand that he appoint a dimocrat since Johnson is a dimocrat, even though the law allows the governor to appoint whomever he desires and the dims have done the same thing in the past. But, watch. They will go absolutely ape s**t if he has to appoint and does appoint a republican. The MSM will go nuts, nuts, nuts, ballistic nuts.

[Theodore R.]

I think that state that you mentioned about the party selecting three names is WY. Are there others?

[Dead Dog]

This would be a terrible way to get a majority back.

[theDentist]

If the roles were reversed do you really think a Dem Governor would appoint a Republican Senator in the spirit of "bipartisanship"? Who ever said politics was fair? If it comes to that, I hope he appoints a 'Pub (not a RINO either).

[TC Rider]

It would show a great deal of bipartisanship if he would appoint a democrat and not tip the balance of power as a result of a horrible tragedy.

Oh, you mean the way the Dem Gov did in Georgia when we lost Coverdale and he foisted Max Cleland on us?

[NonZeroSum]

No, read it again. That's for a representative, not a senator. The governor appoints senators, and the replacement would keep his or her seat at least until the next election opportunity (in this case, 2008).

[daybreakcoming]

Bryd lives on forever and a half-decent democrat may be seriously ill.

Prayers up for his recovery.

[madison10]

Regardless of how this goes...the pachyderms had better shape up if given the chance. (as in, grow some spine for God's sake)

Hope Sen. Johnson will be well, especially at this time of year.

[se_ohio_young_conservative]

Stephanie Herseth is a lesbian ? that would shock me. she doesnt seem like one.

[AmishDude]

It shows you how dumb these kinds of laws are, but my guess is that there's some elaborate rule as to how the leader of the caucus that is not of the Senator's party submits three names to the Governor, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't apply here, thankfully.