Republicans Waiting As Johnson Recovers

AP via SFGate ^ | 5/16/7 | MARY CLARE JALONICK and CHET BROKAW

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Someone has to run anyway, right? Why would tha handicap the GOP except from a national standpoint? Did I miss something?

[3AngelaD]

Those Dems are all heart: "The same day Johnson had the brain hemorrhage, a Democratic staffer registered the Web site hersethforsenate.com — apparently speculating that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, South Dakota's Democratic congresswoman, might soon jump into the race to replace Johnson.

"The staffer, Doug Landry, then worked for Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and now works for New York Sen. Charles Schumer, who heads the Democratic party's Senate campaign efforts. Both offices say Landry acted on his own and he has since apologized for his quick move.

Herseth Sandlin's office also denied any prior knowledge of the Web site — which is now useless, as Herseth married in March and changed her last name to Herseth Sandlin."

[The Lumster]

Why would tha handicap the GOP except from a national standpoint? Did I miss something?

The GOP is handicapped by thinking that they can play nice with these people.

The Dem's will keep Johnsons true condition from the public for as long as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if he "ran for office" from his bed with sound bites written by his staff. The sympathy vote alone would probably be enough to keep him in office

[pogo101]

I wish Johnson a full recovery, but it appears such will take years.

If so, then:

If Johnson and his advisers truly want to serve his state’s voters, he will step aside. (Because the state has a GOP governor, such probably would be negotiated: e.g., pick a liberal-ish Republican or a conservative Democrat as the successor. If Johnson approves of the successor, he resigns.) But obviously he is not serving them remotely as well as a healthy Senator could, and such doesn’t appear likely to change soon.

Again, I wish him the best, but the Senate may not be “the best” place for him to be, either for his own sake or for his state’s (or even his party’s).

[Paleo Conservative]

The state of South Dakota should play hardball. The US Constitution requires that no state may be denied "equal suffrage" without its consent. "Equal suffrage" doesn't mean equal numbers of warm bodies but equal voting in the Senate. I don't really think it matters what Senator Johnson wants or what the members of the Senate think. Senator Johnson is incapacitated and can't vote, and the state of South Dakota is not being allowed to have "equal suffage in the Senate".

Article 5.

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

[TBP]

I wish Senator Johnson a speedy recovery and I think in fairness to his constituents he should make a decision soon.

[MplsSteve]

I think that Herseth-Sandlin is the most logical Democrat to run - if Johnson steps down.

Unfortunately, she would be very hard to beat - even in a pro-GOP state like South Dakota. She’s already won several state-wide elections and like Tom Daschle, goes home and talks conservative to the voters.

[PJ-Comix]

Weekend At Bernie's.

[jmaroneps37]

“He won re-election in 2002 by just 524 votes...”
Let’s not forget that the original “final count” had him down about 900 votes, but then miraculously, 1500 votes from and Indian reservation appeared like magic. An Indian woman who engineered the fraudulent votes was tried, convicted and sent off to federal prison for “finding” those votes. That ticked off enough voters to get John Thine past tiny tommie. maybe it will work again with the real crook running.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

If SD's Governor were a Rat, Johnson would have been replaced already.

[philled]

Unfortunately, she would be very hard to beat - even in a pro-GOP state like South Dakota. She’s already won several state-wide elections and like Tom Daschle, goes home and talks conservative to the voters.

Things are starting...There have been quite a few radio ads recently pointing out her "forgetting where she is from" with her support of the Iraq surrender vote and the hate crimes bill, so hopefully she won't be able to get away with the duplicity.

I think Mike Rounds would beat her but I'd hate to lose him as governor. I don't know who's waiting in the wings to replace him. Comically, Jack Billion's main attribute in his race against Rounds was that he was able to finance a big chunk of his campaign.

Herseth wasn't really challenged in her two previous races- the best the state GOP could come up with the sudden departure of Janklow was Larry Diedrich. He's a nice guy but had too low of a profile. I still don't know who Bruce Whalen is other than he was dramatically overmatched in 2006. The SD benches on both sides are pretty thin but I imagine that the rats would quickly trade her house seat for a senate seat.

[Gulf War One]

Herseth wasn't really challenged in her two previous races- the best the state GOP could come up with the sudden departure of Janklow was Larry Diedrich. He's a nice guy but had too low of a profile. I still don't know who Bruce Whalen is other than he was dramatically overmatched in 2006. The SD benches on both sides are pretty thin but I imagine that the rats would quickly trade her house seat for a senate seat.

Let's not kid ourselves. She'll be tough. On the bright side, the best they can do is hold a Senate seat, while placing a House seat up for grabs. The talk on the Hill is that we have a better shot to re-take the House. Numbers are not on our side with the Senate, at least not this cycle.

[RinaseaofDs]

Does Johnson have the capacity to decide anything at this point?

Is that not a fair question to ask?

[the anti-mahdi]

Given the massive fraud of the rats in every election, Tim Johnson was likely defeated by thousands of votes.

Another Johnson (Lyndon Baines) used to delight in telling the story of rebuking a staffer who was collecting “ghost voter” names in a cemetery, who complained that he could not read the eroded name on a tombstone, “you go back and get that name, he has as much right to vote as anyone else in this cemetery” (David Brinkley).

Rats are Rats, they are implacable—they cannot be reasoned with; just as the islamists cannot be reasoned with—they are destroying America, committed to the goal.

[gcruse]

“Republicans Waiting As Johnson Recovers”

I knew they were spineless, but didn’t know they were on a Viagria drip.

[Jack Black]

Who is the real crook?

[an amused spectator]

This article reads like a four-year-old banging away on a piano, pretending like he’s actually playing a tune.

[an amused spectator]

But obviously he is not serving them remotely as well as a healthy Senator could, and such doesn’t appear likely to change soon.

Johnson's continued presence on the Senate's voting rolls leads to the observation that maybe MOST of the Senate is just as effective as Tim Johnson.

Which leads to the next observation:

Why in God's name are we picking up the tab for these useless assclowns?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Does Johnson have the capacity to decide anything at this point?

Is that not a fair question to ask?

IMHO it would seem fair to ask the question of whether he can decide to run for reelection or not. Or at least set a timetable for making that decision . . .

And at some point it will become fair to ask if he can debate his Republican challenger. If not, then the situation becomes a reprise of the election of the widow Carnahan in MO back in 2000 . . . a Senator elected on a sympathy vote.