Posted on 08/07/2007 10:20:48 AM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson is returning to his home state of South Dakota for the first time since suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage eight months ago.
The senator has been recovering at hospitals and in his Fairfax, Va. home and has not appeared in public since he fell ill. He will travel to South Dakota this month and is expected to return to the Senate in September. Johnson has been undergoing speech therapy and is expected to use a scooter to get around in the Capitol.
In a statement released Tuesday by his office, Johnson said his doctors have cleared him for travel.
"I know my return has taken longer than some people have liked — count me among them," he said in the statement. "But I learned early on in this journey the importance and necessity of relying on the advice and counsel of those doctors, nurses and therapists without whom, my return would have been impossible."
Johnson, 60, was rushed from his Senate office to George Washington University Hospital after becoming disoriented on a conference call with reporters in December. He underwent emergency surgery for arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins in the brain to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst.
He was stricken a month after elections that gave the Democrats a one-seat majority in the Senate, and his ailment raised the possibility that, if he were incapacitated, South Dakota's GOP governor would appoint a Republican successor and return the Senate to GOP control.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I think Daschle would have a good chance. Ugh!
"I know my return has taken longer than some people have liked — count me among them," he said in the statement. "But I learned early on in this journey the importance and necessity of relying on the advice and counsel of those doctors, nurses and therapists without whom, my return would have been impossible."
If these are the exact words of Johnson, his speech therapy has been a resounding success. If you believe that, I have a bridge in great shape to sell you in MN, used by 130,000 vehicles a day in the first half of 2007.
He/they can't have something they never had nor will they ever have.
The rat party are enemies of the constitution and I don't care what whether he recovers or not. The rat party would be actively pursuing a means to put him out of office if he were GOP because "he could not properly represent his constituents".
He will travel to South Dakota this month and is expected to return to the Senate in September. Johnson has been undergoing speech therapy and is expected to use a scooter to get around in the Capitol.
I hope he recovers, but I seriously doubt the above will ever happen.
Anyone else recall the various ‘death watches’ the Democrats gleefully engaged in just a few years ago?
Yes, of course. However I would say the same for some elderly disoriented republican senators we have seen go on too long in the past.
I think he is through some 2 years of his present term. Remember Thune beat Dash. and I think Thune is up this time in ‘08, not Johnson.
Read the link in the original.
Thune is not up for re-election, Johnson is.
Tom Daschle faces an uphill battle if he runs.
The one that will run if Johnson doesn’t, and can win is Princess Stephanie Herseth-Handlin, our House Rep.
Thune is not up for re-election, Johnson is.
Tom Daschle faces an uphill battle if he runs.
The one that will run if Johnson doesn’t, and can win is Princess Stephanie Herseth-Handlin, our House Rep.
lol.. modern technology. ;-)
Thanks, I was trying to think of someone recent, I do recall him being on a scooter.
Compared to whom? Byrd, Kennedy, Boxer, Murray I mean come on it doesn't take much capacity to be a Senator these days. Heck Biden can't even use his own speeches and Jon Keri thinks he was in places that he's never been.
Om a serious note, I'm glad he's doing well and I hope for him and his family that he completely recovers.
I also feel it is unfair to the South Dakota voters to be underrepresented in the Senate.
Scooter Libby will once again bless the Halls of Congress.
One of the greatest, Jesse Helms used a scooter for a while. Boy do I miss that guy. He's still a fireball.
I’m glad he’s well enough to travel. Here’s hoping the wide open, clear blue skies will help his healing.
As long as Reid has any say in it he will hever resign and let this state get some real representation. Reid is scared S#$%less that he will do just that. If he does run for reelection he will probably get his ass kicked. He is unable to walk and talk at the same time.
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