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{ Tim Johnson } Ailing Senator Returning Home to SDakota
AP via SFGate ^ | 8/7/7 | MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer

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 ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: South Dakota
KEYWORDS: 110th; congress; timjohnson; ussenate
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To: Non-Sequitur

I think Daschle would have a good chance. Ugh!


21 posted on 08/07/2007 10:44:02 AM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Did Dennis Kucinich always look like that or did he have to submit to a series of shots? [firehat])
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To: SmithL
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."

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.

22 posted on 08/07/2007 10:44:51 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: Michael.SF.
If the man and the Democrats had any real integrity, he would step down and retire.

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".

23 posted on 08/07/2007 10:48:42 AM PDT by RJS1950 (The democrats are the "enemies foreign and domestic" cited in the federal oath)
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To: SmithL

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?


24 posted on 08/07/2007 10:50:54 AM PDT by Badeye (You know its a kook site when they ban the word 'kook')
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To: Michael.SF.
If the man and the Democrats had any real integrity, he would step down and retire. The voters in SD deserve real representation.

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.

25 posted on 08/07/2007 10:53:56 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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If Johnson was less liberal or I had fewer margaritas with lunch I wouldn't post this again. But I am a realist.

26 posted on 08/07/2007 11:00:14 AM PDT by KarinG1 (Opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not necessarily represent those of sane people.)
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To: Cyber Liberty

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.


27 posted on 08/07/2007 11:02:31 AM PDT by phillyfanatic
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To: NormsRevenge
Does this count (Dennis Moore Ks):


28 posted on 08/07/2007 11:07:05 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: phillyfanatic

Read the link in the original.


29 posted on 08/07/2007 11:09:04 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: phillyfanatic

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.


30 posted on 08/07/2007 11:11:01 AM PDT by South Dakota (A soldier died for me today, I must ask and answer. Am I worth dying for?)
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To: phillyfanatic

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.


31 posted on 08/07/2007 11:11:04 AM PDT by South Dakota (A soldier died for me today, I must ask and answer. Am I worth dying for?)
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To: Old Professer

lol.. modern technology. ;-)


32 posted on 08/07/2007 11:11:20 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Welcome to FR. The Virtual Boot Camp for 'infidels' in waiting)
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To: NormsRevenge
Our great Senator,Jesse Helms of NC, used a scooter for much of his last term. Didn’t slow him down in the least.
33 posted on 08/07/2007 11:18:58 AM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Will some genius please invent beer containers, that self destruct ten seconds after being emptied?)
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To: F.J. Mitchell

Thanks, I was trying to think of someone recent, I do recall him being on a scooter.


34 posted on 08/07/2007 11:22:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Welcome to FR. The Virtual Boot Camp for 'infidels' in waiting)
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To: norwaypinesavage
And "Johnson has been undergoing speech therapy and is expected to use a scooter to get around in the Capitol and is expected to return to the Senate in September." is not incapacitated?

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.

35 posted on 08/07/2007 11:33:37 AM PDT by marlon
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To: SmithL
I, too, pray for his recovery.

I also feel it is unfair to the South Dakota voters to be underrepresented in the Senate.

36 posted on 08/07/2007 12:15:59 PM PDT by upchuck (Today there are 10,000 more illegal aliens in yer country than there were yesterday. 10,000! THINK!)
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To: Old Professer
is expected to use a scooter to get around in the Capitol.

Scooter Libby will once again bless the Halls of Congress.

37 posted on 08/07/2007 12:45:36 PM PDT by A_Tradition_Continues (THE NEXT GENERATION CONSERVATIVE)
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To: NormsRevenge
"I wonder if there have been any other Senators on scooters before? probably more than a few in wheelchairs or walker & cane have served over the years."

One of the greatest, Jesse Helms used a scooter for a while. Boy do I miss that guy. He's still a fireball.

38 posted on 08/07/2007 12:52:50 PM PDT by boop (Trunk Monkey. Is there anything he can't do?)
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To: SmithL

I’m glad he’s well enough to travel. Here’s hoping the wide open, clear blue skies will help his healing.


39 posted on 08/07/2007 1:05:26 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Paleo Conservative

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.


40 posted on 08/07/2007 2:04:53 PM PDT by snowman1
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