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Disgraceful Media Coverage of Sen. Tim Johnson’s Medical Condition
http://newsbusters.org/ ^ | December 14, 2006 | Noel Sheppard

Posted on 12/14/2006 8:02:14 AM PST by lowbridge

Disgraceful Media Coverage of Sen. Tim Johnson’s Medical Condition

Posted by Noel Sheppard on December 14, 2006 - 10:28.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s drop the partisanship for a second and recognize that the media coverage of Sen. Tim Johnson’s (D-SD) sudden illness has been nothing but disgraceful.

The first reports I heard on this issue came early yesterday on CNBC, and immediately the discussion was about how this could change the balance of power in the Senate. I was disgusted.

As my daughter and I left the gym in the early evening, she questioned me about the Senator, and how this would impact politics. I was a bit shocked, and asked her where she had heard about his malady. She said that it was on the television in the ladies’ locker room, and the announcers were discussing how this might hurt the Democrats.

Let’s get a grip for a second here, folks. A man is fighting for his life right now, and that should be much more important than how this impacts who will control the Senate. Yet, just moments ago, this was the headline of an Associated Press article: “GOP governor has the power to appoint Senate replacement.” These were the first two paragraphs:

Control of the U.S. Senate could be determined by Republican Gov. Mike Rounds if a replacement must be named for Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson.

State law would allow the governor to appoint a temporary replacement for a vacant Senate seat until the next general election in 2008, when Johnson's term expires.

How disgraceful. Our thoughts and prayers should be going out to this man and his family without any discussion about the balance of power…unless we really have lost all sense of decency, morality, and humanity in this country.

Get well soon, Senator!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: johnson; msm; timjohnson
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1 posted on 12/14/2006 8:02:18 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: lowbridge

I'm sick of hearing the poor man trying to do an interview while he is suffering a bleed.


2 posted on 12/14/2006 8:05:10 AM PST by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
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To: lowbridge
There are legitimate news elements here that must be reported. There's nothing disgraceful about that.

I recall that when JFK was murdered LBJ was being whisked out of the area and given the oath of office on the plane before anyone knew all that much about Kennedy's situation.

3 posted on 12/14/2006 8:07:43 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: armymarinemom

They said they didn't want to release his health status info because of family privacy--yet they play that (very sad) sound clip over and over. Honestly, if he were healthy, I'd be working against him as much as possible. Until then, I think we should be humans and Christians first, and Republicans later. There is always time to do battle, and while someone is in critical condition isn't that time.


4 posted on 12/14/2006 8:08:21 AM PST by MizSterious (Anonymous sources often means "the voices in my head told me.")
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To: lowbridge

Amen!


5 posted on 12/14/2006 8:09:21 AM PST by Iowamerican
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To: lowbridge

"...unless we really have lost all sense of decency, morality, and humanity in this country." Uh, that would be the Democrats. Of course no one wishes Senator Johnson any harm, but it would be denying human nature to think that no one was going to try to figure out the political consequences of this. I would be willing to bet that the most thinking is being done by Harry Reid, who is no doubt hovering over the patient and wringing his tiny hands as we write.


6 posted on 12/14/2006 8:09:25 AM PST by 3AngelaD (ic.)
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To: lowbridge
Oh, yes, just now reported on CNN Senator Biden was out many months on an extended leave from the Senate while he attempted to recover from a brain aneurism.

As we all know by now he didn't recover but he's back in the Senate on a regular basis just as if nothing had happened.

7 posted on 12/14/2006 8:09:56 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: 3AngelaD
I would be willing to bet that the most thinking is being done by Harry Reid, who is no doubt hovering over the patient and wringing his tiny hands as we write.

“GOP governor has the power to appoint Senate replacement.”

Democrats will simply sue in court (they will shop around for a Clinton or Carter appointee) to have that law overturned.

8 posted on 12/14/2006 8:11:13 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: lowbridge
Prayers for the Senator and his family.

This MSM is just demonstrating how sickening they really are and if anything positive comes from this it will be that all Americans wake up and take note of this MSM's pathetic performance.
9 posted on 12/14/2006 8:12:37 AM PST by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: lowbridge

Perhaps the Supreme Court could find an emanating penumbra somewhere that allows a dead Senator to serve out his term, at least if it means more power for the Socialists. That would put an end to this circus. Anthony Kennedy could be the swing vote.


10 posted on 12/14/2006 8:13:36 AM PST by trek
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To: lowbridge

The media have absolutely no ethics, no principles. They are totally irresponsible in all ways.


11 posted on 12/14/2006 8:14:22 AM PST by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: lowbridge

The coverage is totally tacky. I wish him a full recovery. It is probably making the guy far worse having Harry Reid hanging over him. Probably looks like an Angel of Death!


12 posted on 12/14/2006 8:15:19 AM PST by dforest (Liberals love crisis, create crisis and then dwell on them.)
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To: lowbridge
…unless we really have lost all sense of decency, morality, and humanity in this country.

This is all fueled by the DBM. It follows their recent consensus... that we don't want Iraq screwing up our election campaign in 2008. These leftist bastards are the lowest form of human garbage.

13 posted on 12/14/2006 8:17:30 AM PST by johnny7 ("We took a hell of a beating." -'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell)
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To: lowbridge
State law would allow the governor to appoint a temporary replacement for a vacant Senate seat until the next general election in 2008, when Johnson's term expires.

IF it turns out a replacement needs to be named, the honorable thing to do would be to appoint a Democrat with views as close to Johnson's as possible (or perhaps appoint his wife if she's so inclined). Meanwhile, let's all pray that Senator Johnson makes a full recovery, and is able to continue serving his constituents as he was duly elected to do.

14 posted on 12/14/2006 8:17:33 AM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: muawiyah

GOP Senator Arlin Specter has some health issues. He ran for office again hiding it from Pa voters. He looked sick as he struggled to keep up. He has been through treatment and seems to be doing well. One never knows about the senate. Some of these old birds hang in there until they are senile and near death. They think they own the seat and they have tons of money on hand to keep it.


15 posted on 12/14/2006 8:18:12 AM PST by oldironsides
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To: lowbridge; All
Media are ghouls. They have no soul. I was disgusted when the media kept talking about the 'balance of power' while this poor man and his family have to suffer not knowing if he will live or die. Media are filth. We have elections; unlike media and Dems, I have no need to wish someone dead just for the sake of power. That is vile.

I pray for him and his family that he recovers.

16 posted on 12/14/2006 8:19:28 AM PST by MaestroLC ("Let him who wants peace prepare for war."--Vegetius, A.D. Fourth Century)
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To: lowbridge
The libs are just laying the groundwork for attacking the "R" governor to intimidate him into not appointing someone from his own party. As in, "How dare you alter the balance of the Senate by taking advantage of someone's illness!" Never mind that the Dems would do it in a heartbeat.
17 posted on 12/14/2006 8:20:42 AM PST by Major Matt Mason (Moderates cannot be allowed to control the GOP - 11/7/06 is the proof.)
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To: lowbridge
...and that should be much more important than how this impacts who will control the Senate

Under normal circumstances this is baloney. Men are dying every day, and have died throughout our history for the survival and well-being of our country. The senate is the rudder of the country and not much is more serious than the direction of our country because in turn, not much is more important than for the survival and well-being of our country. Our Senate is more important than the sum of the lives our all of our senators, none perfect, none indispensible, none irreplacible, and for that matter than the lives of our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who, for their sacrifice of time, service and even life, we should cherish more than senators.

But we are under unusually special circumstances, we are in the middle of a war for survival and on the crest of the 33 year holocaust of the sacrificial slaughter of our posterity, the flesh and blood of our nation's future and well-being.

Our prayers are with the Senator and his family, may God have mercy on him and heal him. How much more should our prayers be for our nation? We may not take our government seriously, but God obviously does!

18 posted on 12/14/2006 8:23:08 AM PST by Theophilus (Sola Scriptura!)
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To: lowbridge

Today, in most our elections the MSM doesn't report what the candidates believe or intend to pursue, they spend nearly all of their time covering the elections as if they were announcers at a horse race, with even less reflection or insight. It's little wonder then that in this case they're even more crass. For the MSM, it's all about power now, and it's clear who they want in power. For them, simple human decency is a quaint sentiment. Democratic power is their religion.


19 posted on 12/14/2006 8:23:15 AM PST by elhombrelibre (A sober Jimmy Carter says what Mel Gibson would only say in a very drunken rant.)
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To: muawiyah

Yes there are legitimate news items here but you must look at where the emphasis is being placed in the news reporting. It certainly is not on the health of a U.S. Senator. The Democrats and their sycophant slaves in the news media are scared to death that they may lose a bit of political power, bah, who cares about whether or not a 59 year old man lives or dies.


20 posted on 12/14/2006 8:23:20 AM PST by csx3000
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