"E's not dead!"
Posted on 12/29/2006 11:28:06 AM PST by shrinkermd
Julianne Fisher, a spokeswoman for the senator, said Johnson will not be present in the first days of the new Congress next week but is continuing to improve. She said he is responsive to directions from his wife but has not yet spoken.
It is too soon to tell how long recovery will take, Fisher said.
In a statement yesterday, Johnson's doctors said he remains in intensive care at George Washington University Hospital. They have released few new details about Johnson's condition and prognosis since the days after the Dec. 13 surgery to stop bleeding in his brain.
Vivek Deshmukh, head of Johnson's surgical team, said in a statement that the senator's overall condition has improved and that he is gradually being weaned off sedation to help his brain heal.
Johnson's wife, Barbara, said that her husband "continues to give us great hope" and that two of the couple's three grown children were at the hospital on his birthday.
Johnson was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst. He was rushed to the hospital after becoming disoriented during a call with reporters.
His illness raised questions about the Democrats' one-vote majority in the upcoming Senate session. Should Johnson's seat become vacant, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, could replace him with a Republican.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Have the DUmmies figured out how Bush did it?
He will be the smartest Senator in the place....
If nothing else maybe just a little bit this remind someone (not the MSM tho) that there is no supermajority giving the dems a huge mandate.
"Should Johnson's seat become vacant, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, could replace him with a Republican."
Well, the demonrats certainly won't be bound by ethics, common sense, or even basic human decency in their efforts to prevent that.
A very good sign. Prayers for a complete recovery.
Yeah, keep up the Weekend at Bernie's front there Dems. Medical experts say they would not be at all comfortable claiming there is progress in his condition if 2 weeks on they're still having to keep him comatose.
Wish nothing but a speedy recovery for the Senator....
Sen. Tim Johnson remains in critical condition
...is from the same AP report, then the paper above left out a couple of interesting paragraphs. See the last two paragraphs from the above link.
It takes a long time to get the animatronics just right.
Oh but Barney F@g does have a 'mandate'.
Regardless what facade the press may try to put forward, the GOP leadership surely knows the state this man is really in and they'll have to decide how to go forward. They shouldn't let Reid push them around.
"E's not dead!"
His condition may be "improving", but it is still classified as critical.
The Washington Post left out the last three PARAGRAPHS. Here they are:
There is ample precedent for senators to continue to hold office while incapacitated.
Dr. Keith Siller, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Care Center at NYU Medical Center and assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine, said it is unusual for a patient to be sedated after brain surgery for more than a few days.
"The two-week period is longer than I would be happy with," he said.
Surprise, surprise --NOT
Glad to hear he is improving.
If Johnson doesn't show up on Jan. 3, the Demos still organize with a 50-49 vote.
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