Posted on 12/29/2006 11:28:06 AM PST by shrinkermd
This sounds like March at the earliest for his return, maybe even the summer.
He must be still intubated, as if he was extubated it would have been heralded as evidence of his remarkable Dem majority protecting recovery.
At some point, the interests of the people of SD would best be served by appointing at least an interim successor, to hold the position and vote, either until the end of the term, or until the current Senator recovers.
So, how does she vote?
There may be no provision for an interim senator, meaning awaiting for the return of the ill member. I don't think the Constitution addresses this, as I recall, not having checked into the particulars. I would imagine thqt the Democrats would force the SD governor to name one of their own if he must appoint.
So far, the lights are on but we don't know if anybody's home.
Too important for us little folk to be told, I guess.
Dr.'s Reid & Schumer are miracle-workers!
Time for a remake of the movie "Dave".
I lost my Dad to a series of strokes.
It's pretty hard watching a highly intelligent man go from being a brilliant programmer (among other things) to not knowing how to turn on a computer.
Democrat OR Republican, I hope for his full recovery.
He won't vote. He will simply occupy space. If SD had a D gov., his family would be hounded by the media to make him resign.
This is not unprecidented. Families have refused to let Senators resign before. A Republican in the 70's and a Democrat in the 40's. I guess they like the salary and benefits.
I just fear that the family is not really important in the decision-making process here.
What is not being discussed is the amount of brain damage here. I think it would be nearly impossible for Tim Johnson to be communicative and lucid any time in the next two years.
He might even be down to Joe Biden's level.
Oh, well, one more veg in the senate won't matter much.
You know, with Johnson out and Hitlery, Obama, and Skerry, running for Prez, there will be, in all probability, several votes in the Senate in which there is a good likelihood that the dumbocrats will be in a minority. Skerry had an atrocious attendance record in the Senate during the last campaign.
I should note that, with the R in the 70s (a SD Senator, IIRC) the R caucus, before too long, stripped him of all of rank and priviledges and committee assignments.
Yep. Hillary will be out, so will Biden and Kerry. And McCain will be campaigning also. This is working out to an effective majority for the Republicans!
Of course they shouldn't. But they will.
(she said, bitterly gnashing her teeth...)
"he is responsive to directions from his wife"
That just means he's married.
"She said he is responsive to directions from his wife but has not yet spoken."
Holy Moley, if he hasn't even spoken yet, he is toast as a political representative.
Make that the smartest Democratic Senator in the place
"If Dirty Hairy Reed has to pedal the bike that powers the little generator that keeps Johnson's respirator working, Johnson will be a Senator for the next two years. Even if the summer squash in my garden has more brain activity, Johnson is their man."
Even better... an incapacitated Senator will effectively vote a straight party line for Reid.. by not voting, Reid can win by 50-49, whereas a "centrist" such as Johnson might join with the Republicans and tip the vote to 50-50 (and 50-51 after Cheney votes.)
Ben Nelson should be careful when he's crossing the street.
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