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In an open letter sent today to ABC President David Westin, Media Research Center President and NewsBusters.org Publisher Brent Bozell questioned the ethics of ABC as a "news" network and wondered "how in the world can anyone take ABC seriously" after it was announced that ABC News has hired Democrat donor Dr. Richard Besser to be their new Senior Medical Editor. The letter appears in its entirety below the fold.

Senators who oversee the $700 billion Wall Street rescue package held stocks in many of the banks bailed out towards the end of last year, according to financial disclosure reports released Friday. According to the reports detailing senators’ finances in 2008, nearly half of the members of the Senate Banking Committee had holdings in financial institutions that have taken funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The panel has jurisdiction over the bailout fund and other relief efforts directed by federal regulators to save the nation’s financial system. For example, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), a Banking panel member, has...

...Thune was not alone in voting "no." A Democrat — *gasp* — and fellow South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson — also voted "no," probably for the same reason Thune voted "no" which was because it was going to kill 3,000-5,000 jobs in their state, which is simple math.

See this link for the article - http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70790&catid=2

Former Republican Lt. Gov. Steve Kirby says he will decide within the next week whether to challenge South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson this November. "I'm undecided but I am working feverishly on trying to come up with a decision in the next seven days," Kirby said Thursday. South Dakota Republicans have been searching for GOP candidates to challenge Johnson this year. The Democrat's bid for a third term has attracted little attention as South Dakotans have focused on his recovery from a brain hemorrhage, and the election has been seen as Johnson's to lose. Kirby is more well-known than other...

<p>I am writing this column the afternoon before the election, but one thing I feel comfortable predicting: Several famous pollsters will be wrong.</p> <p>For instance, in Minnesota either Zogby (Mondale by six) or Mason-Dixon (Coleman by six) will be left to explain how the dastardly public undercut them at the last moment. Likewise in Colorado, either Zogby (Strickland by five) or Gallup (Allard by two) will grumble about the public not truly understanding the full range of possibilities inherent within the phrase "a 95 percent chance of accuracy within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent." Properly understood, of course, that phrase means it could be a landslide either way.</p>

The president's rally has a very real political purpose. But today, some bipartisan supporters held a rally of their own to show they support the Republican president and Democrat Tim Johnson for Senate. John Thune's campaign hopes tomorrow's rally will convince Bush supporters to also be Thune supporters. But, not everyone who likes the President plans to vote for Thune. Some registered Republicans who plan to vote for Tim Johnson held a rally in Aberdeen today. Registered Republican Tom Aman thinks highly of the commander and chief. He voted for him in 2000, and has contributed to every one of...

Narrowly defeated Republican Senate candidate John Thune has postponed a decision about whether to call for a recount after unofficial vote returns showed him losing to incumbent Democrat Tim Johnson by less than two-fifths of a percentage point. Thune, South Dakota's three-term congressman, said he will await the outcome of the official statewide vote canvass on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to see whether Johnson's 528-vote lead erodes. "The numbers are in, and we came up a little bit short. I don't anticipate a change," Thune said when he addressed reporters early Wednesday afternoon. "We'll wait and see." State law allows for...

News Thune Response to Close VoteAfter hours of meeting with his campaign staff, Congressman Thune addressed his supporters about the narrow margin of defeat during his race for the U.S. Senate. Thune: "After a long night and a long morning, the preliminary results of last night's election show Senator Tim Johnson with a 528 vote advantage. The next step in the process is the official canvass of the election results. A canvass is done after each election, and the results will be released as soon as that process is finished. Essentially, the canvass is our election system's process for checking...

<p>SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Kurt Evans issued a statement Thursday evening saying he was suspending his U.S. Senate campaign and giving his support to Republican John Thune.</p> <p>Evans had qualified for the Nov. 5 ballot as a Libertarian candidate. He could not be reached for comment.</p>

Stephanie Herseth is no longer the underdog. In fact, the newcomer candidate holds a slight edge over political powerhouse, Governor Bill Janklow in the race for South Dakota's seat in the U.S. House. It's the second KELOLAND News Election poll in which Herseth's held a slight lead. When the KELOLAND News Election poll showed registered South Dakota voters favored Herseth in August, the Janklow campaign said the Governor hadn't hit the campaign trail yet. Now with less than four weeks until the election, our exclusive poll shows Janklow still hasn't made up any ground. When Governor Bill Janklow entered the...

There are still nine months to go before the South Dakota Senate election between Minority Leader Tom Daschle and his Republican challenger, former Rep. John Thune. The campaign hasn’t really started yet, but you might as well get ready now for the post-election investigation into voting irregularities. It’s a sure thing. And while you’re at it, you might as well prepare for a murky end to that investigation. There might be clear evidence of wrongdoing, but no one will be found guilty of doing anything wrong. And then it will be on to the next election. Last week, we saw...

http://www.state.sd.us/sos/results/statwide.shtml U S SENATE (L) EVANS KURT 2974 1 816 844 (D) JOHNSON TIM 160809 49 816 844 (R) THUNE JOHN 162492 50 816 844

Just heard on local radio that the libertarian candidate in the SD, senate race, Curt Evans, is dropping out and throwing his support behind John Thune(R). Say's "Thune is the better candidate". Maybe 2-3% bump.(my guess)

Hi, this is Dan Olmsted, Washington Bureau Chief of United Press International. We're still looking at the Thune-Johnson race, and would appreciate any suggestions for how to nail down any possible fraud in the race.

Please post as much election information as you can on this thread, so we won't have a million separate threads running at one time. And, please, NO GRAPHICS -- just links!

SOUTH DAKOTA: NRSC Poll Has Daschle Up One A McLaughlin and Assocs. (R) poll; conducted 7/16-17 for the NRSC; surveyed 200 likely voters; margin of error +/- 4.9% (release, 7/22). Tested: Sen. Min. Leader Tom Daschle (D) and '02 nominee/ex-Rep. John Thune (R). Daschle 47% Thune 46% Daschle Unfavorable 36% Thune Unfavorable 22% Meanwhile, the polling memo notes that SD voters "are turned off by Daschle's premature start to the campaign season," noting that 68% said "it's too early for political ads and Tom Daschle should stop running them" (release, 7/22). A GOP source notes that the poll was taken...

<p>"Work as if everything depends on you; pray as if everything depends on God."</p> <p>The Iraq debate is over. Democrats who are up for reelection in close Senate races voted for the Iraq resolution with the exception of Paul Wellstone (D-WI). Now with over three weeks left, they are going to hit hard on the economy, social security, negative attack ads, etc.</p>

Some statistics from South Dakota Election site and Census site. Exceptional voter registration averages there. South Dakota County by County Results Last Updated Wednesday November 06 2002. 11/06/02-CENTRAL ELECTION REPORTING SYSTEM-12:56:21 ST05BTCH-STATEWIDE RACES 2000 Census http://www.state.sd.us/sos/results/pvreport.shtml http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html So Dak So Dak Age Age Total % Too Turned 18 County Population < 18 >=18 Registered Registered Many Since 2000 Evans Johnson Thune Total Aurora 3058 844 2214 2052 0.93 0 94 18 875 698 1591 Beadle 17040 4205 12835 11321 0.88 0 467 94 4381 3499 7974 Bennett 3570 1297 2273 2369 1.04 96 144 16 899 694 1609 Bon Homme...

America's Libertarian Party services only one purpose: Distracting and confusing the determined combatants in all our critical national struggles. Consider the preposterous Libertarian role in the just concluded midterm elections. South Dakota represented ground zero in the struggle for control of the Senate, and Republican John Thune and incumbent Democrat Tim Johnson fought to a virtual tie--with only 527 votes (less than 0.2 percent of the vote) dividing them. Meanwhile, 3,071 votes went to Libertarian Kurt Evans, a 32-year-old teacher who listed as one of his prime preparations for the Senate that his father is a known Country & Western...

* means NRA endorsment. Grade is the NRA grade. Alabama: *(D) Siegelman 674,052 A+ (R) Riley 670,913 A (L) Sophocleus 23,242 Oregon: (D) Kulongoski 493,385 C+ (R) Mannix 490,745 A (L) Cox 47,444 Wisconsin: (D) Doyle 800,958 F *(R) McCallum 732,781 A (L) Thompson 185,085 Wyoming: (D) Freudenthal 89,407 A- *(R) Bebout 85,556 A+ (L) Dawson 3,800 Not to mention that Thune will probably lose South Dakota Senate seat by a smaller margin that the Libertarian in that race got... (D) Johnson 167,481 C+ *(R) Thune 166,954 A (L) Evans 3,071 So basically Libertarians brought 2 anti-gun governors, and possibly...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson said Friday that he will run for re-election next year as he continues his recovery from a life-threatening brain hemorrhage. Johnson's announcement is good news for his party, because prominent Republicans have shied away from the idea of challenging the South Dakota Democrat after his illness and long recovery were closely watched in the state. "After months of rehabilitation and recovery, more than a month on the job in Washington and after my recent trips back to South Dakota it is clear, to my family, my doctors, and me that I am able...

A prominent Republican U.S. Senate candidate said he doesn't believe he'll have to face Gov. Mike Rounds in the primary. Senate Republican primary candidate state Rep. Joel Dykstra, R-Canton, was in town for the Hughes County Republican meeting Tuesday. He said Rounds has given him no indication that he'll be making a run for the Senate in 2008. "I take (Rounds) at his word and the indications that he's given us thus far," Dykstra said. "Frankly he knows very well what I'm up to and what I'm doing and what I'm up against and I would expect that if something...

Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:20:36 GMT From: "Barbara Boxer" To: Subject: What a warm welcome back for Tim! Dear xxxxx, Thanks so much to all of you who helped me welcome Tim Johnson back to the Senate last week after 9 months of rehabilitation, contributing more than $24,000 to his re-election campaign! Our community was at the top of the charts among Democratic Senators supporting Tim online last week -- showing how much you care and are committed to making a difference. It's crucial that Tim has enough funding to run a powerful campaign in South Dakota against any...

Dear [Past Your Eyes], Last winter, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) suffered a brain hemorrhage. Today, Senator Tim Johnson returns to the Floor of the United States Senate. In just 9 months, with the help and support of his family, doctors, and prayers from people across the country, Senator Johnson has progressed remarkably. Senator Johnson's recovery has been nothing short of amazing and we are all thankful that he is now able to return to the Senate Chambers and continue his work for the people of South Dakota and all Americans. To celebrate Senator Johnson's return -- and to help him...

Dear Friend, Help us make a big statement for Senator Johnson today -- help him have the resources he needs to win in November 2008. Click here to Contribute >> Last winter, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) suffered a brain hemorrhage. Today, Senator Tim Johnson returns to the Floor of the United States Senate. In just 9 months, with the help and support of his family, doctors, and prayers from people across the country, Senator Johnson has progressed remarkably. Senator Johnson's recovery has been nothing short of amazing and we are all thankful that he is now able to return to...

South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson returned to the Senate on Wednesday physically weaker but saying he anticipates running for re-election next year. Johnson, a Democrat, has been out since suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage nine months ago. Effects of the hemorrhage remain — he uses a scooter to get around and his words are slow and slurred. But his mind appears sharp, and he gave every indication of wanting to stay. "It feels good and I'm ready to go," he said in an interview after returning to his office. Later, he spoke on the Senate floor. "It must already be...

ABC News' Bob Woodruff Reports: Senator Tim Johnson, the South Dakota Democrat who suffered a near fatal brain hemorrhage last December, will seek reelection in 2008. Johnson greeted South Dakota voters Tuesday, in his first public appearance since falling ill. We continue to wish Johnson well, but now that Johnson decided to seek reelection it's time for the gloves to come off. Johnson won reelection in 2002 by just 524 votes and was a tempting target even before he became ill. Two Republicans, State Representative Joel Dykstra and business man Sam Kephart, are running for Johnson's seat.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- After a life-threatening brain hemorrhage and months of recuperation, Sen. Tim Johnson is greeting home state voters Tuesday in his first public appearance since falling ill last year. Johnson, D-S.D., is expected to return to the Senate for votes in early September, according to spokeswoman Julianne Fisher. His return comes almost nine months after he fell ill in the Capitol. Tuesday's celebration in Sioux Falls is a carefully choreographed gathering that could take on the appearance of a campaign event — Johnson is up for re-election next year but has not yet said whether he will run...

Calling national Republicans “sad” and “desperate,” former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) decried their pledge to begin pursuing an aggressive campaign against his ill former South Dakota Senate colleague, Sen. Tim Johnson (D). In an e-mail to supporters issued by Johnson’s campaign committee, Daschle criticizes National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) for saying he would push forward with an effort to defeat Johnson in 2008. (snip) “Tim’s focus should be on his recovery to serve the people of South Dakota, not fending off classless political attacks from national Republicans,” Daschle wrote. “That means we’re not going...

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 motorized scooter to get around in the Capitol. In a statement released Tuesday by his office, Johnson said his doctors have...

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...

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is still recovering from a December brain hemorrhage, but his office appears to be beefing up his staff for a 2008 re-election campaign. Drey Samuelson, Johnson's chief of staff, said Wednesday that the office has hired Steve Jarding as deputy chief of staff. Jarding, who will work for the senator's congressional office in Rapid City, S.D., is a veteran political consultant who served as a top strategist for James Webb, the Virginia Democrat who upset Republican Sen. George Allen last November.

The latest wrinkle in the recovery of Tim Johnson is his still-to-be-determined return to the Senate after a debilitating brain hemorrhage -- and the complications of it for South Dakota Republicans who are considering challenging him. Two Republicans, Joel Dykstra and Sam Kephart, have declared their intent to challenge him, but many consider GOP Gov. Mike Rounds the most formidable opponent. And even Johnson's declared challengers carefully avoid any comments slighting the recovering senator. In his absence this year, surrogates offer plenty of projections about when he will make his comeback. But their scenarios add to the uncertainty -- even...

South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (R) has officially entered the race for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Tim Johnson (D) in 2008. Dykstra filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday and declared himself a “candidate for U.S. Senate.” “I am very appreciative of the encouragement that I have received in my exploration of a run for the U.S. Senate,” Dykstra said. “My family and I are humbled by the expressions of support we have received from many people from across the state.” Dykstra is the first major candidate to enter the race and...

South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (R) has officially entered the race for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Tim Johnson (D) in 2008. Dykstra filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday and declared himself a “candidate for U.S. Senate.” “I am very appreciative of the encouragement that I have received in my exploration of a run for the U.S. Senate,” Dykstra said. “My family and I are humbled by the expressions of support we have received from many people from across the state.” Dykstra is the first major candidate to enter the race and...

Under normal circumstances, the 2008 contest for the Senate seat held by South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson would already be in full swing. There was never a doubt that Republican strategists would put the race on their short list of serious takeover targets for the 2008 campaign, given South Dakota’s overall Republican leanings and Johnson’s razor-thin 2002 victory over GOP challenger John Thune (who now holds the state’s other Senate seat). But the fight for the seat became secondary in December, as Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage that put him in a fight for his life. Only now — after...

South Dakota has seen some fiercely competitive congressional elections in recent years. As the next Senate campaign approaches, however, partisans on both sides are uncharacteristically quiet. They are deferring — for now — to Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson, who is recovering from a brain hemorrhage he suffered in December. He is not yet able to walk unassisted and is undergoing speech therapy, preparing for an eventual return to the Senate. It is still unclear whether Johnson will seek his third term next year. He won re-election in 2002 by just 524 votes and was considered a likely target for the...

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is finally home after a brain hemorrhage last December. The senator was discharged from the National Rehabilitation Hospital on Friday, his office said Monday, and is now recuperating at his house in suburban Washington. "It is wonderful to take this next step with family and friends," Johnson said in the office statement. "As I continue with my therapy, I also get more and more work from the office. The doctors tell me to pace myself and prepare for the long road, but I am determined to get back in the saddle." In callous...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tim Johnson's Washington office is being made wheelchair-accessible in preparation for his return from rehabilitation for a brain hemorrhage. When Johnson will come back to the Senate is still not clear. The South Dakota Democrat has been in a private, undisclosed rehabilitation facility since February, when he was released from the George Washington University Hospital in Washington. He is not able to walk and has limited use of his right side. Johnson spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said Wednesday that the senator would be in the rehabilitation facility "for a while longer" and would undergo outpatient therapy before...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson issued his first public statement Tuesday since suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage three months ago, and his office released the first photos of the Democratic senator since he became ill. "I want to thank the people of South Dakota and all of our dear friends for their support and prayers," Johnson said in a statement released by his office. "This has been an unexpected journey and there is a long road in front of me. I am determined and focused on my recovery, and I look forward to returning to the Senate...

WASHINGTON — More than two months after suffering a brain hemorrhage, South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson has left a Washington hospital and entered a private rehabilitation facility, his office said Tuesday. A spokeswoman refused to say whether the senator remained in Washington or was moved to a facility in South Dakota, citing family concerns about media scrutiny. "They just want him to focus on getting better and not worried about outside cameras snapping away," said spokeswoman Julianne Fisher.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record) is reading news clippings and starting to do some office work from the hospital, almost two months after suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage. "At this point, he has requested more contact with office and is looking for updates from staff," his office said in a statement Friday. Spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said the South Dakota Democrat is starting slowly. "We do not anticipate him back (in the Senate) for several weeks," Fisher said. "We are bringing work to him rather than him coming to us. His first priority still is rehabilitation." Johnson...

Note: I am excerpting only some recent opinions from this long article. Most of the remainder has been posted on FR in one form or another; however, the article is well written and clear. ...His doctors say Johnson improves each week. He watches CNN. He was able to remind his therapist of his youngest grandson's name and cheer on the Indianapolis Colts. He participates in three hours of physical, occupational and speech therapy a day, and it's anticipated that recovery could take months. Three weeks ago, he was moved from the intensive care unit to the in-patient rehabilitation unit. David...

WASHINGTON - Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record) is taking part in three hours of physical, occupational and speech therapy every day, and his tracheotomy tube has been removed from his throat, doctors said Friday. Johnson, who suffered a brain hemorrhage over a month ago, has been working with parallel bars and participating in speech therapy, including naming objects, his office said in a statement. That includes strengthening exercises to gain mobility on his right side, said Dr. Philip Marion, head of rehabilitation at George Washington University Hospital. Johnson's right side was weak when he arrived at the hospital...

WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is still recovering from a December brain hemorrhage, but his office appears to be beefing up his staff for a 2008 re-election campaign. Drey Samuelson, Johnson's chief of staff, said Wednesday that the office has hired Steve Jarding as deputy chief of staff. Jarding, who will work for the senator's congressional office in Rapid City, S.D., is a veteran political consultant who served as a top strategist for James Webb, the Virginia Democrat who upset Republican Sen. George Allen last November. Jarding is a native of South Dakota and worked for...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record) of South Dakota, whose brain surgery last month raised speculation that Democrats could lose control of the Senate, is able to talk and has been transferred to a rehabilitation unit to begin "aggressive therapy," his office said on Thursday. "Yesterday, Senator Johnson underwent an MRI which showed that his speech centers were spared of injury. This is confirmed by the fact that he is following commands and has started to say words," neurosurgeon Dr. Vivek Deshmukh said. His office said Johnson was transferred from an intensive care unit to...

WASHINGTON - Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record)'s condition has been upgraded from critical to fair, four weeks after he was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage, his office said Tuesday. The South Dakota Democrat, who was rushed to the hospital on Dec. 13 and underwent emergency surgery, remains in intensive care, said his spokeswoman, Julianne Fisher. "The senator continues to make progress," Fisher said. "The next step would be rehabilitation and we hope that would happen within the week." Johnson's office has said that his recovery is expected to take several months. He underwent surgery to correct a condition...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tim Johnson won a coveted chairmanship of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday, even though he is still in critical condition after emergency brain surgery last month. The South Dakota Democrat remains in intensive care after suffering a brain hemorrhage Dec. 13 and missed the opening day of the Senate. Johnson's office announced that he has been named chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The senator "will lose none of his rights during his absence" and his office remains open for business, said spokeswoman Julianne Fisher.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota remained in critical condition at George Washington University Hospital today as his party took control of the Senate. Johnson, a Democrat, is still in intensive care after suffering a brain hemorrhage Dec. 13, and his office is preparing for his extended absence. Johnson's doctors said Wednesday that his recovery will include physical therapy and is expected to last several months. Julianne Fisher, spokeswoman for Johnson, said it is unclear when he will return to the chamber or whether some of his therapy would take place after he returns. Johnson is on a...