Sen. Tim Johnson (D, SD) has had an 'apparent stroke'

[Dr. Shane]

If this report is true and it means he will be stepping down, that would mean control of the Senate would go to the Republicans until the senator is replaced. If an intrim senator is appointed by the Republican governor of South Dakota he or she would be Republican. If a special election is held in the state, a Republican may likely win since South Dakota is a red or very Republican state.

This story will be interesting to follow.

[Dr. Shane]

FOXNews is now reporting the senator has not suffered either a stroke or a heart attack. Well, that is a good outcome, only 59 years old. I remember when Joe Crews died from a stroke. Such a tragidy.

[bevin]

Given the description of what actually did happen, there are a range of possible medical conditions.

The news media is hyping the 'Democrats might loose the Senate' line - but only because it plays well.

Personally, I think it absurd that the Governor should be allowed to hand-pick the replacement, and that the replacement can be of a different party.

What a way to run a country.

/Bevin

[Dr. Shane]

The way a congressman or senator are replaced between elections is decided by the state law of the individual states. They will either be appointed until the next election held or a special election held. If, for example, a senator dies with only serving 3 of the 6 years of his or her term and is replaced by an apointee, the apointee would run for election at the next election, which would have been for the 4 year mark of the original term. The winner of that election would only serve for two years, which would complete the six year term of the senator that died. These laws a left to the states. The state may also choose to leave the position unoccupied.

If anyone remembers when Sen. Paul Welstone died in Minnesota it was during the actual campaign. The governor of Minnesota could have appointed another senator to replace Welstone until the election was held and the winner of the election sworn in, which would have been about two months. However the governor choose to leave the position empty and for a little more than two months Minnesota only had one senator.

In this case, if the Democrats lose one vote they lose the majority because the Senate would than have 47 Democrats 2 Independants (that vote with Democrats) and 49 Republicans with the VP (Dick Chenny) being the tie breaker.

[bevin]

Brain surgery last night, condition critical this morning.

Suggests a stroke, tumor or aneurysm

/Bevin

[Dr. Shane]

Sen. Johnson in Critical Condition After Surgery

Quote:

Johnson "was found to have had an intracerebral bleed caused by a congenital arteriovenous malformation," Eisold said in a statement issued this morning by the senator's office. "He underwent successful surgery to evacuate the blood and stabilize the malformation." Eisold said it was too early to offer a long-term prognosis.

Quote:

Arteriovenous malformations are defects of the circulatory system, essentially tangles of snarled arteries and veins, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. They are believed to develop soon after birth, or in utero, and in many cases can exist for years -- in the brain or elsewhere -- causing few, if any, problems...

Malformations can damage the brain by depriving it of oxygen, compressing parts of the brain or spinal cord, or triggering bleeding, or hemorrhaging, through a combination of high blood pressure and weakness in the vessel walls. If enough blood escapes from a ruptured malformation into the brain, the result "can be a catastrophic stroke," the fact sheet said. But aides to Johnson said Wednesday that the senator had not suffered a stroke.

Quote:

Johnson's illness -- which sent Reid rushing to the hospital to check on Johnson -- underscored the fragility of Democrats' hold on the next Senate, which they won by the narrowest of margins in the Nov. 7 elections. Should Johnson die in office or decide not to serve out his term, South Dakota's Republican governor, Michael Rounds, would name a replacement for the next two years.

Under Senate practice, there is no mechanism to remove senators who become incapacitated. In the past, some have been allowed to keep their seats despite being unable to attend sessions or cast votes for months or even years.

Quote:

Tim Johnson has a quiet demeanor and low profile in Washington, but he won two impressive Senate victories. As a House member in 1996, he ousted GOP Sen. Larry Pressler, then chairman of the Commerce Committee.

Six years later, Johnson managed a 524-vote win over Republican John Thune. Thune returned two years later to defeat Thomas A. Daschle, the Senate Democratic leader, in a costly, closely watched election.

Thune had attacked Johnson for voting against the Persian Gulf War resolution in January 1991. When Congress in 2002 debated authorizing Bush to invade Iraq, Johnson announced he would vote aye.

In a floor speech, he said: "There is a strong possibility that I may be voting to send my own son into combat, and that gives me special empathy for the families of other American service men and women whose own sons and daughters may also be sent to Iraq. Nevertheless, I am willing to cast this vote -- one of the most important in my career both as a senator and certainly as a father -- because I recognize the threat that Saddam Hussein represents to world peace."

The senator's son, Staff Sgt. Brooks Johnson, was stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq before becoming an Army recruiter in Illinois.

[Dr. Shane]

Johnson Remains in Critical Condition

Quote:

Julianne Fisher, a spokeswoman for the South Dakota Democrat, said Johnson won't 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.

I don't understand how the Democrats are going to gain control in the Senate if Johnson cannot vote. Normally there is a vote for leadership and the majority party obviously has the majority of votes. However in this case, if Johnson cannot physically vote, the Democrats only have 47 votes plus the 2 independant votes for a total of 49. The Republicans also have 49 votes and the Vice President is the tie-breaker. So how is Harry Reid going to be voted majority leader if Senator Johnson cannot even talk to his wife?

[Yong T Tay]

Shane,

The Democrats have 49 seats and with 2 pro-democrat senators making a total of 51. The Republicans have 49 seats. Even with Senator Tim Johnson(D,SD) not voting, the Democrats would still have 50 votes against Replublicans 49 votes. So Harry Reid is going to be voted majority leader even if Senator Johnson cannot even talk to his wife.

yongttay

[Dr. Shane]

Yes, that is correct. It seems I messed up in post #106316. It is tied 49-49 with two independants that lean toward the Democrats.