Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was undergoing brain surgery early Thursday at George Washington University Hospital after suffering stroke-like symptoms, two Democratic sources familiar with his condition told CNN.
Johnson, 59, was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after he appeared to suffer stroke-like symptoms, although a spokeswoman for the senator said subsequent evaluation showed he did not suffer a stroke or a heart attack.
Staffers told CNN Johnson was conscious when he was transported to the hospital.
… Johnson spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said the senator was in the Capitol on Wednesday morning conducting a conference call with South Dakota reporters when “his speech pattern slipped off.” …
Fisher said the senator was able to walk back to his office in the Hart Senate Office Building, then began having problems with his right arm. He thought he was all right, she said, and went to his desk, but came out a few minutes later and “it was apparent he needed help.”
Staffers put him on a couch in the office and called the Capitol doctor, she said. He was taken to the hospital shortly afterward. His wife, in the office to have lunch with him, rode with him, Fisher said.
I just read that Democratic Senator Tim Johnson appears to have suffered a stroke. Details are still coming in.
What’s especially upsetting is that if he cannot serve his term, the Republican Governor of South Dakota can appoint whomever he deems fit, and there’s nothing to say he has to appoint a Democrat.
In other words, it’s hard not to wonder if the Republicans, having failed to steal the election, are still trying to steal power anyway.
The CIA has long studied ways to kill undetectably. The Washington Post did an article on some of these studies in 1979. Maybe I’ll quote from it later. The problem is, as with black box voting, there’s no way to prove theft did or didn’t occur. There’s just no test to detect some of the compounds that can kill silently.
I hope and pray Senator Johnson survives and comes back hearty and healthy from the hospital. But if he doesn’t – I don’t think we should assume the best here.
Remember what happened the last two times the balance of power in the Senate were at stake.
In 2000, Senator John Ashcroft was losing to Governor Mel Carnahan in the Senate race in Missouri. Carnahan went down in a small plane crash. But the “dead man” won the race anyway, and his wife was appointed to his seat. The Republicans managed to eeke out control of the Senate, but then in 2001, Jim Jeffords resigned the Republican party (in disgust at their abuse of authority) and began serving in the Senate as an independent, essentially throwing the power to the Dems.
A republican took the Missouri Senate seat when Jean Carnahan failed to win a reelection bid. Power restored? No, power tied. So who was next on the target list? The Republicans openly waged an operation to unseat their biggest nemesis, the principled, progressive Paul Wellstone. But whoops, Wellstone’s plane went down, this time with his wife in it – so no repeat of the upset victory was possible. In 2002 the Republicans firmly reestablished control of the Senate.
Until 2006. Just a month ago, the Democrats, for the first time since Jeffords and before that, 1994, regained the power in the Senate (49 Dems, 49 Repubs, and 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems). So if Tim Johnson doesn’t return and a Republican is appointed instead, it will be 50-50.
In another year, I would not give this a second thought. But the neocon madmen in chief have nowhere to go with the Dems in power, and these aren’t the kind of guys who will sit on their hands for two years. I imagined some pretty ugly scenarios, but a covert assassination or debilitation attempt was not on the list. It is now. I wouldn’t put anything past these people.
I don’t know what happened. I don’t know that there’s a foolproof way to find out what happened. All I know is that we’re going to be in for plenty of spin about his failing health, etc., whether it be true or untrue. And if untrue, who will dare tell us?
If it should come to pass that the Republican Governor appoints a replacement (most likely a Republican) that appointment will only serve the 90 days before there will be a special election. Whoever wins that election will serve the remainder or Senator Johnson’s term, which expires in 2008.
I wish Sen. Johnson the best, but should his health require him to step down, the Democrats have every opportunity to replace him.
But we only have about 400 days, when you take away weeks not in session and weekends, to make a difference between now and the next election. 90 days (or even 60 days, if you want to round that to 12 5-day weeks) is a significant derailing chunk of that time. Or worse, they put in someone who looks like a Dem but acts like a Republicans, and then what is our party to do? Nix the Dem? Support the conservative in our ranks?
And actually – 90 days appears to be incorrect, according to this Reuters article:
I don’t think Wellstone’s death was fishy. It’s dangerous to fly in winter in Minnesota.
I also doubt anyone slipped Johnson a stroke inducing mickey. These things happen.
The sad thing is, these things, i.e., sinister plots, happen too. And they’re nearly impossible to prove. So how can we ever know?
I don’t pretend to know, and I leave the possibility open. Anyone who claims to know one way or another seems silly, in my book, whatever their stance.
Btw – there is some pretty strange evidence re Wellstone’s flight. The plane took almost a right turn on its final approach – as if they were having trouble, or the runway looked wrong or wasn’t visible, or whatever.
Some have speculated preposterously on that case, so there’s muck to wade through. But I was looking into this the other day and there’s enough for me to have serious questions whether this was “just” an accident.
Some say a rocket was seen streaking upwards, hitting the plane. Now, given the accuracy of the Strategic Defense Initiative, or whatever that “bomb the bomb” program is, I doubt that theory, but certainly, killing off a few Democratic senators is “no big deal” for fascist operatives who’ve been murdering important Dems for decades.
If you listen to Air America Radio’s Randi Rhodes show, numerous people have called in discouraging Obama from running for president because they are sure he’ll be offed by some sinister force, my fascists mentioned in the paragraph above. What’s a life or 2 when stakes are this high? She-it! They’ve slaughtered almost a million people in Iraq already, WHAT DO THEY CARE?
Stop being so naive that “accidents happen.” These are out and out assassinations. Geez, this is Amerikkka after all!! Get with the program!
Well, we don’t KNOW they were assassinations in the case of Wellstone or Carnahan. Certainty IS the enemy here, because there’s no proof either way. And worse, I don’t know if there ever will be a way to know for certain one way or another.
It’s one thing to be suspicious. But it’s a wrong move, in my opinion, to claim certitude where proof does not exist.
I appreciate the concern in frustration in your comment. But I appreciate Booman’s point of view too, and everyone has read different accounts, which lead them to believe whatever they believe.
“These thinmgs happen?”
Yeah.
They happen to the opposition.
AG
Your thoughts are my thoughts on these matters. It’s too early to tell, but it sure is convenient if this Senator is unable to continue. Of all the Dem Senators, age 60-ish, how many are from states with R legislature and R governor? If anyone thinks that there is not at least a possibility of foul play, they are fooling themselves and haven’t noticed what happens to Dems, almost exclusively, who are in crucial positions of power.
And what exactly is wrong with this Senator? So far I’m hearing ‘stroke’- no, ‘not stroke’, ‘serious’- no, ‘not serious’…..????
Thanks, Blueneck. I also feel that it is better to voice such concerns and put those who might consider this on notice that we do suspect, rather than to sit back and let them get away with it. I’d much rather be wrong than right in my suspicions, of course. But I think there’s a definite value to voicing suspicions in these matters.
Absolutely — especially since the public-at-large (as mirrored by media) still doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of governance by murderous criminals, who apparently believe themselves above any manner of man-made law.