CNN: Senator Johnson undergoing brain surgery, sources say

[brentspeak]

Prayers for Sen.Johnson, his family, and this nation. Get well, Senator.

Senator undergoing brain surgery, sources say

POSTED: 12:39 a.m. EST, December 14, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/14/johnson.ill/index.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

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[Fridays Child]

2. Reading that he was conscious when he was transported to the hospital...

...the first thing I thought of was the news video of Ariel Sharon conscious and sitting up, inside the ambulance that transported him to the hospital. :scared:

[napi21]

3. I'm as much of a conspiracy theprist as the rest of you, but I really think

this time,you'reway overboard! I did hear a radio newsspot that confirmed the surgery, but I think we should stop the theories and wait for the medical reports.

[Name removed]

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[MarkTwain]

7. Especially when you consider...

.. that Senator Johnson has already dealt with a serious cancer issue wtihin the last few years.

This sounds like either an anuerysm or a tumor.

In either case, not at all good for the probability of seating our majority on January 4th.

Damn.

[BlueStorm]

5. Great.... I'm going to lose sleep over this...

I am just not going to be able to sleep tonight knowing that one of our Senators is in the hospital. That and also there is the chance that the majority can be flipped, maybe I am being selfish but I certainly hope that isn't the case.

BTW, I may be paranoid here but I do feel something tricky is going on.

Blue

[rodeodance]

17. his illness has consequences. I do not think it is selfish to think of

these future effects and what it may do to our nation

[MidwestTransplant]

6. Here is one for conspiracy theorists

How many Dem. Senators hold seats in Repubican Gov. states where the Gov. gets to appoint the Senator and where there is no immediate special election and if there is, where no Dem. would have a good chance of winning.

[truthisfreedom]

8. this found in another thread:

Thanks to mb7588a

Democratic Senator/Republican Governor (State)

akaka/lingle (HI)
bayh/daniels (IN)
boxer/arnold (CA)
conrad/hoeven (ND)
dodd /rell (CT)
dorgan/hoeven (ND)
feinstein/arnold (CA)
inouye/lingle (HI)
johnson/rounds (SD)
klobuchar/pawlenty (MN)
leahy /douglas (VT)
lieberman/rell (CT)
mccaskill/blunt (MO)
nelson (FL)/crist (FL)
nelson (Ne)/heineman (NE)
Reed/carcieri (RI)
Reid/gibbons (NV)
sanders/douglas (VT)
whitehouse/carcieri (RI)

If for any reason any of these 19 leave office, the Republican governor would quite likely appoint a Republican.

Now, my question is this: Show me the states where the exact inverse is true? Where there is a Dem Governor and a Rethug Senator?

[Bozita]

10. totally f'ing scary! ... How far will they go? This is for TRILLIONS of dollars.

The Bush family and its petro/pharma/finance friends won't easily go away.

NO small planes!

[cassiepriam]

15. Not just for money, but many are facing prosecution.

The repugs are very nervous.
Certainly does solve their problem.

[mvd]

11. I saw some post earlier where Hawaii has a system that says..

you can only appoint from the same party. A couple on there might have a conscience - Arnold and Carcieri, for example - but in the end, I think they'd cave in.

[Demit]

12. Pennsylvania.

Why? What are you suggesting?

[eShirl]

13. Maine

[harpboy_ak]

14. It's not the same in all states

It once was true in Alaska. That's how Totally Tubular Ted become Senator-For-Life. Stevens was appointed by Repug Gov Wally Hickel when our senior senator Bob Bartlett (D), a pre-statehood non-voting Congressional Delegate died suddenly.

Democrats were outraged, but at that time Alaska law allowed the sitting Gov to appoint whoever she/he wanted. That ended after just-replaced Gov. Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter to the Senate seat he had vacated to become Governor four years ago. Even his fellow Repukes didn't want that kind of nepotism to happen again, and Alaskans voted by a huge margin to require that Senators be elected by a special election if the seat is vacated.

I know that other states also require vacancies only be filled by election.

[AndyA]

16. Oklahoma.

Governor: Brad Henry (D)
Senators: Jim Inhofe (R - A-hole) Tom Coburn (R - Nut job)

[mvd]

9. Sending my wishes for a speedy and full recovery!

It would be awful for his family, and for all of us to lose our Senate majority in this way.