Johnson able to retain seat even in prolonged absence (LINK)

[NoSheep]

No link. Someone just sent this to me via email.

Johnson able to retain senate seat even in prolonged absence
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' slight hold on power in the Senate is largely safe despite South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson's health scare, Senate Historian Don Richie tells CNN. As stipulated by Senate rules, Johnson could retain his seat even if he is incapacitated, unable to vote, and not even able to show up to work.

Moreover, the Senate does not have the power to forcefully remove Johnson unless he committed a crime.

Such a scenario has even occurred in Johnson's home state of South Dakota. After South Dakota Sen. Karl Earle Mundt had a stroke in 1969 he remained in office until his term expired in 1973 without casting another vote after the governor refused Mundt's wish of appointing his wife to the post.

A state governor has the power to appoint a new senator only if the current senator dies in office or resigns his seat.

[NoSheep]

1. This is great news!!!!

[LSparkle]

2. And Randi reminded her listeners about Strom Thurmond

spending the majority of his latter years in Congress either in a hospital or probably heavily-medicated on the Senate floor.

[gratuitous]

4. Yeah

Color me so not worried. The Republics, after their shenanigans propping up the corpse of Strom Thurmond, have no room whatsoever to complain about a possibly incapacitated Democrat in the Senate. Even when Thurmond's arm would occasionally fall off while he was shaking someone's hand and the sawdust would leak out onto the floor, the Republics would insist that he was fully capable of discharging his duties as a Senator. And considering the brain-dead politics practiced by the GOP, they might not have been very far wrong.

[Tempest]

5. Thurmond's aide voted for him during his last years in Congress

Thurmond was unable to walk or talk during the last couple of years he was in Congress. He only showed up a few times at best.

His aides did everything for him, including voting for him.

[LSparkle]

10. If that doesn't constitute "incompetence," I don't know what does

Rethugs have absolutely NO right to even consider asking that Johnson be replaced!

[Maddy McCall]

3. There's no link I can find at CNN.

I don't think that this originated at CNN.

[NoSheep]

6. I'll try to locate a link. My coworker saw it on CNN. She's looking.

[NoSheep]

7. Here's the link at CNN

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/

[NoSheep]

9. Scroll down to the third story

[jordi_fanclub]

11. Here's the CNN's permanent link to this story...

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/12/johnson-able-to-retain-senate-seat.html

(Hint: on boards with updated stories they have a "Permalink" at the end of each story)

[NoSheep]

8. There's even a precident in his own state.