If Johnson cannot finish his term...and I think he will...but if he cannot...

[SaveElmer]

The only honrable thing would be...

For the Republican Governor to appoint a Democrat to fill the term...

and

For the Democrat appointed to pledge not to run for election in their own right once the term expires...

This would fulfill the clear wish by voters that a Democrat fill this seat, but would also ease fears that any appointee would have an advantage when running in two years...

Perhaps they could convince Tom Daschle to take the post temporarily

In any case...if Johnson cannot continue...Stephanie Herseth would be the clear favorite

[MonkeyFunk]

1. That's not going to happen

and trying to make him do so will make us look silly, because it's quite easy to find numerous examples of Democratic governors appointing Democrats to fill a Republican senate vacancy.

Yes, the people elected a Democratic Senator. But they also elected a Republican Governor, knowing full well that this could become one of his responsibilities.

[SaveElmer]

13. Oh I know it won't

But it should...

[MonkeyFunk]

15. Why should it?

I honestly don't understand. A Democratic Governor wouldn't do it, nor should he.

[SaveElmer]

18. I personally don't think the happenstance of illness...

Ought to be the excuse to seize power...

A political absence yes, one for this reason is dishonorable as far as I am concerned...

I know that is the way it works, but it shouldn't

[MonkeyFunk]

19. And not a single Democratic

Governor would do what you ask, either.

The people elected a Republican governor, KNOWING that one of his responsibilities is to appoint a Senator in case of vacancy.

[SaveElmer]

20. You are right...

That a Democratic Governor probably would not either...and I don't think that is right either...

I highly doubt voters in these states have any clue whatsoever how succession is handled if a Senator should die...

[KingFlorez]

2. A Republican would never be hornorable

If Johnson can't continue, the Republican Governor won't hesitate to appoint one of his own to swing control of the Senate.

[brazos121200]

3. Great idea, but.... when was the last time you heard of a Republican

doing the honorable thing? You might have to go all the way back to Lincoln.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Honestly, would a Democratic governor appoint a Republican

in a similar circumstance? I don't think so.

[Bucky]

17. South Carolina tried to pass just such a law when they didn't know if Strom would make it.

Apparently he couldn't even recognize long time friends in the Senate toward the end. You never heard Republicans (or Democrats for that matter) calling on Thurmond to leave office. No, this is just a particularly gruesome example of Republican opportunism.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. A Democrat

wouldn't do it either. It's got nothing to do with honor.

One of the responsibilities of being Governor is to appoint a Senator in case of a vacancy (in 47 states, at least).

People know that when they elect the Governor.

The only case in recent history where a Governor appointed a Senator of the opposite party was a case where the incumbent died 4 days before the end of his term. The Governor appointed the opposite-party winner of the previous election, who would've taken office in 4 days, anyway.

[Tom Joad]

4. I would rather George McGovern took the post.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. In Fantasyland...

The repub would appoint a Democratic Senator.

Reality though, the chances of that are Slim & None, and Slim has left the building.

[BOSSHOG]

6. The governor of SD has already gotten the threatening

phone call from the white house; informing of the necessity of being a team player. Just wait for the phone call gov, karl will tell you what to do, who to appoint and when, if it comes to that.

[bowens43]

7. Don't be silly.

There is no Governor , Democrat or Republican. who would not use this opportunity to give control of the Senate to his party .

[SaveElmer]

14. I know...

Doesn't mean they shouldn't

[wryter2000]

9. Think I just heard on AAR

On their news segment..that Johnson is "recovering." I hope I'm not just grasping at straws. He can't be forced to resign, in any case. It seems to me that as long as he seems to be improving, nothing is going to change in the Senate.

[brazos121200]

11. I heard the other day that a republican senator from Wyoming

had been diagnosed with leukemia. That is very serious, especially in an older person. They said the Governor of Wyoming is a Democrat. Does anybody know any more about this story?

[MonkeyFunk]

12. Yes

he has leukemia.

However, Wyoming is one of very few states that requires the Governor to appoint a Senator of the same party as the incumbent. So he would be replaced by a Republican, should such a situation occur.

[jbonkowski]

16. A US Senator cannot be removed for being ill

He will be replaced only if he resigns, or if his family does so on his behalf because he cannot speak. He could not show up for work for the next two years if he wants, but no one can make him leave.

Also, it has already been agreed that the Dems will control the next Senate, even if Johnson can't show up for the caucus vote. Votes will be 50-49 in favor of Dems until he returns, or for the whole term if he never returns.

UNLESS he resigns, but he has little motivation to in the current climate.

jim

[MasonJar]

21. Unless he dies, he can just do nothing. As I understand it, a US

senator can only be replaced by death or resignation. The Pug senator from S Dakota never turned up for four years.

[GreenTea]

22. You've got to be joking...This is their wet dream...you don't think the Bush/CheneyRove

Syndicate will put big time pressure on the right-wing Gov to put in a republican and control the senate...you have watched these extremely partisan republican assholes for the past six years....You must be a nice person to believe these sick facist people will do the right thing in the republican party...it's about power and the bucks....

At least the GOP showed some creativity and didn't use a small plane this time....it was becoming way old and too suspicious & obvious....this way NO ONE suspects a thing...just another unfortunate coincidence right before the Dems are about to take power...

But...Hey, not so fast Demo's!!!

[Bjorn Against]

23. Eric J in MN had a post yesterday that directly quoted SD law...

And it showed quite clearly that there would have to be a special election within 90 days of Johnson's death or resignation. Of course, that still would hand Republicans power for at least three monthes. But remember Herseth got elected in a SD special election after the Republican was convicted of vehicular manslaughter.

[Igel]

24. EricJ quoted the first part of a statute

that had six parts. It has the effect of quoting "I am not a crook" as "I am ... a crook". The meaning's not preserved.

By the time you get to part 4 of the statute, you find that the one section quoted doesn't actually apply to senators. In part 5 you find that the appointment's good (for senators) until the next general election ... Nov. '08. But in part 6, you find that if that general election is immediately before the expiration of the regular term of office that it's not a special election, but a regular general election. It's a strangely worded statute, obviously amended more than once in the last century.

But it's a moot point, there'll be no vacancy to fill. But if there were a vacancy, and it were filled by appointment, the guy/gal would serve out the remaining two years of the 6-year term.

[election_2004]

25. Herseth should wait until 2010....

...and challenge John Thune for reelection.

Mike Rounds will probably run for Johnson's seat in 2008. Rounds is waaaayyy more popular than Thune...thus, Thune would be easier for Herseth to beat (even though it would be a midterm).