I hate to speculate, but could Sen. Johnson's wife takeover?

[BluegrassDem]

I'm referring if Sen. Johnson was not in shape to perform his duties or would have a long recovery time. Could he ask (demand) that Gov. Rounds appoint his wife in exchange for him vacating his seat? Also, his wife would probably not seek to run again.

Of course I know that Rounds would not be obliged to do this, but politically, he'd be in a bind with South Dakotans if he had the passed on such a 'deal'.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

1. There is certainly precedent for doing so.

There is at least one senator mentioned in previous threads who refused to resign unless the governor agreed to appoint his wife. The governor did not agree, and the senator finished his term.

Johnson could also make the same demand, but for Daschle, or pretty much anyone he chose. The governor could accept or reject any such deal as he wished.

[BluegrassDem]

2. I think the wife deal would be hard politically to not accept

for Rounds, especially if he's wanting to run in '08. Also, it would look bad given that the wife would only finish out the term and not run again. That would look extremely political and I think would harm him in the state.

[MADem]

7. I completely disagree. That was a close race for Johnson, and Rounds is facing term limits

He wants to RUN for that seat in 08, himself.

If there's any appointing to do, I'd wager Rounds would appoint HIMSELF, toss the reins to his LT, and use as an excuse that the ENTIRE population of the state elected HIM.

That said, appointing seems unlikely. The state law seems to support a special election.

[LSparkle]

9. Appointing himself right after he won re-election as Governor?

Looks EXTREMELY political and might turn voters against him if he runs in '08.

[MADem]

15. First, appointing is unlikely. He has to die, or resign. If he doesn't "leave the Senate"

even if he is ill, or doesn't attend sessions, he cannot be replaced. It's a "Karl Mundt" situation (same state, too).

However, if that unlikely event does occur and Rounds inserts himself in the job, by the time 08 rolls around, it wouldn't be a novelty to see Rounds in the job, especially if he did a 'good' job. Outrage, if it even could be mustered in his case, like it or not, fades with time. It just does. The voters would get used to the idea of "Senator Rounds" and the PR machine would make sure that he came across as a benevolent SOB intent on doing the best for the voters of the state.

Second, he's BEEN governor since '03, so he is on his second four year term. The voters have likely gotten used to his leadership, as well as that of his LT Governor (they were both State Senators). I'd guess that they'd not have a problem with a known, elected face taking the Senate job, and a known face moving up to the governor's office.

Rounds is popular, he got two thirds of the vote in his second term. And rumor has it that he intends to run for the Senate seat in 08, right smack dab in the middle of that second term.

The stench of "politcs" would be mitigated, in any event, because we know damn right well that if the GOP got control of the Senate as a result of the appointment, that the pork would flow like manna from heaven from DC to SD, to the extent that one party in one chamber in a divided Congress could make that happen. Virtually every conference committee meeting would include favors for SD as a condition for passing any bill. Rounds would get juicy committee assignments to keep his profile up, too.

Politics IS political. And SD is hardly a liberal bastion.

It would all depend on how well Rounds played it if, due to death or resignation, he even had an opportunity to put himself in the job.

But, as I said, the whole scenario is not likely to happen--providing the incumbent doesn't die.

If that terrible outcome does occur, then we'd lose the Senate, unless we could convince someone (Smith of Oregon, perhaps?) to jump.

[MonkeyFunk]

11. The state law

supports a special election, but that special election is held in November, 2008.

[MADem]

16. It also supports a governor's appointment, but the incumbent must

leave the Senate, either by actively resigning or dying.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. of course it does

:)

I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. MADem...

I looked into it a little more.

Article I, Section 5, of the United States Constitution says that "Each House may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member."

The question this raises is does the "...and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member" relate to the "punish its members for disorderly behavior" clause? Or can they expel a member for ANY reason with a 2/3rds vote?

Not that it would happen, but must a member be "disorderly" before being expelled, or can they do it for any reason, and that OTHER punishments can be decided for being "disorderly".

Furthermore, I could imagine, in an extreme case (say a hyper-partisan supermajority) deciding that not attending votes would be considered "disorderly".

So, while you're right in the real world, I think it MIGHT be possible for a member to be expelled for incapacitation.

[shance]

3. After Robert Matsui died unexpectedly, his wife Doris ran for his seat

and won it.

By all means, its a good idea.

[cassiepriam]

4. Gov is going to be a in a big bind.

Faces loss of his next election if he crosses the voters.
Or the anger of his party if he appoints a dem.

Wife option works the best.

[MonkeyFunk]

5. Not unless

she's a Republican.

Come on, folks. There's NO way the Governor will appoint a Democrat, if the need arises.

Imagine if a Democratic Governor appointed a Republican to give control of the Senate to Republicans. We'd be sharpening the pitchforks.

[sabbat hunter]

6. he could ask

but considering the governor is a republican rounds would probably nominate a fellow republican.

[dancingme]

8. Cokie Roberts' mother did just that

Ms. Roberts also spoke about another important figure - her own mother, Lindy Boggs. After her father died, her mother took over his seat in Congress and went on to serve nine terms representing Louisiana. In her next job, her mother left her Bourbon Street residence to become U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, between 1997 and 2001. "I teased her the costumes didn't change: "guys in dresses," Ms. Roberts said. Her mother had the most difficult job in the diplomatic corps, she said: representing President Clinton at the Vatican.

http://www.nysun.com/article/17000?page_no=2

[MonkeyFunk]

10. Yes, and in the senate

Jean Carnahan was appointed to her husband's seat, and Muriel Humphrey completed her husband, Hubert's, term.

[hughee99]

12. Mary Bono, too, though in the house. n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

13. Yes

but House vacancies are ALWAYS filled by special elections, not Gubernatorial appointment. So both Boggs and Bono won their seats.

[karynnj]

18. Teresa Heinz was asked by the Republicans to complete her husband's

but chose not to.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. and to be clear -

Ms. Boggs WON her seat in a special election. She was not appointed.

[election_2004]

20. I think it would be hilarious, if....

.....if the GOP did find a way to force Tim Johnson out (a bullshit "incapacitation" claim), and Mike Rounds appointed himself....

...I think it would be HELLA SWEET if Barbara Johnson ran for her husband's seat in 2008, and then defeated Rounds because he made himself look so arrogant.

Granted, it didn't work for Jean Carnahan when she ran to finish out her husband's full term in 2002...then again, she was appointed in 2000 by Bob Holden to be interim senator in the first place. This would be the governor opportunistically appointing HIMSELF.

I realize Rounds is popular, but honestly, he can't be THAT popular...