Opportunity for a republican to DO THE RIGHT THING (I'm not holding breath)

[Atman]

This is a golden opportunity for republicans to prove to America that they care about the will of the people. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds knows what message was being sent by the recent election, and he could shock the collective conscience by actually doing the right thing and appointing another Democrat should Senator Johnson be unable to fulfill his elected duties. The people WANTED THE BALANCE OF POWER THIS WAY, that is why we voted as we did.

Come on, Rounds...rise the challenge. Put the will of the people ahead of your party. I know you can do it if you search your soul.


(Edited to correct my stupidity).

.

[DainBramaged]

1. Right, and I'm going to grow a third head

This is war, never forget that. Dreaming means defeat.

[Briar]

2. If they did the right thing

they wouldn't be Republicans.

[annabanana]

3. The Governor cannot "appoint" a successor. .

Here is the pertinent law:

12-11-1. Special election to fill congressional vacancy--Time of election of representative. If a vacancy occurs in the office of a senator or representative in the United States Congress it shall be the duty of the Governor within ten days of the occurrence, to issue a proclamation setting the date of and calling for a special election for the purpose of filling such vacancy. If either a primary or general election is to be held within six months, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress shall be held in conjunction with that election, otherwise the election shall be held not less than eighty nor more than ninety days after the vacancy occurs.

Source: SL 1890, ch 84, § 19; RPolC 1903, § 1956; SL 1915, ch 182, § 2; RC 1919, §§ 7214, 7308; SL 1929, ch 117, § 5; SDC 1939, §§ 16.0602, 16.1401; SDCL, § 12-11-2; SL 1974, ch 118, § 46; SL 1979, ch 99, § 5.

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=12-11-1

[Atman]

5. Thank you. Apparently I've received erroneous news reports.

That is the first I've seen that, but I've heard several newscasters claiming the governor would appoint the successor. As usual, the "news" outlets don't do their research.

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[annabanana]

7. You and everyone else in the so called "news" business....

I've sent this link to every corpomedia outlet I can think of. . .

Clearly, it's not penetrating the GOPfog that rests on them all. .

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State is telling reporters

that Gov. gets to appoint without restrictions.

Thanks for the info!

[liberalhistorian]

16. Yes, our very own Chris Nelson is a complete and

total idiot, so this doesn't surprise me at all. He's caused other problems with voting in the state as well, and has blatantly attempted to inject his own views into ballot measure wordings and similar situations.

[cali]

4. Huh?

Tim Johnson is a Senator from SD, and the Governor is Mike Rounds. In addition, if a repub Senator fell ill in a state with a dem guv, would you be calling for him/her to "do the right thing"? Lastly, I think this talk about replacements falls into the ghoulish category.

[Atman]

6. Ooops.

North Dakota, South Dakota...what's the difference?

:)

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[TheWatcher]

8. Are you simply incapable of responding without bile and insult?

[cali]

10. Please explain what was

insulting or bilious about my post to Atman. It certainly wasn't intended that way, and in case it escapes your notice, you are the one tossing out insults and accusations here.

[Atman]

9. Wow, you really do have a chip on the shoulder, eh?

"Doing the right thing" is, by definition, the right thing. So yes, I would feel the same way.

Lastly, "all this talk" isn't ghoulish. Should everyone just sit in silence and not be prepared, pretend nothing happened? Sheesh.

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[liberalhistorian]

13. Excuse me, Atman, but I saw nothing

bilious or insulting in her post, not at all. And, while you corrected yourself, it was only AFTER your laughable mistake been pointed out to you. I cannot believe that you wouldn't know by now that Johnson was from SOUTH Dakota. I recognize we're not the best state in the country by any means, but sheesh, come on!

[Atman]

15. I did...as I said, my bad...I posted too quickly

I did a quick search for the gov's name, since I didn't know it off the top of my head, and I searched for NORTH Dakota instead. It was an dumb, but honest mistake!

.

[cali]

14. No, no chip on my shoulder,

and discussing eventualities is just human nature. I should have explained that it was the title of your post that I found ghoulish. It states that the Governor has the opportunity now to do the right thing, and that's definitely jumping the gun. As for doing the right thing, yes I believe that a guv who a the ability to do so should, ideally, replace a Senator with someone from the same party. Even more ideally, I think special election should be held within say, 90 days, to allow the people to choose a replacement.

[Atman]

17. The ops subject line isn't time-related

It doesn't say "has the opportunity NOW." It is just an open statement.

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[liberalhistorian]

12. Thank you. As a South Dakotan, I'm a bit used

to people knowing very little about the state and getting it mixed up with our dakota friends to the north, but to hear it on DU is a bit unexpected, unsettling and annoying. I would have expected better.

As to the situation being reversed I would, indeed, expect a Dem governor to appoint a repub replacement, since that is the party the people elected in that position. Frankly, I think all states should have a requirement that governors must name replacements of the same political party as the rep being replaced, and not his own party. That's just simple democracy.

While talk of replacement may, indeed, be ghoulish, it is, unfortunately, one of the first things both the media and people in general tend to discuss in these situations. It was the same thing when Sen. Thomas of Wyoming was ill with leukemia a few months ago.

[KharmaTrain]

20. Lots Of Misinformation...

I did a quick bit research on "the google" and saw that if Senator Johnson were to pass on, then the governor would have to call a special election...the state constitution calls for that form of replacement, rather than the governor naming a successor. Surely, if it appeared that the Repugnicans could exploit this illness to take control of the Senate, one would suspect they'd be all over this story; instead it's been real quiet from the RNC front.

A real issue here would be the extent of Senator Johnson's condition. Hopefully, from what I've just heard, he should recover, but let's play the "whatif" game here. The question would be his ability to "serve". There have been several instances in the past of Senators who have fallen ill...not showing up for years on the Senate floor...and the seat being held as there was no way to remove a living Senator short of an impeachment or having a court rule on his competenecy...both that would be very time consuming. In this "high tech" age, being present on the Senate floor isn't a prerequisite as Senator Johnson could follow everything on C-SPAN and through his office and be able to resume his duties even while recovering.

Reading the threads at DU, it's easy to feel used...this place tends to want to fall off cliffs and form circular firing squads at the smallest provocation. Between the trolls and the tin-foil hatters and the "type first, think later" crowd, things can spin out into the sublime in a hurry.

BTW...Harry Reid also suffered a brain aneurism about a year ago. And, yes, Senator Thomas illness raises questions as does Arlen Specter's recurring cancer. It is ghoulish to talk about this topic, but then this place seems to thrive on the conjecture and let the facts catch up later.

Cheers...

[Stoic]

18. Ahahahaha hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha!

I'm sorry.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I haven't read anything this funny in a long time.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Take A Deep Breath...

From all reports I hear, Senator Johnson is alive and as long as that's the case, he still represents that state as long as he draws breath. Senate rules are very ambiguous as to one's capacity to serve. Look at Strom Thurmond and how long he petrified in there...no one thought he should be removed and the people of South Carolina would have kept re-electing him. If Senator Johnson is able to recover, then all this hang wringing is premature...and if he isn't, then a special election would be held and there's Rep. Hersketh who would be a favorite to win the seat.

C-SPAN just read the Press Release from his physician and I'm encouraged from what I heard. It appears he had a ruptured blood vessel in the brain...the surgery was to make sure the bleeding had stopped. This ISN'T a stroke! Hopefully he'll stabilize in the next couple days and be able to make a full recovery.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

21. Do you live on Sugar Mountain?

This is what my husband says to me whenever I put on my rose colored glasses.

[liberalhistorian]

22. That's a great expression,

mind if I borrow it?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

24. Of course I don't mind;

I'll share my jelly beans with you!

[Atman]

23. Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain!

...With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

It's so noisy at the fair
But all your friends are there
And the candy floss you had
And your mother and your dad.

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

There's a girl just down the aisle,
Oh, to turn and see her smile.
You can hear the words she wrote
As you read the hidden note.

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

Now you're underneath the stairs
And you're givin' back some glares
To the people who you met
And it's your first cigarette.

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

Now you say you're leavin' home
'Cause you want to be alone.
Ain't it funny how you feel
When you're findin' out it's real?

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
with the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you're thinking that
you're leaving there too soon,
You're leaving there too soon.


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I've seen Neil in concert more times than I can count, from acoustic sets at Tanglewood to this past summer's CSNY tour in Philly. I'd love to hang in a teepee and with he and Pocahontas. And maybe Marlon Brando would be there by the fire.