Fox News is so full of BULLSHIT when it comes to Sen. Johnson

[LynneSin]

Seriously, if I had started a thread back when Craig Thomas was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and suggested that he be declared 'incapacitated to serve and should be replaced', I would be crucified not only by those who post here at DU but I'm sure some right-wing screed would use my post as a source of just how 'nutty' those DUers really are.

I could have suggested the same thing with Strom Thurmond or Jesse Helms, both spent serious hospital time in their last term of senator. And btw one thing all three of these senators had/have was a democratic governor that would surely replace them with a democrat if we forced them out because of 'incapacity to serve'

And yet Fox News can actually have some dingbat get on the show and have the AUDACITY to suggested that Sen. Johnson could be forced out of his seat going so far as explaining just exactly how to force Johnson out of his seat WHICH ironically would allow republican governor Mike Rounds to replace him with a republican and thus switching the control of the senate back to the republicans

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/14/johnson-fox-news/

Hell if we posted crap about Thomas, Helms, Thurmond, Spector or any other republican senator who happens to be slightly under the weather you can be rest assured we'd be treated like lunatic nut jobs. But Fox news puts this stuff on TV for probably the sole purpose of getting this as a major talking point across the cable networks in hopes of someone actually attempting to push Johnson out of his senate seat.

This is BULLSHIT and I will out them on it. If Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond were allowed to keep their seat when both of them spent more time at Walter Reed than on the job, then I think Johnson deserves nothing but our best wishes for a full & speedy recovery!

[liberal N proud]

1. You could stop at "Fox News is so full of BULLSHIT"

And covered it all!

[LynneSin]

3. I watched that video and was absolutely mortified

Yes, forcing a senator out of office because of illness would be a federal precedent but it's ironic that the only time they push for it when it would benefit the republican party. Democrats had plenty of opportunities to try it when republicans senators with democratic governors were barely able to serve during illness but we respected the fact that this was not how it was done.

[China_cat]

9. But it wouldn't.

Someone else looked it up and SD requires a special election to replace an incapacitated congressperson. The governor can NOT replace him permanently...only up to the special election.

[LynneSin]

10. Yes but the special election could be in 2008

which means we're out of the senate until them.

But the thing is - there is no reason to replace him. He'll have a nice recovery and return back to the senate in a few months.

[China_cat]

11. According to what I read elsewhere

here on DU (and I can't find the post now) the special election has to take place within 6 months. He couldn't legally delay it until 08.

[Richardo]

8. LOL! "You had me at 'bullshit'."

[Dinger]

2. I Remember Someone Here Posting A Link To Send Well-Wishes To Thomas

And I sent him some, and got a nice reply too - automated or not. I appreciated it. I hope he is doing well. I really do.
I have a feeling Sen. Johnson will be fine.

[LynneSin]

5. I hope both are doing very well

And for any right-wing screed reading my post - I hope that Thomas has a speedy recovery and return to the senate. If I want to remove Craig Thomas from office, it'll be through the power of the voting process NOT sneaky-ass manuevers to take advantage of someone going through some health issues just for our political gain

[bluemarkers]

4. Liddy's hip

barely raised a blip - she has a a Dem governor who would be most happy to appoint a fellow Democrat. :)

(considering how close her hip is to her brain....)

[LynneSin]

6. Some have questioned that Jim Bunning is in the early stages of Alzheimer's

At one point he had a democratic governor, not sure what he has now

[China_cat]

7. When it came to Strom Thurmond

our state legislature tried to pass a law making it mandatory to replace a senator who couldn't finish his/her term ONLY with a person of the same party. Luckily it failed.

But that will give you an idea of what lengths they will go to.

[kikiek]

12. What is funny is that they were so excited that the state of South Dakota had

said that there wasn't a precedent at the state level, but there was at the federal level. Fox news obviously didn't check out what the federal level of precedent was. It became a non story very quickly once the precedent was revealed. Typical Fox reporting actually.

[LynneSin]

13. Oh they knew - they were just hoping they could make it an issue

They start reporting it and then next thing you know all the other cable news outlets are reporting it, then it gets in the papers, talk radio, etc. etc. and suddenly everyone is demanding that Johnson be pushed out of office.

[kikiek]

14. The media is a constant battle. It seems Fox takes up most of the resources

for trying to hold them accountable. Also stories that aren't political in nature often fly under the radar too. CBS had a "story" on our failing schools last night. They cite a panel that says the country is seriously behind other countries, and will start losing jobs to people from them. They fail to name the panel. Then they talk to Bill Brock who has some recommendations I agreed with. But they fail to mention he has a company that sells a product that is supposed to help children learn (like Neil Bush's company). Also I am left wondering is he one of the panel of experts, and if so who else on it might benefit from their recommendations. The conclusion was that the school districts need to be taken out of local control and into the hands of groups of teachers or private corporations. This sets off alarms in my head. On line I look for the name of the reporter who wrote the story but no one is credited. I now wonder if it was a prepackaged piece, and if so by who? I have asked CBS a few questions. I doubt I will get a response. To whom do we complain? We need a show following the news that dissects all the "information" they have just spread.