Thursday, December 14, 2006
Democratic leadership aide: 'We're not changing hands any time soon'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Telling CNN "we're not changing hands any time soon," a Democratic leadership aide insisted Thursday the newly elected Democratic majority is not in jeopardy from Sen. Tim Johnson's, D-South Dakota, hospitilization.

The aide pointed to several precedents of senators who retained their seats despite taking extended leaves of absence, sometimes lasting for several months and even years.

According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, three senators have taken extended leaves of absences in the last twenty years alone. In 1991, Arkansas Democratic Sen. David Pryor was absent from the Senate for five months after suffering a heat attack. In 1989, then-Tennessee Democratic Sen. Al Gore left the Senate for a month when his son was involved in a car accident. In 1988, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, didn't cast a single vote in eight months after he suffered a brain aneurysm.

Since 1942, nine senators have taken extended leaves of absences.

LINK TO FULL LIST OF SENATE ABSENCES: http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/images/12/14/6.12.pdf

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/12/democratic-leadership-aide-were-not.html

over him being absent for a single day or a single vote and how terrible it is for the country that his seat is empty while he rehabilitates. They will insist that there is no precedent at all, the only right thing for the country is to replace him....blah, blah, blah. I guarantee it.

Please. Everyone.

Christians will be offended for the same reasons that they wanted to keep Schiavo on a feeding tube.

to concede that Sen Johnson should be replaced immediately for the good of the Country. Because of course, they only have the good of the nation on their minds.

I can see the same arguments happening as when they were howling for Sen Kerry to step down and let Mitt Romney appoint a replacement while he was running for President. "OMG, look at how many votes he missed....ahhhhh!" "How can the country run without all 100 Senators voting on every single issue?!" "It will be pandemonium!"

These jackals are writing up their speeches, I just feel it.

about is that Sen. Tim Johnson lives and that he refuses to step down. It has been done before and this time it is a matter of saving our country. I long ago stopped watching the idiots in the msm with the exception of a few.

Let's not get nuts here.

L.A. Times: Senate is loath to remove disabled members

(edited to add link)

out into the wild. You seriously don't think that the majority of the media won't be screaming about replacing him? You have way more faith in the system than I do!

to condemnations of Johnson for refusing to resign. They'll say he cares more about his political agenda than he does his own health, his family, the people of S.Dakota, the country, the world, the universe, God, blah, blah, blah, etc.

But this is good news.

this established precedent, especially since the only law at this time requires replacement if there is a vacancy? Would it require a congressional vote, or something that involved the courts? I'm really curious about this since we know that both sides of the aisle have historically used it to their advantange.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.



Since there is not vacancy, the issue is moot. Unless the Senate would want to expel him, which is highly unlikey.

I feel better now.

:hi:

I remember of reading that his aides had to hold his hand to make an X on his voting. He was in a wheel chair, and this went on and on until his death. Dick Cheney has had numerous heart pboblems, and has spent many times in the hospital. He has a doctor following him 24 hours a day.
If Johnson wasn't a democrat, nothing would even be said about his condition; and the balance in the
Senate. My only concern is that his health will be restored. :cry: :cry: :hug:

The Republicans are salivating at the prospect of taking back the Senate, but, what they're forgetting is that they still won't have congress.

If a walking corpse like Strom Thurmond can "serve" in the Senate, so can a voodoo dancing one as we saw Bernie do in the aforementioned film.

his body might have been in the senate, but his mind had already been passed on for quite a while. if strom thurmond counted toward their majority, tim johnson on a feeding tube better count, too.
at any rate, if he is replaced, there are plenty of ways to pressure the gov about who to replace him with. harry reid has the stones to make sure they get someone they want.