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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: geode00 who wrote (91818)	12/13/2006 3:15:57 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361731

Obama: Let Them Mock His Name....NOW tpmcafe.com

To: geode00 who wrote (91818)	12/14/2006 2:48:39 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 361731

Key Senator Johnson in critical condition _____________________________________________________________ By Richard Cowan Reuters WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson was in critical condition on Thursday after brain surgery, the U.S. Capitol physician said, an illness that could deprive Democrats of their precarious hold on the incoming Senate. The party narrowly wrested control from President George W. Bush's Republicans in the U.S. Congress in last month's elections, gaining just a 51-49 majority in the Senate when it convenes in three weeks. However, if Johnson, 59, were to leave office, Republicans could gain control of the Senate, leaving Vice President Dick Cheney in the key position of breaking tie votes. "We're all praying for a full recovery, we're confident that will be the case," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters. Adm. John Eisold, attending physician of the United States Capitol, said Johnson had undergone brain surgery for a rare and often fatal condition, and was in critical condition. He said it was not known whether more surgery would be needed. "Senator Tim Johnson was found to have had an intracerebral bleed caused by a congenital arteriovenous malformation," Eisold said in a statement. "The senator is recovering without complication. ... It is premature to determine whether further surgery will be required or to assess any long-term prognosis." He did not say if Johnson was in a coma or where in the brain the malformation was found. Johnson, who had prostate surgery in 2004, was taken to George Washington University Hospital on Wednesday with stroke-like symptoms after he verbally stumbled and seemed confused in a radio interview with reporters. The development caught the U.S. Capitol off guard, brought Reid to Johnson's hospital bedside, and raised the question of what would happen if Johnson were to die. "There isn't a thing that's changed," Reid told a news conference after visiting Johnson and pronouncing: "He looked great." If the senator had to be replaced, South Dakota law says Republican Gov. Michael Rounds would name someone to finish the final two years of his six-year term. An election for a successor would be held in November 2008. If Rounds named a Republican, that would put the Senate at 50-50, with Cheney breaking any tie because he presides over the Senate, putting Republicans in charge. Bush's party could therefore continue to set the agenda in the Senate, undermining the hopes of Democrats for more influence over Bush's policies. Johnson's illness raised the issue of what would create a vacancy for the seat. The Senate historian's office said the only way there would be a vacancy to fill is if Johnson died or resigned, since even if incapacitated, he could remain in office. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the incoming speaker in the new, Democratic-majority House of Representatives, was asked what it would mean for the Democratic program if the Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate. "That is a hypothetical that I really don't want to address," Pelosi told reporters. Johnson's wife, Barbara, said his family was "encouraged and optimistic." Bush received word about the surgery on Thursday morning, first lady Laura Bush said, adding their wishes for his speedy recovery. "I hope he's doing fine," she told CBS's "The Early Show." A congenital arteriovenous malformation means Johnson was born with a tangle of blood vessels, in this case in his brain. When they burst and bleed, such tangles often kill patients before they can get to the hospital, but quick surgery can correct the defect. However, brain damage can result from the bleeding, just as it can from a stroke. Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures