http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/13/politics/main2258875.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2258875
(CBS/AP) Democrat Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was taken to a
Washington hospital this afternoon after suffering a possible stroke,
his office said in a statement.
Johnson became disoriented during a call with reporters at midday,
stuttering in response to a question. He appeared to recover, asking
if there were any additional questions before ending the call.
"As this stage, he is undergoing a comprehensive evaluation by the
stroke team. Further details will be forthcoming when more is known,"
the statement read.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said called Johnson "a dear friend."
"Every member of the United States Senate sends our best to him and to
his family at this difficult time, and we wish him a full recovery,"
Reid said.
But if Johnson's condition could determine control of the Senate, CBS
News correspondent Gloria Borger reports.
Should Johnson be unable to continue to serve, it could halt the
scheduled Democratic takeover of the Senate. Democrats won a 51-49
majority in the November election.
South Dakota state law says that the governor can appoint a
replacement when there is a "vacancy," but Secretary of State Chris
Nelson tells CBS News political producer Steve Chaggaris that it's
unclear whether a seat held by an incapacitated senator would be
considered "vacant."
Unless Johnson dies, the state of South Dakota is unsure of how to
proceed if he's incapacitated. If he dies, however, the Governor, Mike
Rounds, would appoint a replacement who would serve until the next
general election in 2008, Chaggaris explains.
Because the governor is a Republican, an appointment of this nature
could affect the balance of power in the Senate, and thus the entire
Congress.
Rounds released a statement saying, "we are hopeful of good news for
our friend and colleague."
Johnson, 59, a fourth-generation South Dakotan, was born in Canton to
college professor Van Johnson and homemaker Ruth Johnson. He attended
school in Canton, Flandreau and Vermillion, and graduated from
Vermillion High School in 1965.
He attended the University of South Dakota, where he met thewoman he
would marry shortly after graduation - Barbara Brooks of Sioux Falls.
Johnson went on to earn both a master's degree in public
administration and a law degree from USD.
Johnson started a law practice in Vermillion in 1975 and ran for
statewide office in 1978. He served four years in the South Dakota
House of Representatives and another four years in the state Senate
before setting his sights on Washington.
He was elected to South Dakota's U.S. House seat in 1986, and served
five terms before moving to the U.S. Senate in 1996.
Johnson was most recently re-elected in 2002, narrowly defeating
then-Rep. John Thune, and currently serves on the Senate's
Appropriations Committee, Budget Committee, Banking Committee, Energy
and Natural Resources Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee.
The couple, who still have a home in Vermillion, have two sons and a
daughter: Brooks, who served in the U.S. Army in Bosnia, Kosovo, South
Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq; Brendan, a Sioux Falls lawyer; and
Kelsey, who works in public service in Washington.
Both Johnson and his wife have battled cancer.
The senator underwent prostate cancer in 2004 and subsequent tests
have shown him to be clear of the disease. Barb Johnson is a two-time
breast cancer survivor.
--
The more you find out about the world, the more opportunities there
are to laugh at it.
Bill Nye, Interview with Wired.com, April 2005
US TV host and Science Guy
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