Your last quote says it all.  I find it macabre that instead of concentrating on the condition of the man (and blame for the misdiagnosis can be laid to the doctors and the press - but I dont think it was intentional), they only see politics.  Basically writing his epitath before the man has passed.

That is what our press has come to today.  Johnson who?  Oh, wait, will that change the senate?

I think vultures have more scruples.

That is what our press has come to today. Johnson who? Oh, wait, will that change the senate?

Yeah, I find it particularly gruesome that before he's even diagnosed properly people are talking about the 'what if's'.  He's just a sack of flesh, a warm body to be chewed up and spit out by the government machine.  They don't care if TIM dies, they just care about what affect Sen Johnson's demise might have on the balance of the Senate. 

He's still alive.  I hope he stays that way.

He's still alive. I hope he stays that way.

Me too Dharma,  me too...

btw,  I really enjoyed seeing your use of all the medical terminology,  you do yourself proud I must say! 

*If the worst does happen and he dies, the SD Governor Mike Rounds (I've met him briefly too) will have to appoint another Senator to take Johnson's place until the next elections. Rounds is under no obligation to appoint another Democrat, which has the potential to upset the blance of the current Senate's 50-50 split. This could be an interesting turn of events.....(the preceeding was what NPR was saying this morning)*

---dharma

You know what......so?
I agree with Sean Hannity; let's just hope the guy comes through this, and without any serious aftereffects. How about let's just wish him and his family well, pray for them, and not politicize it.
No offense to you, DG; good article...just an observation, is all.

; let's just hope the guy comes through this, and without any serious aftereffects. How about let's just wish him and his family well, pray for them, and not politicize it

That's what the jist of the article is; that it doesn't matter what party he belongs to, he's just a genuinely nice human being and I'll be doing my version of praying for him to pull through and make a recovery.  The bit at the end there is just a fyi kinda thing, not the main purpose of the article.

 

Trudy:  I'm taking a medical transcriptionist' class and part of that is being able to not only spell but comprehend medical terminology so you can accurately transcribe it.

think it important to mention that he hasn't had a stroke.

I could be wrong, but I was pretty sure that it was *technically* a stroke.

According to the American Stroke Association a "hemorrhagic stroke is due to bleeding into the brain causing damage."

So my understanding is that Senator Johnson had a hemorrhagic stroke because of arteriovenous malformations that he's likely had since birth but didn't know about.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. Two types of weakened blood vessels usually cause hemorrhagic stroke: aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Of course, all this misses the point. I too have heard nothing but good things about the Senator. His staff adores him. Everyone's pulling for him right now.

"How about let's just wish him and his family well, pray for them, and not politicize it. "

No one should wish harm on anyone else, but the fact is whether or not he comes back will influence the course of our nation. The people who elected him deserve representation. Should we allow the 51/49 majority to be a 50/49 majority just so we don't seem ghoulish?

Of course no one should hope bad things for political reasons. For the last 6 years I shouldn't have been hearing things about Bush dropping dead, and Cheney dropping dead, and Rumsfeld, and on and on. Given the heinous things I have seen in the last few years, I see no reason to be so sensitive that we allow the due process of the government to suffer along with this gentleman.

I hope for the best for the Senator, but I'd have to say I won't shed a single tear for Democrats if he's replaced by a Republican.  To be fair though, I don't care if he would be replaced by a Democrat either.

If the balance of power in the Senate shifts, it won't be by much because neither side will hold a veto proof majority, or a filibuster proof one either.  That being the case, the Senate will remain fairly centrist and I actually prefer that for the most part.

What I absolutely don't want to see is a Captain Christopher Pike or Senator Strom Thurmond type rolling in of Johnson where someone interprets his vote and makes certain that his beep once for yes or twice for no continue to come up Democrat every time.  Even if his history was one of straight party line votes, I want to know that whoever is voting is a lucid individual that knows what he's voting on.

On the other hand, since we're gonna have ignorant individuals in charge of the House Intelligence Committee, I suppose it doesn't matter all that much now, does it?

--

God bless Senator Johnson.  God bless.