Control of the 110th Senate could be in Republican hands

[Democratic Hawk]

sh**t,he is not even 60...

Anyway,as the article says,he could be removed only in the event he died...even if he had to spend a year in that hospital,he'd be a senator and democrats would have control of the senate.

Correct. Everyone seems to be overlooking this. Unless Johnson actually dies, the chances of a replacement being appointed to fill his seat are next to zero. The Senate throughout its history has often held seats for Senators who are forced away by illness for months, even years.

Quite and Senator Johnson should be no exception. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me, should he survive (he remains critical) but make a slow recovery, that the vultures will demand his resignation on the grounds of incapacity. And it would be an act of despicable opportunism for any one to articulate that position

I'm sure South Dakotans wish their senator a full and speedy recovery, irrespective of party and/or ideology

There may come a time when the senator feels that he can't continue his duties on health grounds and vacate his seat. Be that the eventual case, then he should request Governor Rounds appoint a Democrat to serve out his term. And if the Governor has any integrity, he'd do exactly that

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

sh**t,he is not even 60...

Anyway,as the article says,he could be removed only in the event he died...even if he had to spend a year in that hospital,he'd be a senator and democrats would have control of the senate.

Correct. Everyone seems to be overlooking this. Unless Johnson actually dies, the chances of a replacement being appointed to fill his seat are next to zero. The Senate throughout its history has often held seats for Senators who are forced away by illness for months, even years.

There may come a time when the senator feels that he can't continue his duties on health grounds and vacate his seat. Be that the eventual case, then he should request Governor Rounds appoint a Democrat to serve out his term. And if the Governor has any integrity, he'd do exactly that

Dave

I was sure you'd say this. Why should he? The people of South Dakota voted for Tim Johnson because he is Tim Johnson...I find it highly unlikely they voted for him because he was a democrat. In this case (unlike other states) Tim Johnson has a mandate, not the democratic party.

You know me fairly well then

Were Tim Johnson to resign on health grounds and request that Rounds appoint Stephanie Herseth to replace him, given the margin of her statewide re-election victory for the House seat, she is clearly popular with South Dakotans. Still, it's all hypothetical

Anyway, I most sincerely hope that it doesn't even come to this and the senator will make a speedy recovery and continue to represent South Dakota in the Senate

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Imagine I was a Democrtatic Senator from Georgia and I was asked by the President to, for example, accept a Cabinet nomination and Georgia had a Republican governor, then my accepting that nomination would be conditional on me privately recommending a fellow Georgia Democrat, for example, Rep. Jim Marshall, to be my replacement until such time as an election to fill the seat

It's either that or I'd be staying put in the Senate

For that matter, in the event, of severe incapacity forcing me to resign or in the event of my passing, the Governor would have a letter from me requesting he appoint a Democrat of my recommendation

I'd feel the same way were I Republican

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

In fact, I think there should be a law common to all states mandating the Governor to make an interim appointment from the party with which the previous incumbent was affiliated. That way the Senate does not change and the will of the electorate stands until such time as they elect a new senator

What can be any fairer than that, I ask?

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

In fact, I think there should be a law common to all states mandating the Governor to make an interim appointment from the party with which the previous incumbent was affiliated. That way the Senate does not change and the will of the electorate stands until such time as they elect a new senator

What can be any fairer than that, I ask?

Dave

That assumes that it's the task of the State to keep track of who is what party.  Thankfully I live in a sane State that doesn't keep track of which party a voter considers himself to be a part of, if any.

It assumes that the interim appointee is a known Democrat or Republican, in that they'd either hold or have held previous elected office as such

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

In fact, I think there should be a law common to all states mandating the Governor to make an interim appointment from the party with which the previous incumbent was affiliated. That way the Senate does not change and the will of the electorate stands until such time as they elect a new senator

What can be any fairer than that, I ask?

The will of the electorate is for the Senator they elected to be in office, not someone who's simply in the same party. Under your proposal, in the event of Sen. Chafee's death, Gov. Carcieri could appoint a staunch conservative such as Laffey to replace him. Would that be representative of who the people of the state elected to office? Of course not.

Under my proposal governors would appoint a member of the same party as that of the previous incumbent. If a Democrat passes away, a Democrat is appointed. Likewise for Republicans. It has no effect on the partisan composition of the Senate in that it benefits neither Democrats nor Republicans. Seems fair to me

Of course, if the voters don't approve of the interim senator, should he or she wish to contest the next scheduled election, then they can vote them out

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

No matter what happens to Johnson, (which I sincerely hope he makes a full recovery, not only to keep Harry Reid as Majority Leader, but for his family's sake as well), the Republicans will still have a LOT of power in the Senate because with it only being a 51-49 majority for the Democrats, that still leaves a tie very possible, because it is very possible that a Democrat will side with the Republicans on an issue, and that would give the Republicans the victory on that bill with Dick Cheney casting the tie-breaker vote.  I just hope my party's majority leader, Harry Reid, knows that he's not going to win every bill with the Senate being so evenly split.  The Republicans will win some bills.

Very true. Not all Democrats will take the majority-majority position 100% of the time, nor will all Republicans take the minority-majority position 100% of the time

With that kind of slim majority (51/49), there's a plenty of scope for bi-partisanship

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Under my proposal governors would appoint a member of the same party as that of the previous incumbent. If a Democrat passes away, a Democrat is appointed. Likewise for Republicans. It has no effect on the partisan composition of the Senate in that it benefits neither Democrats nor Republicans. Seems fair to me

The classic Dave Hawk "debate" tactic. Repeat your opinion and say that it's the best way. Don't bother to actually back it up though.

Basically, I consider the interim appointment process in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah and Wyoming preferable to that a Democratic governor appointing a Democrat to replace a Republican or a Republican governor appointing a Republican to replace a Democrat

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Of course, if the voters don't approve of the interim senator, should he or she wish to contest the next scheduled election, then they can vote them out

Dave

This is a good argument for letting the Governor appoint anyone, and if the people don't like it, vote out the Governor and newly appointed Senator.

Now that's a fair point, but it doesn't change my opinion of what is preferable in the event of vacant Senate seats

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

In fact, I think there should be a law common to all states mandating the Governor to make an interim appointment from the party with which the previous incumbent was affiliated. That way the Senate does not change and the will of the electorate stands until such time as they elect a new senator

What can be any fairer than that, I ask?

How would that handle a Senator that had switched parties?

It wouldn't handle it. If a Senator makes a conscious decision to switch parties that's his call; though, I think they ought to resign their seat and seek re-election

Very different context to a senator passing away or a senator electing to resign because of involuntary incapacity, however

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Yep, I'd say that's a good way of going about filling vacant Senate seats

Dave