Democrats breathed a (nervous, I'd imagine) sigh of relief as Johnson (D-SD), who suffered a "intracerebral hemorrhage" (i.e., bleeding on the brain) in December of last year that nearly killed him, made his first public appearance today to mark another milestone in a long and remarkable road to recovery.As you might know, had Johnson died in office or become too incapacitated to perform his senatorial duties, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) could have appointed a Republican to replace Johnson, thus tipping the balance of power in the Senate to the GOP.
Video of the event can be seen here.
2 comments:
Yeah, the idea abot Gov. Rounds appointing a replacement was much talked about by out-of-staters. Everyone in South Dakota was more concerned with their friend, Tim Johnson.
And, actually, who knows if Rounds would've appointed a Republican? He's good friends with Johnson. I can see him appointing a Democrat out of respect for him. That's just how us South Dakotans are. :)
I was able to go to the celebration today. It was a great event and it was wonderful to see him.
I've been following Johnson's story since it happened, and not primarily because of the political implications. I'm inspired by his struggle. And yes, Rounds might have taken the high road, as in less cynical times we would expect. It seems we may never know, and that's fine with me.
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