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Tim Johnson: I'm Heading Home To South Dakota
Senator Tim Johnson, in a statement today: "I'm heading home."
"The doctors have given me a ‘thumbs up’, and Barb and I are incredibly excited to head home," said Johnson. "We have missed our friends and family and cannot wait to meet our two new grandchildren." This is Johnson's first return home since his brain hemorrhage back in December.
State Rep. Joel Dykstra has declared for the Republican nomination against Johnson, but Dykstra is definitely at the bottom of the barrel in state GOP politics. As of this writing, Johnson is heavily favored for re-election in 2008.
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It is good to see Johnson recover.
I continue to wish him well.
August 7, 2007 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure I share your full confidence in Johnson being "heavily favored". I think that he will be difficult to beat but certainly not out of reach of even the lowest of GOPers. South Dakota isnt the most loyal blue state and just talking to some people I know in SD, they are upset that (regardless of health issues) they have only one senator representing them.
Do I hope he fully recovers and gets re-elected? Absolutely.
But we need to be realistic and not over-confident.
August 7, 2007 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who is cruel enough to disregard health issues in this situation?
The Dems even put someone in charge of looking after his interests in the Senate during his recovery.
August 7, 2007 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
great news about Johnson.
Regarding the election: Johnson is a conservative Democrat with strong pro-business interests. Plus a son in the military. I think he's positioned himself nicely to take on a Republican, particularly one who believes "'rape and incest' is a buzzword."
August 7, 2007 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, but Tom Daschle was similar to Johnson and rather popular in SD before he got beat. No one is immune to the GOP attacks.
August 7, 2007 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe. But the 2004 election is worlds away from 2008. Daschle was ousted after months of hammering by Bush, Cheney, Thune and Frist on same-sex marriage, abortion, filibustering, and "emboldening the enemy."
I really don't think any of those issues will carry the day for the Republicans.
Obviously we need to be wary. But we need not go borrowing trouble here. And, as a member of the majority party, Johnson can build on the idea that, on a wide range of issues, the Republicans have been demonstratively wrong.
August 7, 2007 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink