TIM JOHNSON. Word is that South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson has suffered a serious stroke. A call to his office produced only the information that he'd been feeling poorly this morning and was now in the hospital -- in other words, no denials. It's testament to the tunnel vision of DC that my friend informed me of this with an IM saying "We [Democrats] may have just lost the Senate." But, in fact, if Johnson's condition leads to retirement or worse, South Dakota's Republican legislature and governor will have to appoint a replacement, who'll likely be a Republican, overturning the Senate. In a Senate this close, acts of God and ravages of age assume a powerful role, and the voters are hostage to their whims. For that reason, the succession strategies in place nationwide have always struck me as totally bizarre -- why doesn't the retiree's state party pick the successor (and that goes for such events on both ends of the aisle)? In any case, all thoughts are with Johnson and his family. May his recovery be swift. Update: Okay, my information was faulty. South Dakota actually has the fairest of all coping mechanisms. The Governor has to call an election within 10 days of a vacancy, to be held no more than 90 days later. --Ezra Klein
