(SD-Sen) The Gloves Come Off
Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 12:34:19 PM PDT
Here is another update on the South Dakota Senate race for the seat currently held by Tim Johnson (D-SD). [You can find my last diary here]. Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage last winter and has been recovering ever since. The seat is important because the Democrats currently hold a razor-thin one-seat majority in the Senate. Since Johnson won the last election by less than 1,000 votes this is considered one of the few pickup chances for the GOP in the next election. Follow me below the fold for an update on how the race is shaping up.
Cross-Posted at USD Dems...
In recent weeks there has been a swirl of activity. First of all is the exciting news that Tim Johnson is finally well enough to return to South Dakota from his temporary home in Virginia where he has been recovering ever since his brain hemorrhage. This is a good first step as many in South Dakota are sympathetic but we are still wondering what his condition is. While Johnson's office has been good about releasing updates about his health he hasn't been in the public eye at all. Hopefully he will get off his feet and mingle a little bit thereby generating a narrative in the local press that Johnson is up for the game.
This announcement follows weeks of back-and-forth speculation on when Johnson intends to resume work in the Senate. Most accounts have Johnson returning sometime after Labor Day. With Johnson's South Dakota visit, however, I have hope his return will be soon after Labor Day rather than later. The reason for the delay doesn't seem to have anything to do with Johnson's mental recovery-- he is reportedly as sharp as ever. However his speech and motor skills haven't recovered 100%. From what I gather, there is lingering concern that Johnson may be damaged if he returns to the public eye at less-than-100%. Having Johnson stumble over words or lose his balance may significantly harm is re-election efforts. And with the Republicans sure to play as dirty this election cycle as they have in the past I must say that I agree with this decision.
In other Johnson-related news it appears that the gloves are finally coming off. The Republican party has been very hesitant to say anything critical of Johnson following his injury for fear of appearing unsympathetic. That all ended last week when John Ensign (R-NV), the head of the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee), announced that Johnson was fair game for attack now. I thought it was interesting that Ensign announced that the gloves were coming off rather than Johnson's two announced candidates, Joel Dykstra and Sam Kephart. I'm sure they want to stay away from such statements until a more appropriate time. At any rate, Ensign's announcement set off a series of tit-for-tats with Johnson's spokesperson Julianne Fisher in which Fisher criticized the NRSC for going after someone still recovering. Even ex-majority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) joined the fray, sending out an email from Johnson's campaign committee in which he called the GOP "sad" and "desperate."
"It’s acceptable for Democrats to fundraise for Sen. Johnson but it’s over the line for Republicans to say the seat is a focus? Sounds like the very definition of hypocritical to me," said NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher.
On one hand, I worry about the message we are sending the South Dakota voters if we ask the GOP to treat Johnson with baby gloves. But look at NRSC's logic-- since Democrats are fundraising for Johnson therefore it is acceptable to start attacking Johnson? She is implying that they should be playing on an equal playing field. I agree with her on that principle... however, no one is stopping Kephart and Dykstra from fundraising themselves. And Johnson's campaign hasn't really gone on the attack against them yet. In order to stay honorable I think the GOP should at least wait until Johnson is back doing work at the Senate and campaigning himself before taking any cheap shots against him.
Permalink | 7 comments