From the subscription-only Roll Call:
Sen. Tim Johnson’s (D-S.D.) slow but steady recovery from a stroke has done no apparent political damage to his 2008 re-election hopes. But it has hamstrung Republican efforts to recruit a top-tier challenger and put a severe damper on GOP fundraising for what was expected to be one of the marquee races of the 2008 cycle.
Republicans have been leery of launching even the mildest rhetorical attack against Johnson since he was hospitalized Dec. 13, and they acknowledge that his illness temporarily has frozen any effort to oust him. Meanwhile, Johnson — with the help of fellow Senate Democrats — has continued to build his war chest, and in light of a healthy prognosis by doctors, recently reignited his campaign operation.
“Make no mistake, it does handicap Republican candidates,” said potential Johnson challenger Dusty Johnson (R), the elected chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, who is not related to the Senator. “Politically, things are very much on hold.”
As for Johnson, he's slowly getting back into the swing of things while his rehab continues:
Sen. Johnson, 60, is now out of the hospital and in a private rehabilitation facility. He is meeting regularly with his chief of staff and hiring campaign aides. Johnson spokeswoman Julianne Fisher — who stated in January that the Senator’s political future is on hold — said Tuesday that his re-election effort is now moving forward.
And while national Republicans are desperate to make this a race in a year where they'll be playing defense in most competitive states save for Louisiana, South Dakota Republicans have little appetite for a race.
Ensign, though acknowledging that major moves to target Johnson remain grounded, insisted in an interview late last week that Republicans are doing as much as they can within the bounds of what is acceptable politically. To prepare for Johnson’s presumed recovery, the NRSC is trying to woo Rounds into the race, while talking with other candidates seen as viable challengers.
But while Ensign emphasized that the NRSC is doing what it can, South Dakota Republicans stressed that there is little appetite to engage in any political activity for the Senate race absent a full recovery by Johnson or a decision by him to forgo re-election.
“It puts us in an awkward position,” said one Republican operative in South Dakota. “It’s hard to pick on the sick guy.”
Johnson already has over $600K in the bank, and Montana Sen. Max Baucus has already been raising money for Johnson with the help of other Dems, so money won't be a problem for our side.
Johnson isn't going to retire, so apparently it comes down to whether Johnson has a full recovery. And given the hope that he does, we may still have a tough race in South Dakota. We're not out of the woods yet. But it's clear that at least for now, the longer Republicans are forced to sit on the sidelines monitoring Johnson's recovery, the more difficult a serious effort to unseat him will become.