Sad to see any person suffer, but the fact is that Johnson hanging on to his Senate seat is the ONLY reason the Democrats are in power. By not being able to vote, the Democrats lack one vote to block filibusters or over-ride vetos.
Joe Lieberman has the power to flip Democrats backward right now since he is one of the strongest HAWKS on foreign policy and national defense.
Lieberman was stabbed in the back by the liberals in 2006 and he will not forget it.
Mr. Johnson has friends who are raising money for him to seek another term in 2008.
The poor man is trying to get back his life, and I wonder if he is even going to run?
Maybe his health problems is a wake-up call to focus on getting more healthy rather than running for another term.
South Dakota needs a strong and healthy candidate and unless Johnson pops up soon, he will be seen as too weak to run again.

no, ma'am...the liberals didn't stab transliebo [aka joe lieberman] in the back...transliebo has been stabbing the dems in the back for a couple years...and he still is playing powerball[s] with them, threatening dems at every turn of the road.
as a former resident of connecticut, i am ashamed of the turncoat transliebo has become.

Joan Palmer- since nearly every assertion you made is blatantly false, may I enlighten you:

Tim Johnson's continued service to the people in South Dakota is not the linchpin preserving the Democratic majority in the Senate. The Senate passed rules in January ensuring that Democrats will maintain control over committee chairmanships and the Senate agenda through the end of the 110th Congress in 2009, regardless of whether Johnson resigns, Lieberman defects, or any other Democrat is unable to serve. In other words, as far as the chamber's organization is concerned, Johnson only made a difference until those rules were passed. Likewise, those rules stripped Lieberman of the power to flip the Senate, removing any incentive he had to join his ideological cohorts in the Republican minority, so you can quit your wishful thinking.

Was Liberman stabbed in the back by liberals in 2006? I don't know, but what I do know is that elected public officials serve at the pleasure of their constituents. If Lieberman's position on the Iraq War- arguably the most significant crisis our nation has faced in the past quarter-century- was out of touch with the will of his constituents, then they were well within their right to try to vote him out of office. The voters of Connecticut owe Joe Lieberman nothing. Americans owe George W. Bush nothing. Don't forget that.

The Democrats are not "one vote" short of a filibuster-proof majority. Invoking cloture to end a filibuster requires 60 votes; the Democratic caucus consists only of 49 Democrats and 2 independents. Therefore, Democrats need 9 Republicans to cross the aisle in order to overcome a filibuster. Overriding Bush's veto is even more challenging: Democrats would require a 2/3 majority of all voting members, a staggering 67 votes assuming no abstentions. All the more reason for Americans who seek to undo the damage of the past 6 years to support Democrats in further cementing their majority in 2008.

We elect senators for 6-year terms. Perhaps the length of that term is too long for you, but you'll have to take that matter up with the constitution. When you punch that ballot for a U.S. Senator, you're getting 6 years of that person, irrespective of their physical or mental condition. Johnson is only 60 years old, and by all accounts, the speed of his recovery is nothing short of remarkable. If you want to talk about the frail and senile in the Senate, read up on Sens. Jim Bunning (R-KY), Pete Domenici (R-NM), and Ted Stevens (R-AK), the latter two of whom are also running for re-election in 2008. Or should we only force ailing Democrats out of office?

Joan Palmer, what on earth are you talking about? Johnson is recovering, just about nothing in your statements is true, and Lieberman is just one of the empty chickenhawk suits in Washington. Thanks to Lieberman and his war-mongering ilk, it appears the Democrats will have a clear majority together with Sen. Johnson after the 2008 elections and those they replace will be looking for new careers.

I am so glad that Senate Johnson is getting well..Please we want to win this ...I pray for you every night since it started.....Peace to you-Sharon SD