Comment from Spirit
Time: December 13, 2006, 6:42 pm

“It is really scary that the direction of
our country could lie in the hands of one
person’s health. ”

Even more scary to realize that the direction of our country could lie in the health of any one of the 51 Democrats elected to serve in the next congress.

These people are too important to trust to business as usual. They should remain in a hospital ICU any time they are not required on the floor of the Senate!

Comment from admin
Time: December 13, 2006, 7:07 pm

Note: Due to a correction in the blog clock, the above posts are out of order. We promise Spirit is not psychic, at least as far as we know!

Comment from the bold and the blue
Time: December 13, 2006, 7:37 pm

It is really scary that the direction of our country could lie in the hands of one person’s health.

Comment from LWood
Time: December 14, 2006, 12:59 am

The pendulum can swing both ways. Wyoming Repub Senator Craig Thomas is currently suffering from leukemia and may resign. The Wy gov is Democratic. Thus if Senator Johnson is taken out and Senator Thomas there would be a wash.

However this points to an issue I see few discussing on any blog(s). Given the present delicate balance of power the only viable power Demos hold in Congress is the power to investigate and hold hearings. Why? Dems
do not have enough votes to override a prez veto. The best they can conventionally do is prevent more of Bush’s undermining of Constitution even though it’s difficult to imagine what more he could do; prevent the Enronizing of Social Security Trust fund and stop the appointment of extremely partisan federal judges. Other than that a few minor items like raising minimum wage is about their limit. Bush will likely veto any meaningful attempt to reform Medicare Part D since his largest campaign donors were Big Pharmies and he likely expects them to chip in large sums for his $500 Million Prez library.

This brings us back to hearings and investigations which the Demos can effectively control and wherein wield much power. They can also do sufficient revelations which would shape the ‘08 elections. The best they could do is impeach Cheney given his flagrant violations of self dealing pay from a major defense contractor. Such a move would remove Cheney’s vote in case of a tie in the Senate.
_

Comment from KOinNWA
Time: December 14, 2006, 3:43 am

Spirt makes some good points. I was against impeachment before I was for impreachment and I’m sure as the days continue to be more gruesome and the Leahy and Levin start scratching the surface that the American people and the MSM may start screaming for impeachment. That would be nice since that maroon Pelosi said “no impeachment” - before she had a look at just how crimminal these people are.

As far as the balance of the Senate. I don’t worry about that too much. The one thing you can always count on with most politicians is that they’ll do what ever it takes to protect their self-serving asses. With Bush and the Republican Party at the lowest any Adminstration, President and Party has ever been in the country, I expect more than a few self-protective Senators to move quietly left of center.

Comment from BlueTicker
Time: December 14, 2006, 8:45 am

I hope Sen Johnson gets well soon. But if ther worse happens I pretty much agree with KO in that I doubt that many Republican Senators will stand shoulder to shoulder with Bush on much.

There would also be some simple justice in that Lieberman, who smuggly is running around the Senate with the I am the big man because he feels he’s got the body in a choke hold would be taken down a peg or two. He’s a little man with a big ego who felt he deserved his seat even though the democrats said no more.