Every Vote Counts

By Keith Boykin, in politics
Thursday, December 14 2006, 12:07PM

Washington was thrown into a tizzy yesterday when news spread that South Dakota's Democratic Senator Tim Johnson had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Democrats and Republicans immediately began speculating what effect Johnson's health problems would have on the control of the U.S. Senate, which Democrats are scheduled to take over next month with a slim 51-49 majority. If Johnson were not able to fulfill his term, his replacement would be selected by Mike Rounds, the Republican governor of South Dakota, which would inevitably lead to a 50-50 split in the Senate, giving Vice President Cheney the deciding vote on control of the body.

Perhaps it was genuine friendship that led incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to rush to the hospital to see about his colleague, but everyone in Washington knows that both parties are quietly monitoring Johnson's health to see what effect it has on their own power. Shortly after the news was reported that Johnson had suffered a stroke, other stories were released to deny that Johnson had suffered a stroke. By early Thursday morning, the news media were reporting that Johnson was in critical condition after undergoing surgery to repair a brain hemorrhage.

Johnson, 59, came out of surgery just after midnight on Thursday, according to CNN. But as long as Johnson is alive, Democrats plan to keep Johnson in his seat, even if they have to wheel him in. (It's been done before.) "We're not changing hands any time soon," a Senate Democratic leadership aide told CNN.

All of this, of course, underscores the precarious nature of Democratic control of the Senate. Just one sick senator, or one missed vote, could decide an important treaty, a Supreme Court justice or a confirmation of a cabinet member. The Democrats will try to govern as best they can in this environment, but they know the Republicans will use many of the same tactics that the Democrats themselves used when they were in the minority. And the Republicans will have more success with their tactics because even if they lose in Congress, they still control the White House.

Politics is often compared to sports, and when competition gets this close and this stiff, you can see why. Just in the past 8 years, we've lived through an impeachment, a stolen election, two shifts in control of the Senate, a switch in control of the House, two wars, and enough scandal and controversy to fill a first-rate novel.

And everyday it gets more and more interesting.

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