KELO’s Doug Lund takes one of the harshest views yet of Johnson’s recovery.
Tim Johnson’s recovery continues to be the topic tonight – I was looking on KELOland.com, and I see that veteran anchor Doug Lund has one of the harshest assessments we’ve seen on Senator Tim Johnson’s ability to do the job of a US Senator:
The senator, as everyone knows, nearly died from a brain hemorrhage in December of 2006. We were encouraged by early reports that he was doing great and told that even though it was going to take some time, there was a good chance he’d recover to be the same ol’ Tim as before the injury.
As my friend and I listened to the senator struggling to get the words out and Knobe helping him finish sentences during the interview, we looked at each other and said he’s going to need more time isn’t he?
and…
Tim Johnson’s mind may be as sharp and fast as ever but he could never keep up in the rapid fire exchange of a debate format like he did in the old days.
That’s just a fact and his reelection staff knows it.
Read it all here at KELOland.com
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Comments
Knowing that most people will not click on the original post, you neglect to summarize the other points Doug made. You clearly belong to the Pravda school of reporting, as is now part of the Bush legacy. Gulag, South Dakota.
As I said in another post here, we are hiring an employee (Johnson), and if he isn’t up to the job of being visible and persuasive in the Senate, basically he isn’t capable of doing the job. I don’t care if he’s a nice guy or not. I am hiring a Senator to represent me in the US Senate, and the person I hire needs to be able to do the job. It’s just that simple.
I’m with Springer on this. Whether or not Sen. Johnson’s mind is capable of evaluatiing policy issues isn’t the point. He can’t articulate his positions, nor debate them, and those are essential attributes of the job. He’s not capable of doing the job he’s running for and while it’s not his fault, it’s a fact.
Epp’s gonna whack out on you guys, numbers 3 & 4. He’s comming out of the soccer-bench-waiting-area-place like a pine-tar George Brett.
SD has already lost a years worth of “Senatorship” it is wrong to place politcal games when we are in serious state of affairs in the US.
I feel bad for TJ, but what is happening is not correct and has not been correct.
Evidently Sen Johnson is not improving very much. Several months ago Angela Keneckee (sorry for the spelling) from KELO interviewed TJ and the same thing happened. She ended up answering many of her own questions for Johnson.
He may have a sharp mind, as we are told, but he really has trouble verbalizing his thoughts and there appears to be no improvement.
Once again PP you change the whole tone of an article by excluding key parts. Such as:
“I suppose some of you will think me an insensitive clod for even bringing it up.. but the truth is that Senator Johnson is not yet able to articulate his thoughts and views very well verbally.
Does that mean he can’t function effectively as a United States Senator?
Not necessarily.
Does it mean he should avoid debates with Joel Dykstra, the Republican challenger for his job?
Probably.
The trouble for Dykstra is that to have any chance at all against the favored incumbent, he needs the exposure that only debates can provide..so he continues to push for them.”
Once again SDWC has chosen to distort someone’s work rather than report some measure of the truth.
Tyler a debate is like a interveiw for the job. If you can’t interveiw why would you hire somebody. Are you thinking you don’t have to debate in the senate? I still plan on voting for Tim if he proves to me he can do the job and debating is part of the job. I think Dykstra isn’t the best person the reps could have ran as I fine him to be lacking but still…. There is noway a staff should control a senate office.
Tyler –
Aside from the fact that it’s the readers responsibility to go to the source material, and that fair use guidelines dictate that snippets are used for editorial purposes; it’s not like you yourself don’t put your own spin on things.
As you’re doing so now.
Doug Lund has had it in for Sen. Johnson his entire “journalism” career. Lund is a bully and he has no interest in Sen. Johnson’s welfare. That Doug has poor listening skills isn’t Tim’s fault.
Todd Epp
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
Even if Johnson was in coma, he would still be a more effective Senator then Dykstra and that’s a Fact!
Didn’t we learn our lesson from electing ‘President’s ear’ John Thune who is more concerned about becoming Porker of the year instead trying to secure funds for Lewis & Clark. Thanks John, you are a winner.
Way to go, Todd Epp. Attack anyone who dares to question Johnson’s abilities. Same old, same old strategy from the Dems.
I can assure you that if Johnson were a Republican in the same scenario, Epp would be all over how said person should retire instead of having his staff run the office and run blocking maneuvers for the disabled congress person. It’s all politics, and it stinks!
I know why Johnson didn’t retire before the election, also politics as this Dem seat needed to stay Dem in the Dem’s political strategy. But now I don’t understand their thinking. Johnson could retire, Stephanie could run and probably win, why isn’t this happening? Johnson has a right to run if he wants to, but he also has a responsibility to we who hire him to show us he can do the job. To hide behind his illness is not a defensible option at this point. And Epp needs to realize this.
Detroit, Stephanie is the better porker of the year from what I heard on the news. Besides, if they didn’t bring home the pork, you would be accusing them of being ineffective. Politics!
Regardless of whether or not debate skills are a vital part of the job requirements for a Senator, being able to articulate your thoughts and communicate effectively with you colleagues is. Clearly TJ can not.
Senator Johnson isn’t healthy enough to do the job and we need a replacement. I mean no disresepct to the Senator but he is no long equipped to do the job. You hear reporters and many other frequantly discuss the convrsations they have with Johnson nd all of them leave feeling ad and say “Why are they making this poor man run again?”
Listen, regardless of Tim Johnson’s health he is ranked as one of the least effective Senators in the country and he has been serving is DC for 22 years (12 in the senate). He can’t even chair a committee because of his health, so ask yourself even if you have been a Johnson supporter in the past can he effectively represent South Dakota and fight for us?
Regarding Stephanie’s porker skills, read below and check out the link referenced.
“July 11th, 2008
CAGW has been drilling down into the 7 appropriations bills that were recently reported out of the committees on the House side to find out what taxpayers can expect to see when it comes to earmarks in the fiscal year 2009 budget… This represents a 5 percent increase in number of projects, but a whopping 122 percent increase in dollar amounts over the FY 2008 version, which had 1,305 earmarks costing $277.9 million. The top three porkers were Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), $168.5 million; Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), $161.3 million; and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), $148.5 million.”
http://blog.thehill.com/2008/07/11/pork-barrel-spending-continues-to-increase/
Todd I don’t think it is poor listening skills as I would love to just beable to listen to Tim which you can’t do when he does not debate. I want a real reason to vote for Tim not just because of what was. Tim give me something as I don’t want to vote for Dykstra and I don’t mean a press realase or Johnston’s staff said type of thing…..
Springer, a $2.3 billion dollar request for a former employer versus a $148 million appropriations is not exactly comparing apples to apples.
Last I checked John was trying to secure the largest federal loan in the history of our country to a private company that 1) couldn’t even make the interest payments on the loan 2) Has the worst safety record in the RR industry. The Lewis & Clark project would provide water to a 1/3 of SD residents. There is a difference.
Mostly Coal from out of state. They have given lip service to grain hauling, but I would believe it when I see it. Besides, they are a private company, they should go find private investors.
Electricity for people out of state. They are basically using our state as a bridge to make money, while polluting it with coal dust and blocking intersections for hours. Not a real win-win situation for South Dakotans, kinda like that stupid oil refinery.
Take a brake people. The DM&E is being sold to a Canada railroad who will not use any public funding.
Then it’s better to sit back and do nothing about the fuel crisis? I thought you Dems were not wanting to drill anywhere because we have to invest in finding alternative sources of energy.
Is there a link to the interview in question? I have to agree with Springer in #14 that Mr. Epp is attacking someone who DARES to point out the obvious. Mr. Johnson is a nice guy, if somewhat condescending. I have contacted his office on several occasions and he or someone in his office replies, even if it is with a form letter. However if he is unable to articulate his thoughts, then I too question his ability to be a Senator. I probably would not have voted for him anyway this fall and will admit to having never voted for him, but his ability to speak is fair game.
Detroitless-
Let me get this straight, your against coal for electricity and your against building refineries. We are importing refined fuel because we dont have enough refinery thus a big part of our our suppl and demand is under supply and you want to continue drive prices up before we can get our alternative energy sources on line. WHAT? Leard some economics before you spew this non-sense. Please.
The blockage of the loan to the DM&E pushed ownership into foreign hands. The next time a liberal cries about foreign ownership of U.S. companies, they need to be reminded of the hypocricy. If Johnson/Daschle had been able to accomplish this, they’d have praised it.
P.S. If the business model was so bad, the Canadian Railroad wouldn’t have bought DM&E. Now the profits will go outside the U.S.
Second, the criticism of the messenger and failure to address the message is dangerous territory. As a group, the South Dakota political writers don’t like their integrity attacked.
I am with the Feasant, lets’ allow Johnson to spend some extra time with his family and friends. Come November Tim Johnson will have additional family time and Senator Dykstra will be working for a better South Dakota.
Most people start there observations about Tim Johnson with some reference to “while his speech is slow, his mind is as sharp as ever.” I wonder what proof we have of that except for the repeated word of his staff – not like they would mislead us on anything.
Dykstra will only be a parrot for a Bush third term wantabe. Dykstra will be part of the problem and delay the fixes that President Obama will need to undertake for all the problems that Bush and Republican puppets put us in. Denial is not a river in Egypt.
Wow, another talking point from the Dems. First claim McCain will be another Bush. Now claim that Dykstra will too. Like Johnson isn’t a follower of the Dem line. Politics!
Obama’s “fixes” are nothing but income redistribution BTW. Good deal for those who pay little or nothing, but not quite fair to those of us who actually pay the taxes.
#31-
Well if we would have spent the Half-trillion we flushed down a toilet in Iraq on alternative energy transmission lines and research we probably would all be enjoying affordable utilities by now, and efficient electric cars. Maybe you need to learn something about ‘economics’.
Yeah, Detroit. Your middle name is “open-minded.”
You have a hard time deciding what kind of “Boone’s Farm” to pick up. And we’re supposed to rely on your knowledge of world events?
Go make some mud-pies and sell them to your mom.
Johnson just can’t speak like he needs to. Dykstra will do something I’ve never seen him do. Try!
Det Lewis:
Do you remember the vote to go into IRAQ? Even Dems thought it was a good idea. I have no idea if it was the “best” thing to do, all I know is there have been no more attacks on American Soil.
You Liberals won’t even allow coal fired or nuclear power plants. So what is your idea to get “affordable electricity?”
#35, That’s right Dykstra DID stop Obama from being the best president he could be. We might admit to it now.
If Obama and his followers have anything…it’s excuses!
We haven’t had attacks on American soil because of good intelligence efforts, not because we are in Iraq destroying a country and blowing money hand over fist.
Last I checked coal and nuclear produce harmful waste products, wind and solar do not.
So what’s your point?
It’s apparent that the “debate issue” isn’t gaining much traction between Johnson and Dykstra…that’s if you read between the lines of what Kranz is saying in the Argus. If the numbers are true, which is debatable in it’s own right coming from the Argus, but it’s coming from Rasmussen Polling, which I do buy into, then not only does Johnson have the Dem base shore up, he has a pretty good chunk of Republicans and Independents too. And, that’s without speech. So, I guess people don’t want change. And that bodes well for McCain in SD.
If the election were held today (without a campaign), Johnson would win. I doubt that if Johnson doesn’t participate in any campaign events (including debates) the current situation would stand.
Detroit Lewis:
First, we have had attacks on US soil. They have just not been successful.
About solar energy and wind energy, just last week we saw an article about the fight in Congress over paying for a subsidy for wind turbines. As I recall, wind turbines cannot be competitive without a .02/KWH subsidy. Solar energy is expensive as well. I have never seen the figures on how many wind turbines it would take to produce the amount of electricity we use today, but I am guessing it would be significantly more than there are today. Modern coal fired electricity plants are much cleaner than old ones. Unless people are willing to pay more for their electricity, it is not going to happen.
Has anyone thought that maybe Dykstra isn’t polling well because he is a neo-con? I’m not saying that in a satirical sense either. because,
1) He will not get the votes of Dems
2) He will not get the votes of indies
3) He will not get the votes of moderate Republicans
Maybe this is more of a Dykstra problem then a Johnson problem. Personally I would have liked to see Johnson retire, but if you think I’m going to vote for an extremist like Dykstra, you are nuts!
and as for polling, I guess Obama and McSame are neck and neck in SD, a Dem just might win the presidential election in SD for once.
The chances of Obama winning in South Dakota are far smaller than the chances of Dykstra winning.
In political time, November is still a light year away, and as the time between now and then passes, South Dakotan’s are going to see that Obama has nothing to offer other than rhetoric, and that Johnson isn’t capable of continuing.
Dykstra will get more votes in SD than Obama does… that’s a lock!
Obama could win if he’d just stop talking or start thinking. But He’s got too many friends to make over-seas.
Johnson is effective the less he talks, too. But, we’ll see how Tim’s covered come September, when the real politics starts.
I think we need to focus on the job requirement of a Senator. Talking is important but not as important as being able to write. It’s my opinion that we have a written law not verbal agreements and as long as Johnson’s mind is sharp and he can write and study what is written I think he is more than capable of being my Senator!
detroit, with all due respect, i’m not sure you’re using the term “neo-con” correctly. maybe you are. maybe i’m just curious how you define “neo-con.”
Dykstra: Get off your ass and start debating or make this an issue. If you don’t, you’re fault.
#35 and Johnson hasn’t been part of the problem?
“That Word you keep using, I don’t think it means, what you think it means” – Inigo Montoya, ‘Princess Bride’
Neo-Cons are right leaning Liberals. Moderates at best.
What about Chris Lien is Liberal or Moderate?
Yesterday Kevin Woster, today Doug Lund. And it is still July…