Is Talk of "Improvement" a Political Ploy?

Dems Say Senator Johnson Improving, But Is He Really?














Are Democratic Party leaders keeping the public in the dark about the condition of Sen. Tim Johnson, who remains in critical condition following a stroke two weeks ago? Keeping the ailing senator as an active member of Congress allows the Democratic Party to maintain its Senate majority status.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Johnson turned 60 on Thursday, two weeks after emergency surgery to repair a brain hemorrhage that has left him in critical condition.

Julianne Fisher, a spokeswoman for the South Dakota Democrat, said Johnson won't be present in the first days of the new Congress next week but is continuing to improve. She said he is responsive to directions from his wife but has not yet spoken.

It's too early to tell how long recovery will take, Fisher said.

In a statement Thursday, Johnson's doctors said he remains in intensive care at George Washington University Hospital. They have released few new details about Johnson's condition and prognosis since the days after the Dec. 13 surgery to stop bleeding in his brain.
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