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Even though all three networks led with the breast cancer statistics, the health of Sen Timothy Johnson was the Story of the Day, the one that attracted the greatest volume of coverage.
Yesterday's speculation about an imminent transfer of control of the Senate to the Republicans relaxed: "The political talk really did die down," ABC's George Stephanopoulos (no link) observed.
First, there is historical precedent for incapacitated senators keeping their seat. Sen Joe Biden, for example, did not serve yet kept his seat for seven months after a brain aneurysm, CBS' Gloria Borger recalled. Second, the emergency brain surgery Johnson underwent was "successful," CBS' Sharyl Attkisson told us. He is listed as "appropriately responsive to word and touch." Third, it is just tasteless to concentrate on grabbing political power under these circumstances. As NBC's Chip Reid put it: "Johnson is very well liked on Capitol Hill and today there was an outpouring of concern and hope for the quiet man from South Dakota."
CBS brought in-house doctor Jon LaPook back for double duty to explain the senator's brain condition. LaPook's description of arterial-venous malformation was not very interesting but his visual aids were totally state of the art.
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