memeorandum: Sen. Johnson undergoes surgery: source (Thomas Ferraro/Reuters)

8:20 AM ET, December 14, 2006

Top Items:

S. Dakota's Sen. Johnson has possible stroke — Takes ill in Capitol Hill office, hospitalized for evaluation — NEW YORK - Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S. D., has been hospitalized with symptoms described as stroke-like. The seriousness of his illness has not been disclosed.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Blogs of War, Dick Polman's American Debate, WuzzaDem, Truthdig, Talking Points Memo, The Democratic Daily, Decision '08, Booman Tribune, Hang Right Politics and Blue Crab Boulevard

Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:

South Dakota senator hospitalized — WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record) of South Dakota was hospitalized after becoming disoriented Wednesday, weeks before his party is to take control of the Senate by a one-vote margin. — Johnson, who turns 60 on Dec. 28 …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Blue Crab Boulevard, MyDD and Donklephant

Thomas Ferraro / Reuters:

Sen. Johnson undergoes surgery: source — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota underwent surgery on Wednesday, a source said, after suffering what a doctor called "symptoms of a stroke." The actions prompted concerns about his fellow Democrats' razor-thin majority in the incoming Senate.

Discussion: GOP Bloggers and GINA COBB

Washington Post:

Sen. Johnson in Critical Condition After Surgery — Control of Chamber Could Be in Question if He Cannot Serve — Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) underwent emergency brain surgery overnight after falling ill at the Capitol and was in critical condition early this morning, introducing a note …

CNN:

Senator undergoes brain surgery, sources say … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota underwent brain surgery early Thursday at George Washington University Hospital after suffering stroke-like symptoms, two Democratic sources familiar with his condition told CNN.

Discussion: Blogs of War

The Raw Story:
Senator Tim Johnson reportedly suffers stroke; Senate power seen in the balance

Discussion: timesleader.com, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, TAPPED, Hot Air, Wizbang, Wonkette and The Moderate Voice

CNN:
Staff: Senator hospitalized with stroke-like symptoms

Discussion: On Deadline, The Agonist and Blue Mass. Group

Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Stricken Senate Democrat Undergoes Surgery

Discussion: The Mahablog

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Sen. Tim Johnson Suffers Possible Stroke

Discussion: Argus Leader and Talking Points Memo

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

U.S. confidence at new low on Iraq war — NBC/WSJ poll: 53 percent say no obligation to killed troops to stay in Iraq — WASHINGTON - As the White House searches for a way to move forward in Iraq after the midterm elections and the Iraq Study Group's recent recommendations …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Democratic Daily

Robert D. Novak / Washington Post:

McCain Inc.? — Some 30 invited corporate representatives and other lobbyists gathered at the Phoenix Park Hotel on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to hear two senior mainstream Republican senators pitch the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain. They were selling him to establishment Republicans …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and New York Sun

Washington Post:
Clinton and Giuliani Have Early Edge in '08 Race, Poll Shows

Discussion: The Corner, Oliver Willis, TIME and Decision '08

Adam Nagourney / The Caucus:
Giuliani Picks Key G.O.P Figure for 2008

Discussion: Hotline On Call

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:

Judge Rejects Detention Challenge of Bin Laden's Driver — A federal judge dismissed yesterday a challenge from Osama bin Laden's driver over his more than four years of detention at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, saying a new anti-terrorism law approved by Congress this fall removes the lower court's jurisdiction in the matter.

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:

Judge Upholds Detainee Law — In an important victory for the Bush administration, a Clinton appointee to the federal bench upheld the new detainee law that bars Guantanamo prisoners from using American civil courts to challenge their detention. The same judge, James Robertson …

Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
Judge upholds detainee rights terror law

Discussion: Big Lizards, BLACKFIVE, Obsidian Wings and Tom DeLay Blog

Washington Post:

Joint Chiefs Advise Change In War Strategy — Leaders Seek No Major Troop Increase, Urge Shift in Focus to Support of Iraqi Army — The nation's top uniformed leaders are recommending that the United States change its main military mission in Iraq from combating insurgents to supporting Iraqi troops …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:
Bush decides direction of Iraq policy

Discussion: Sirotablog

Will Dunham / Reuters:

Male circumcision greatly reduces HIV risk: studies — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Circumcising men cuts their risk of being infected with the AIDS virus in half, and could prevent hundreds of thousands or even millions of new infections, researchers said on Wednesday.

Discussion: GINA COBB

Donald G. McNeil Jr / New York Times: Circumcision Reduces Risk of AIDS, Study Finds

Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:

Former CNN News Chief To Launch 'IraqSlogger' Site — NEW YORK For the past four years there has been no shortage of news and views on Iraq and the long-running war there. What's been missing: a one-stop-shopping clearinghouse for nonpartisan information, including material coming …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Jawa Report, Wizbang, jules crittenden, Don Surber and USS Neverdock

Katherine Kersten / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

The real purpose behind the imam publicity blitz — On Dec. 1, a curious report on the grounded-imams incident at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport appeared on the website of the Iranian Quran News Agency. The report quoted extensively from Madhi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Daily Pundit and Power Line

Associated Press:

Ignoring Bush policy, senator meets Syrian president — WASHINGTON (AP) — In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus, asking him to do more to stabilize Iraq.

Haaretz:
Shrugging off Bush policy, U.S. senator meets Syrian president

Discussion: Macsmind, Doug Ross and Hot Air

Virginia Heffernan / New York Times:

An Online Newscaster's Appealing Bafflement — Amanda Congdon, the comely online newsreader, has a new job. After her whirlwind departure from the webcast news show Rocketboom, in July, Ms. Congdon — a droll, blond Rosalind Russell for the digital generation — has at last landed at ABCNews.com.

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister and BuzzMachine

Robert Berkvist / New York Times:

Peter Boyle, Father on 'Raymond,' Dies at 71 — Peter Boyle, who left the life of a monk to study acting and went on to become one of the most successful character actors of his time in films like "The Candidate," "Young Frankenstein" and "Monster's Ball," then capped his career with a long stint …

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

Democrats Plan to Take Control of Iraq Spending — Frustrated by the Bush administration's piecemeal financing of the Iraq war, Democrats are planning to assert more control over the billions of dollars a month being spent on the conflict when they take charge of Congress in January.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice