Sen. Johnson recovering from surgery

The AP is reporting that Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) is in critical condition following emergency surgery. He suffered bleeding in the brain caused by a congenital condition.

Johnson's condition, also known as AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large and become tangled.

The condition is believed to affect about 300,000 Americans, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The institute's Web site said only about 12 percent of the people with the condition experience symptoms, ranging in severity. It kills about 3,000 people a year.

It sounds like he's doing well from the report. The story is making big news, because if Johnson needed to be replaced, Gov. Mike Rounds (R-SD) would likely name a Republican giving control back to the GOP in the Senate. As happened after the 2000 election, a 50-50 tie would give the deciding vote to Vice President Dick Cheney.