WASHINGTON -
On Dec. 13, the day South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson suffered a
brain hemmorrhage in the Senate, one enterprising Democrat made an
Internet bet on his future.
Doug
Landry, then a Senate staffer for Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu,
registered the Web site hersethforsenate.com that day - apparently
speculating that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin,
South Dakota's Democratic congresswoman, might soon jump in to
replace Johnson.
Landry now works for New York Sen. Charles
Schumer, who heads the Democratic party's Senate campaign efforts.
But Democrats - who were threatened with losing their majority that
night as Johnson was rushed into emergency surgery - say the party
didn't know what Landry was up to.
Matt
Miller, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee, said that no one else in Schumer's office or on the
committee knew about the Web site until they were contacted by The
Associated Press.
Adam
Sharp, a spokesman for Landrieu, said that no one in that office
knew about it either. Landry was working on his own time and his
own computer, he said.
Landry now says he is now sorry for the
move.
"I
had only the best intentions in reserving the address, but in
retrospect, I shouldn't have done it and I am sorry that I did,"
Landry said in a statement released by Schumer's
office.
Johnson was rushed to the hospital after becoming
disoriented that day during a phone call with reporters and
underwent emergency surgery hours later. He was diagnosed with
arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and
veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes
burst.
All
eyes were on the senator's health that week as Democrats prepared
to assume a one-vote majority in the Senate chamber.
South Dakota's Republican governor, Mike Rounds, would appoint
a replacement if Johnson's seat were vacated by his death or
resignation.
Herseth Sandlin, who was elected to the House in
2004, is generally thought to be next in line on the Democratic
ticket. Her deputy chief of staff said this week that her office
had no knowledge of Landry's move or involvement in securing the
Web site - which is now useless, as Herseth married in March and
changed her last name to Herseth Sandlin.
"Sen.
Johnson is making great progress and we look forward not only to
his return to the Senate but to supporting his re-election campaign
in 2008," said Russ Levsen.
Julianne Fisher, a spokeswoman for Johnson, said
Landry's move "highlights the frenzy of that day."
"It
does give you a good example of the pressure that was placed on
this one man and his family," she said. "It's kind of funny, if
nothing else, that the Web site is now useless."
Not
to be outdone, the Web sites roundsforsenate.com and
roundsforsenate.org were registered by Joe Prostrollo of
Sioux Falls on Feb. 14.
Rounds has said he is not looking to run for the
Senate in 2008.
Associated Press Writer Dirk Lammers contributed
to this report from Sioux
Falls, S.D.
