National Journal reports on Republican complaints over the fact that Democrats in South Dakota have gotten out of the way so that Brendan Johnson, son of Sen. Tim Johnson (D, S.D.), “is the only person to throw his hat into the ring to be named the state’s U.S. attorney.”
The possibility of Johnson being handed a job with such high visibility has Republicans crying foul. “After lobbing partisan attacks against the Bush administration for supposedly politicizing the U.S. Attorney selection process, now Sen. Johnson and his son would like South Dakotans to believe that there aren’t any nepotism issues at play here,” said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “The fact that Senator Johnson’s son is the only candidate to step forward so far is hardly a coincidence.”