Senate Turmoil: Things Could Be Hilariously Worse

No one has a clue who'll control the Senate when it reconvenes next month, because poor Tim Johnson remains in critical condition. Al Kamen reminds us that things could be worse -- or that they couldgetmuch, much worse:

But the unsettled situation pales when compared with the bizarre 83rd Congress in 1953 and 1954, during which nine of the then-96 senators died, including one who committed suicide, and one resigned.

Check out the full line-up changes .

Keep this in mind: their Senate President was Dick Nixon. Ours is Dick Cheney. So somewhere around 30 senators will be eaten by bears or die of auto-erotic asphyxiation by '08.

 In the 83rd Congress, a Senate in Constant Turmoil [WP]