The Democratic Majority...

...just got slipped a bit. From BBC News:

Senate control hinges on 'stroke'
A US senator has suffered a suspected stroke, raising the possibility that President George W Bush's party will regain control of the Senate.

Democratic Senator Tim Johnson's office said he was undergoing tests at George Washington University Hospital.

The Democrats captured control of the upper house of Congress by a single seat in elections last month.

If Senator Johnson, 59, stands down, the Republican governor of his state, South Dakota, will name his successor.

That person - likely to be a Republican - would serve until the next general election in 2008.

President Bush wished Mr Johnson a speedy recovery through a spokeswoman who said the president's thoughts were with Mr Johnson's family.

My heart goes out to Mr. Johnson and his family -- a stroke is a major health crisis even when it is not fatal. The recovery is never complete and your brain is locked into an unresponsive body for several frustrating years. But still, this is delicious Schadenfreude for the Democrats who crowed about how they swept the Senate a few months ago. Just goes to show how paper-thin their margin was.