Sen. Tim Johnson said Monday that he longs for the day he can once again engage in political debates.

But it won't be this year.

"I'm anxious to begin to see my ability to debate again," Johnson said during a meeting with the Rapid City Journal editorial board. "But I'm still not there."

During a 50-minute interview, Johnson discussed his positions on energy, the farm bill, the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake and the funding for large water projects, including Mni Wiconi. And in slow, often-slurred speech, he also defended his decision not to debate Republican state Rep. Joel Dykstra of Canton, who is challenging for Johnson's Senate seat.

After saying months ago that he would debate, Johnson announced recently he would not. He said his continued speech problems, almost certain to be highlighted in a debate setting, might give voters an inaccurate picture of his recovery.

Johnson told the editorial board "the question of debates is somewhat overrated."

"I have debated for 22 years," he said, referring to his congressional campaigns, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. "I have debated all my House opponents, during the years, five terms, and debated both of my Senate opponents, Larry Pressler and John Thune. And this is the only one that I have declined, for - I think - obvious reasons."

Johnson debated Pressler, the third-term Republican incumbent, in 1996 on the way to winning that seat. As the incumbent, he debated Thune in 2002 and went on to win his second Senate term by a razor-thin margin of 524 votes.

Dykstra has criticized Johnson's refusal of debate invitation, saying voters deserve an opportunity to see the incumbent defend his votes.

"I'm really disappointed that we aren't going to have a debate," Dykstra said. "It's really a matter of giving voters an opportunity to see the two candidates at one place talking about their positions."

Dykstra said Johnson and his campaign decided to accept criticism for not debating rather than face a challenger in public.

"Obviously, they've made a calculation that it was less risky to have no debates," he said.

Political debates become high-profile events during campaigns, but Johnson said they are unusual and not very pertinent to daily Senate business.

"There was rarely a debate on the floor," he said. "It amounts to three or four people standing on the floor at a given time."

Experience and standing in seniority and committee chairmanships are more valuable and important to South Dakotans, he said. Johnson gave as an example the recent effort to get another round of funding for the Mni Wiconi water project west of the Missouri River and the Lewis & Clark project in southeast South Dakota.

"All that involved is calling down to, or having Byron Dorgan come over to see me," Johnson said.

Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, is chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, a Senate body that is crucial to water project funding.

Johnson, who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said he is willing to stand on his record and trusts that voters know him well enough to cast their votes without seeing him debate.

"People know my positions. They know my philosophy," he said.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com