Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., returned to the Senate floor Wednesday, nine months after he was felled by a brain aneurysm.

"It sure does feel good to be back here again," Johnson said, standing at a desk in the front of the chamber, after a minute-long ovation from senators on both sides of the aisle.

Johnson's speech, the slow and altered, was mostly clear and deliberate.

"Before I get too far along in my remarks, it must be already clear to you that my speech is not 100 percent," Johnson said. "My doctors tell me it will get there. But my thoughts are clear, my mind is sharp, and I'm here to be a voice for South Dakota in the Senate."

Johnson's three-minute address was preceded by a welcome from Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who lost a bitterly fought Senate race to Johnson in 2002.

"His doctors have been amazed at his progress," Thune said. "To some of us, it is no surprise. Having faced him in a closely fought campaign, I know how tough this man is." Thune added, "After all, Sen. Johnson has a strong Scandinavian background, something that we both share."

Thune also mentioned shared battles - including the fight to save Ellsworth Air Force Base from closure - and he said he and Johnson had learned to work together.

"Tim, I know this day means a great deal to and to your family," Thune said, looking Johnson in the eye. "It's good to see you back in the United States Senate."

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, in turn, singled out Thune for the way he handled Johnson's absence.

In fact, Reid thanked the entire minority in the Senate. "What the Republicans have done during the illness of Sen. Johnson has been exemplary," Reid said. "There have been occasions when the minority could have taken advantage of the majority as a result of Tim being incapacitated. That was never done on one occasion, even though there were opportunities to do that."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky - like Thune and Reid - also singled out Johnson's wife, Barbara, who was in the Senate chamber. Reid noted that Tim and Barbara Johnson had each helped the other through serious illness. "They always overcame the obstacles, working as a team, determined to push through," Reid said. "They're real fighters."

Johnson acknowledged the "fight" for rehabilitation would continue.

For now, Johnson is getting around the Capitol on a scooter, spokesperson Julianne Fischer said. Johnson sometimes slurs words, and he's still going to speech therapy three times a week.

"This has been a long and humbling journey - a journey that has taken longer than some people would have liked, and I count myself among them," he said.

Johnson said that now he better understood what others endure when they face catastrophes. "I believe I have been given a second chance at life," he said. "I vow to take that second chance and work harder than ever to be the best I can be for my state and for my nation." That includes, he said, being "a voice for individuals and families who are too often ignored or forgotten."

Johnson told ABC News last week he planned to run for re-election in 2008, but later he clarified that remark, saying he expected to run but adding that he would evaluate his recovery before making a final decision.

Wednesday Johnson told reporters he'd make a final decision this fall, the AP reported.

However, Johnson's re-election is critical to Democrats' hopes to retain control of the Senate. Within minutes of Johnson's return to the Senate floor, for example, fellow Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who's running for president, had e-mailed supporters on a Web page called "MyBarackObama.com" directing them to a "welcomebacktim" link to donate to Johnson's campaign.

The AP reported that Sen. Reid also made a contribution to the Johnson campaign.

Johnson, however, was focusing on his current term. Early Wednesday evening, he voted on an amendment to a spending bill for veterans and military construction before calling it a day.

Contact Bill Harlan at 394-8424 or at bill.harlan@rapidcityjournal.com