AP: Dems Take Senate 51-49

Democrats win control of Senate, AP reports

Wednesday night, with Webb leading Republican Sen. George Allen by about 7,200 votes and the canvass about half complete, The Associated Press declared Webb the winner. Richmond Times-Dispatch notes that Sen. George Allen's campaign, facing probable defeat, hinted that he could concede as early as Thursday.

National: (which is also International today):
Progressive candidates won decisively across the country yesterday, and with their victories came some historic firsts for the U.S. government. Among the highlights, Nancy Pelosi will be the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives and the third highest official after president and vice-president. Pelosi will also be the first Italian-American elected as House Speaker. For the first time, three African-Americans — Charlie Rangel (D-NY), John Conyers (D-MI), and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) — will serve simultaneously as House committee chairmen. Keith Ellison (D-MN), elected to the House yesterday, will become the first Muslim to serve in Congress. With Claire McCaskill’s (D) Senate victory in Missouri, a record number of women (15) will now serve in the U.S. Senate. Governor-elect Deval Patrick (D-MA) became the first black governor elected in Massachussetts and the second African-American to ever be elected governor in the nation.

The remaining question is Virginia; Allen mulls recount; Webb readies team
Sen. George Allen's campaign said Wednesday it will wait for a full review of the Virginia vote as Democrat Jim Webb moved to assemble a transition team with about an 8,000-vote lead over Allen. "The conclusion of the canvass will be the final official results," said Ed Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman and now an adviser to Allen. He said the state had until Nov. 14 to complete the canvas. Representives from both campaigns and party officials were at many polling places Wednesday as the canvas was under way. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Webb had 1,171,801 votes, or 49.5 percent, to Allen's 1,164,751, or 49.3 percent.

Webb's campaign said he was putting together a transition team. Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd said the campaign respects that the canvassing process is continuing, but said that as a practical matter, "the vote's been counted and Jim won." "This isn't hanging chads or anything like that. I don't think the voters will like it if the Allen camp tries to make this into a hanging chad situation because it's not the same thing," she said. More here

Rush on Defeat

Rush Limbaugh says he feels “liberated today because I no longer have to carry the water for" the Republican Party. Basically admits he has been deceiving his audience! (says Michael Savage)

Rumsfeld Steps Down, Bush Picks Gates to Head Defense
Donald H. Rumsfeld is stepping down as defense secretary and former CIA Director Robert Gates will be nominated to take his place. Once again the younger Bush reaches into his father's circle.

President Bush made a formal announcement Wednesday after holding a press conference to offer his take on the midterm election.

"Bob is one of our nation's most accomplished public servants," Bush said in the Oval Office, where he was flanked by both men. "Bob understands the challenges facing our nation in Iraq. ... He has traveled to Iraq and met with the country's leaders and our military commanders on the ground. He'll provide the department with a fresh perspective and new ideas on how America can achieve our goals in Iraq." "He has my confidence and my trust, and he will be an outstanding secretary of defense," Bush said. Full story here

What Goes Around Comes Around

The campaigns of Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R-MD) and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Steele (R-MD) chartered at least six buses to carry mostly poor, black homeless men from as far as Philadelphia to hand out inaccurate voter guides in Baltimore and Prince George’s County yesterday as part of an effort to woo black voters. Ehrlich defended the practice, saying: “If folks are here from out of town, that’s fine with me.” Needless to say -both candidates lost -hence the title of this section.

In Other News...
60 percent of voters said the war in Iraq has “hurt the long-term security of the United States.”

In a number of states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah, voters reported that electronic voting machines were not working properly. Among the errors were voting machines not turning on, failing to scan the ballots, and software that failed to function properly.

At least 60 Iraqis were killed or found dead on Wednesday.

Sudan has tightened restrictions on aid workers and journalists traveling to Darfur, and analysts say the aim is to conceal renewed hostilities between rebels and the army.

The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that “profanities can be used in news interviews but not on awards shows or in fictional shows.” Chairman Kevin Martin: “Hollywood continues to argue they should be able to say the F-word on television whenever they want. The commission again disagrees.”

From The Right:
Michael Medved: Uncomfortable lessons from a disastrous night
In the Republican Party, even those of us who are optimistic by nature and make it a point to try to see a half-empty glass as actually half-full, will find it difficult to put a smiling face on today?s election results.

From The Left:
Michael Moore: LANDSLIDE! ...a big thanks from Michael Moore
The impossible has happened: A majority of Americans have soundly and forcefully removed Bush's party from control of the House of Representatives. And, sometime today perhaps, we may learn that the same miracle has happened in the Senate. Whatever the outcome, the American people have made two things crystal clear: End this war, and stop Mr. Bush from doing any more damage to this country we love.

Thought To Ponder:
What do Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney Have in Common? Click here to find out

Quotes Of The Day:

"I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election and, as the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility" President Bush

(Sources: WashingtonPost, FOXNews, ABCNews, NewsLab, Philly Daily News, Michael Savage, Chicago Tribune, CNN, Rush Limbaugh, MSNBC, Boston Herald, Reuters, UPI, Washington Times, MichaelMoore, ThinkProgress, TownHall)