A New Perspective on Iran?  —  Whatever else he may bring to his new job at the Pentagon, Robert Gates apparently holds a view on the highly sensitive subject of relations with Iran that hasn't been embraced by all his new colleagues in the Bush administration.

"He certainly was a reporter's reporter."  —  (CBS) Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan of complications from leukemia.  —  Bradley joined the staff of the venerable news magazine 26 years ago.  His consummate skills as a broadcast journalist …

Iowa's Vilsack to Run for President  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Tom Vilsack said he will officially launch his presidential campaign Thursday when he files documents with the Federal Election Commission.  —  The filing comes two days after his fellow Democrats scored overwhelming victories in state and national elections.

Dist. 13 voting analysis shows broad problem  —  SARASOTA COUNTY — A review of Sarasota County voting results shows that in almost every precinct a high percentage of voters didn't cast ballots in the hotly contested 13th Congressional District, a trend that likely affected the outcome of the race.

Allen to Concede Election This Afternoon  —  Virginia Sen. George Allen (R) will concede that he has lost the election to Democrat James Webb at a 3 p.m. news conference in Alexandria, according to a source close to the campaign with direct knowledge of the senator's intentions.

The Thumpees Try Their Luck at the Blame Game  —  President Bush had many explanations for what he called the "thumping" his party took on Tuesday, but the most creative was the notion that his chief strategist, Karl Rove, had spent too much time reading books.

RANGEL 'MEANS' TO IRK VP  —  NEW TOP-DOG NYER: I'LL GRAB THE S.O.B.'S OFFICE  —  Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, revealed yesterday that he's got his eye on Capitol Hill office space now held by the man he recently called a "son of a bitch" - Vice President Dick Cheney.

Poll: Afghans express confidence in country's direction, security  —  Most of the 6,200 surveyed say they are satisfied with democracy, but corruption is a major problem  —  Despite a raging pro-Taliban insurgency, the people of Afghanistan say they are optimistic about the future …

Sen. Burns concedes Montana race  —  HELENA, Mont. - U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) conceded defeat to Jon Tester on Thursday, acknowledging that a tight election had gone to the Democrats' favor, Burns' campaign told The Associated Press.

Old Names, Old Scandals  —  Robert Gates was a controversial figure in the Iran-contra affair.  Will his Reagan-era activities hamper his confirmation as Rumsfeld's successor?  —  By choosing Robert Gates as his new Defense secretary, President George W. Bush is once again turning …

Speaker Pelosi's Impending Intelligence Failure  —  Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is in line to make history as the first female Speaker—and second in line of succession for the presidency—when the new Congress convenes in January.  As with any election, a wide variety of issues factored into the dynamics of this year's midterms.

Republicans' Angry Factions Point Fingers At Each Other  —  After minutes upon minutes of soul-searching, Republicans are now in recrimination mode.  And the GOP's various factions all agree: This wouldn't have happened if the party had listened to us.  —  In the aftermath of the historic …

John Bolton Likely to Depart U.N.  —  New York — NewsMax has learned that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton will likely leave his post next month.  —  After a rocky series of Senate confirmation hearings, Bolton was sent to the U.N. by President Bush in August 2005 under a recess appointment.

CENSORED BY CNN: BILL MAHER SUGGESTS RNC CHAIR MEHLMAN IS GAY....  From CNN: … Partial transcript of Bill Maher's Live appearance on Larry King Live:  —  BM: A lot of the chiefs of staff, the people who really run the underpinnings of the Republican Party, are gay.

A Loss's Silver Lining  —  At least Republicans now know where the "Bridge to Nowhere" leads: to the political wilderness.  But there are three reasons for conservatives to temper their despondency.  —  First, they were punished not for pursuing but for forgetting conservatism.

Meeting at The Middle  —  It's over.  —  American voters, in their wisdom, ended an era on Tuesday.  They rejected a poorly conceived war policy in Iraq that has weakened the United States.  They rejected a harshly ideological approach to politics that cast opponents as enemies of the country's survival.

End of the Revolution  —  Advice to Republicans: Don't go back and check on a dead skunk.  —  If there was still any doubt, the Republican Revolution of 1994 officially ended Tuesday night with the loss of at least 28 seats and majority control of the House of Representatives.