Rumsfeld Resigns; Bush Vows to 'Find Common Ground'  —  Faced with the collapse of his Republican majority in Congress, President Bush responded swiftly on Wednesday by announcing the departure of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and vowing to work with Democrats "to find common ground" on the war in Iraq and domestic issues.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

The Lou Dobbs Democrats  —  SAY HELLO TO THE NEW ECONOMIC NATIONALISTS.  —  The bums, or at least many of them, have been thrown out.  And so the political conversation turns naturally to the question of what the Democrats will do now that they again share power with a Republican president.

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.

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.

A Come-to-Daddy Moment  —  Poppy Bush and James Baker gave Sonny the presidency to play with and he broke it.  So now they're taking it back.  —  They are dragging W. away from those reckless older guys who have been such a bad influence and getting him some new minders who are a lot more practical.

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.

PENCE ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR REPUBLICAN LEADER  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) today formally announced his campaign for Republican Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In a letter to his colleagues, Pence explained his platform and sought their guidance, advice and counsel.

Post-election Washington  —  And so the inter-party struggle pauses, if briefly, and the intra-party struggles begin.  After such a profound shift of political power as resulted from this week's election, both the winning and losing parties will inevitably enter a prolonged period (months …

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.

Still A Democrat, Joe Says, To Preserve Seniority  —  Now that he's won re-election as a petitioning candidate, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is pledging to remain a Democrat, if for no other reason than to keep his 18 years' seniority in the Senate.  —  "I'll sign up with the caucus to protect my seniority," Lieberman said Wednesday.