memeorandum: Rick Santorum (Dan Savage/thestranger.com)

4:15 AM ET, November 9, 2006

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Webb Claims Victory in VA Senate Race — Virginia Democratic Senate candidate James Webb claimed the title of "Senator-elect" today even as Republican incumbent Sen. George Allen declined to concede a race he was losing by 7,146 votes. — Webb advisers said he will announce members of his transition team later this afternoon.

Discussion: Election Law, Big Brass Blog, Whiskey Bar, ZenPundit, The Democratic Daily and Volunteer Voters

Jim Young / MSNBC:

Bush announces Rumsfeld stepping down — President taps ex-CIA chief Gates to replace embattled defense secretary — After six years on the job, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will resign, President said Wednesday. — NBC VIDEO … WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld …

Discussion: Washington Wire, Hot Air, Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy, Tom Watson and Macsmind

Associated Press:

GOP officials: Rumsfeld stepping down — WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said Wednesday. — Officials said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA, would replace Rumsfeld.

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner, Gateway Pundit, MaxSpeak, Tammy Bruce, The American Street, The Original Blog, Stop The ACLU, Thought Theater, Gawker, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, INTEL DUMP, Liberty Street, Donklephant and Pharyngula

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CNN:

Rumsfeld quitting as defense secretary — WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush announced Wednesday that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post. — "The timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon," Bush said at the White House Wednesday afternoon.

Discussion: Reuters, NewDonkey.com, The Moderate Voice, War and Piece, Blogcritics Section, Whiskey Bar, democracyarsenal.org, Swords Crossed, David E's Fablog and PoliBlog (TM)

Fox News:

DONALD RUMSFELD RESIGNING AS DEFENSE SECRETARY — WASHINGTON — Donald H. Rumsfeld is stepping down as defense secretary and former CIA Director Robert Gates will be nominated to take his place. — Rumsfeld, President Bush's sole defense secretary in six years of leadership …

Discussion: Hot Air, Townhall.com Blog's …, The Political Pit Bull, Don Surber, The Jawa Report and Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
I Question The Timing, And The Sanity

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Blue Crab Boulevard

David Stout / New York Times:
Rumsfeld Resigns as Defense Secretary After Big Election Gains for Democrats

Discussion: Political Animal, Blogcritics Section, CorrenteWire, The Reaction and Althouse

White House:

Press Conference by the President — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I say, why all the glum faces? — Yesterday, the people went to the polls and they cast their vote for a new direction in the House of Representatives. And while the ballots are still being counted in the Senate …

Discussion: The Mahablog, The Reaction, Dick Polman's American Debate, The Swamp, Crooks and Liars and Shakespeare's Sister

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Think Progress:

VIDEO: Bush Admits He Lied About Rumsfeld For Political Purposes » — Last week, President Bush unequivocally told a group of reporters that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney would "remain with him until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Crooks and Liars, The Political Pit Bull, King of Zembla, AMERICAblog, Seeing the Forest and DownWithTyranny!

William Branigin / Washington Post:

Rumsfeld to Step Down as Defense Secretary — Bush Taps Former CIA Director Robert Gates as Successor — President Bush today announced he is replacing Donald H. Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, saying a "fresh perspective" is needed at the Pentagon to deal with the war in Iraq.

Discussion: Mike Allen, Comments From Left Field, Opinions You Should Have, Unclaimed Territory, OxBlog, Harry's Place, The Sundries Shack and Sound Politics

rushlimbaugh.com:

I Feel Liberated — RUSH: Just to reiterate, ladies and gentlemen: "It's going to get worse before it gets better." I'm not trying to be negative. I'm trying to prepare you here for what is coming. It is obvious from the president's press conference that his view is …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Huffington Post, ParaPundit and The Road to Surfdom

David Espo / Associated Press:

AP: Hastert Won't Seek House Leader Post — Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told fellow Republican lawmakers on Wednesday he does not intend to run for minority leader when Democrats take control of the House in January, officials said. — Hastert conveyed word in a conference call …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Flopping Aces and The Jawa Report

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Mike Allen / Time:
Hastert Will Step Down — Exclusive: The Speaker bows …

Discussion: Wonkette

Jacob Weisberg / Slate:

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.

Discussion: The Peking Duck, Daniel W. Drezner, Cafe Hayek and The Belmont Club

James Taranto / Opinion Journal:

Best of the Web — Always Look on the Bright Side of Life — This column is scrupulously nonpartisan, but we will bend the rules for a moment and acknowledge that last night's outcome was not what we were hoping for. As of now, the Democrats have picked up 28 House seats, giving them at least 228 (a majority is 218).

Discussion: Inactivist, Gay Patriot and Daimnation!