"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 …

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.

Rumsfeld Reaction: 4 Policy Battles That Could Shape Our Military  —  When President Bush appointed former CIA Director Robert Gates (right) to the Defense Secretary post today, several of Donald Rumsfeld's pet projects began to enter the political crossfire.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Democrat Vilsack launches run for White House  —  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa took the initial step in his long-shot bid for the White House Thursday, establishing a presidential campaign committee and seeking an early jump on 2008.  —  "Americans sent a clear message on Tuesday.

Justices Hear Arguments on Late-Term Abortion  —  There were moments on Wednesday, during Supreme Court arguments on a federal law that bans a disputed method of abortion, that the proceedings seemed more like a medical school seminar than an appellate argument.

Democrats Turned War Into an Ally  —  The presidential advisers Karl Rove, left foreground, and Dan Bartlett, right, as President Bush spoke Wednesday at a news conference.  Republican strategists displayed tentativeness on the Iraq war.  —  On a warm night in mid-September …