Top Items:
Adam Zagorin / Time:
Exclusive: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse — A lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the outgoing Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo — Just days after his resignation …
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Claudia Parsons / Reuters:
Al Qaeda gloats over Rumsfeld
Al Qaeda gloats over Rumsfeld
Discussion:
Reuters, Wizbang, Scared Monkeys, The Political Pit Bull, Channel NewsAsia, MaxedOutMama and Ankle Biting Pundits
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Extremely odd behavior from the Washington Post re: the President's Rumsfeld lie — (updated below) — It is now conclusively clear that President Bush lied last week, several days before the election, when he vowed definitively to reporters that Donald Rumsfeld would remain as Defense Secretary for the next two years.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, BlondeSense, Sigmund, Carl and Alfred, Bring it On! and Shakespeare's Sister
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David E. Sanger / New York Times:
After Rumsfeld: Bid to Reshape the Brain Trust — Robert M. Gates, President Bush's choice to become defense secretary, has sharply criticized the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and has made it clear that he would seek advice from moderate Republicans who have been largely frozen …
Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
Removal of Rumsfeld Dates Back to Summer — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld walking back to his motorcade Thursday after touring the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kan. — President Bush was moving by late summer toward removing Donald H. Rumsfeld as defense secretary, people inside and outside the White House said Thursday.
Martin Fletcher / Times of London:
Troops fear Rumsfeld's exit will end their Iraq mission — Half of America and the upper echelons of the US military may be cheering Donald Rumsfeld's resignation from the post of Defence Secretary, but there was no rejoicing yesterday among those most directly affected by his decisions: the frontline soldiers in Iraq.
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C. J. Chivers / New York Times:
Marines Get the News From an Iraqi Host: Rumsfeld's Out. 'Who's Rumsfeld?'
Marines Get the News From an Iraqi Host: Rumsfeld's Out. 'Who's Rumsfeld?'
Discussion:
Gun Toting Liberal
Ryan Lizza / The New Republic:
A PUTSCH AT THE DNC?: — Some big name Democrats want to oust DNC Chairman Howard Dean, arguing that his stubborn commitment to the 50-state strategy and his stinginess with funds for House races cost the Democrats several pickup opportunities. — The candidate being floated to replace Dean?
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Joe Conason / Salon:
Howard Dean, vindicated — The DNC chairman's "crazy" strategy of rebuilding the Democratic Party across all states helped it ride the national wave against the GOP. — Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean laughs during a news conference Wednesday in Washington.
Jon Hemming / Reuters:
Khamenei calls elections a victory for Iran — TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called U.S. President George W. Bush's defeat in congressional elections a victory for Iran. — Bush has accused Iran of trying to make a nuclear bomb …
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere, Stop The ACLU, Sister Toldjah, Flopping Aces, Gay Patriot and Blue Crab Boulevard
Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
I NOTED EARLIER that Ann Althouse is depressed about the elections, and looking around it seems that a lot of people feel that way. Well, I understand that, God knows. But one iron rule of elections is that you win some and you lose some. And people tend to exaggerate their importance and …
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Jeanne Cummings / Wall Street Journal:
Redistricting: Home to Roost — How Republicans' — Gerrymandering Efforts — May Have Backfired — WASHINGTON — Gerrymandering was supposed to cement Republican control of the House of Representatives, offering incumbents a wall of re-election protection even as public opinion turned sharply against them.
Media Matters for America:
Ignoring widespread agreement on core issues, media suggested wins by "conservative Democrats" will cause intraparty strife … In the wake of the November 7 midterm elections, numerous media figures have attributed the Democratic gains in the House and Senate to the number of wins by conservative or moderate Democratic challengers.
Bret Hayworth / siouxcityjournal.com:
Local GOP chairman blasts own party — As Dems celebrate, Salem cites Republican schism — A day after the Democratic sweep of the midterm elections, Woodbury County Republican Chairman Steve Salem had harsh words for his own party, lambasting the influence of the conservative Christian right wing.
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
2006 Elections Hit Lockstep Conservative Talk Show Hosts' Credibility (UPDATED) — You can add another casualty to the 2006 elections: the credibility of lockstep conservative talk show radio hosts. — There's a difference between a conservative talk show host and a lockstep talk show host.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Great Revulsion — I'm not feeling giddy as much as greatly relieved. O.K., maybe a little giddy. Give 'em hell, Harry and Nancy! — Here's what I wrote more than three years ago, in the introduction to my column collection "The Great Unraveling": "I have a vision — maybe just a hope …
Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Bolton's Chances of Confirmation Are 'Nil,' Official Says — President Bush has pledged to be a bipartisan, consensus builder now that Democrats are to control Congress, and since Wednesday he has made conciliatory gestures. The question now is whether Mr. Bush is ready to junk …
W. Thomas Smith, Jr / Townhall.com:
The magic of "a few good men" — In his latest book, America's Victories - Why the U.S. wins wars and will win the war on terror, national defense and economics historian Dr. Larry Schweikart describes the performance of U.S. troops during the 2003 invasion of Iraq: "The Marines …
Roll Call:
Hoyer, Murtha Battle — As Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged Wednesday to rule the House fairly in the 110th Congress as the first-ever female Speaker, a handful of senior Democrats moved aggressively to secure other leadership posts in their nascent majority.
Washington Wire:
Republicans Lead in Most House Races That Remain Undecided — Narrow margins for some candidates, such as Buchanan in Florida and incumbent Rep. Hayes in North Carolina, make recounts likely. But "it's very unusual for recounts to alter races," says Carl Forti of House Republican campaign committee …
Atrios / Eschaton:
Credit — In the "credit" debate there are two types of people, those who are trying to glorify themselves, enhance their reputation, and obtain more power, and those who just, you know, want to make sure we do the right thing. — All I know is months ago it was conventional wisdom in DC …
Jack E. Jett / RADAR:
CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY HUSTLER — Ted Haggard's bitter boy toy tells all — HEAVEN CAN WAIT Reverend Ted Haggard begs forgiveness — On November 3, all-American family man Ted Haggard resigned as head of the 30-million strong National Association of Evangelicals after a male prostitute …
Rusty Shackleford / Townhall.com:
Jon Stewart: Democratic majority kingmaker — Forget left of center bloggers, Jon Stewart is this year's kingmaker. Without him and The Daily Show, the Democrats would not have made such large inroads in the midterm elections. Let me explain why. — In 1994 Republicans swept to victory …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
Oskar Garcia / Associated Press:
McGovern to Meet With Congress on War — George McGovern, the former senator and Democratic presidential candidate, said Thursday that he will meet with more than 60 members of Congress next week to recommend a strategy to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by June.
Ralph Peters / New York Post:
NEW IRAQ RISKS: WHAT THE ELECTIONS MEANS — THE Democratic dog just caught the Iraqi firetruck it's been chas ing for almost four years. Now what? — Wetting the back tires won't be enough. The victorious party's hard-left wing is anxious for an American humiliation.