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 …

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?

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 …

EXCLUSIVE: McCain Begins Preliminary White House Run  —  Exploratory Committee to Be Set Up This Month, No Final Decision Has Been Made  —  His party may have taken "a thumpin'," in the words of President Bush, but ABC News has learned that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his political team …

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 …

Marine to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq heroism  —  (CNN) — President Bush announced on Friday that the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, will be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham.  —  In April 2004, Dunham was leading a patrol in an Iraqi town near …

With Power Set to Be Split, Wiretaps Re-emerge as Issue  —  The Bush administration escalated its defense of the National Security Agency's domestic wiretapping program on Thursday, even as Democrats in Congress vowed to investigate the program aggressively once they assume power.

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 …

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 …

Gain for Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts  —  Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal, dealt what appeared to be a fatal blow Thursday to a proposed constitutional amendment to ban it.  —  In a flurry of strategic maneuvering, supporters …

After 2 Decades in Ascent, A Stunning Breakdown  —  The George Allen who conceded defeat yesterday in Virginia's nasty U.S. Senate campaign was the one who revitalized Virginia's Republican Party and the one who was considered a front-runner for the White House, with his folksy, football-and-cowboy charm.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

MuckWatch: We Pick Our Favorite Dems  —  The Democrats swept into the majority in Congress vowing to fight the culture of corruption.  Bad news for the muckraking biz, right?  Thankfully, less-than-squeaky pasts don't appear to be a factor in the Dems' reasoning as they divvy up leadership posts and committee chairs.