memeorandum @ 11:45 AM ET, November 24, 2007

Howard Admits Election Defeat — Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suffered a humiliating election defeat as the opposition Labor Party swept into power. — Mr Howard, who was seeking a fifth term after 11 years of conservative rule, said he had telephoned Labor leader Kevin Rudd to congratulate him on his victory.

Discussion: Salon, Time and Middle Earth Journal

Rohan Sullivan / Associated Press:

Labor Party wins big in Australia — SYDNEY, Australia - Conservative Prime Minister John Howard suffered a humiliating defeat Saturday at the hands of the left-leaning opposition, whose leader has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and withdraw Australia's combat troops from Iraq.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, DownWithTyranny!, All Spin Zone, Firedoglake and EU Referendum

Tim Johnston / New York Times:

Australia's Prime Minister Defeated After Four Terms — Prime Minister John Howard of Australia suffered a comprehensive defeat today, with a coalition led by his Liberal Party losing its majority in parliament. — After four terms in office, he will be replaced by Kevin Rudd, a Labor Party leader and former diplomat.

Discussion: Daimnation!, Group News Blog and Sweetness & Light

Michelle Malkin:

John Howard loses in Australia — Australian PM John Howard, staunch US ally and outspoken critic of jihad and the global spread, lost his re-election bid. He was Australia's second-longest serving prime minister behind Liberal Party founder Sir Robert Menzies. All Americans should mark the end of his tenure with gratitude.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Tim Blair, Sydney Morning Herald, BitsBlog, Macsmind and Riehl World View

The Australian:

Rudd says he'll govern for all — AUSTRALIA had looked to the future and had decided the nation must move forward, Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd said tonight. — Claiming the election win he said Australia had decided to prepare and plan to make the nation a better place …

Discussion: The Corner, The Moderate Voice, BBC, Xinhua News Agency, Telegraph and Guardian

Andrew Bolt:

Election '07 - The results come in. (7.45pm: Labor wins) — 5.55pm: Sky News tells us enough to know it's over. Its exit poll says Labor is getting 53 per cent of the vote. — 6.07pm: Laurie Oakes says Liberal campaigners concede Howard is in real trouble in Bennelong. — 6.15pm: Bob Hawke is on Sky News.

Discussion: Tim Blair, The Belmont Club and Silent Running

Barbie Dutter / Telegraph:

Labour sweeps to victory in Australian election — Australian prime minister John Howard's 11 year reign has ended with a landslide election victory for the opposition Labour Party. — Kevin Rudd, the former diplomat, was set to become Australia's 26th prime minister …

Jules Crittenden: Pre-9/11 Era — Another one of the original three who stood up …

Clancy Chassay / Guardian:

Lebanese army handed power — Lebanon was again plunged into uncertainty yesterday after parliament failed in a fifth attempt to elect a president, and the former Syrian backed-president Emile Lahoud, whose term ended at midnight, passed control of the security services over to the army, declaring a state of emergency.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Washington Post, Outside The Beltway and abu muqawama

Gateway Pundit:
Fireworks in Lebanon... Pro-Syrian President Steps Down

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House, The Belmont Club, Publius Pundit and Washington Post

From Beirut to the Beltway:
Lahoud hands over security to army (corrected)

Discussion: Blogs of War

Terry Eastland / Weekly Standard:

The Huckabee Surge — He's running strong in Iowa, but has he peaked? — For Bob Vander Plaats, January 3—the day of the Iowa caucus—can't get here quickly enough. Vander Plaats, chairman of the Mike Huckabee campaign in Iowa, can read the polls, and in the latest surveys …

Discussion: TownHall Blog and Los Angeles Times

Terry Tang / Associated Press:

Illegal immigrant rescues boy in desert — PHOENIX - A 9-year-old boy looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day, an official said.

Discussion: TalkLeft and The Unapologetic Mexican

Alec MacGillis / Washington Post:

Giuliani's Critics Point to Cronyism — Appointments While Mayor Are Said to Tarnish His Leadership Credentials — "Surround Yourself With Great People" was the title of a chapter in "Leadership," Rudolph W. Giuliani's best-selling celebration of his management style …

Discussion: TalkLeft

Andy Soltis / New York Post:

'BLAME U.S. FOR 9/11' IDIOTS IN MAJORITY — 'PLOTS' THICKEN IN SHOCKING POLL — Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the federal government had warnings about 9/11 but decided to ignore them, a national survey found. — And that's not the only conspiracy theory with a huge number of true believers in the United States.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com and JammieWearingFool

Scott Galupo / Washington Times:

Libertarians: the new 'It' faction — It's altogether fitting that the new host of "The Price Is Right" — a game show on which contestants try to guess the going rate of various consumer products — is a free-market enthusiast. — More intriguing is said host's part-time job: libertarian proselytizer.

Discussion: Marginal Revolution

The Logan Daily News:

Leland Conner — LOGAN - Leland Lavon Conner, 77, of Logan, passed away Friday, Nov. 16, 2007, as a result of an auto accident in Fairfield County. — He was born May 9, 1930, in Hocking County, son of the late Foster E. and Ida Cullison Conner. Leland was married to Doris Keller Conner, who survives.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Dan Keane / Associated Press:

Chavez: Only a 'Traitor' Will Vote No — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez warned his supporters on Friday that anyone voting against his proposed constitutional changes would be a "traitor," rallying his political base before a referendum that would let him seek unlimited re-election in 2012 and beyond.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool, Dean's World and Six Meat Buffet