Sources: McCain aide fired for ‘trashing’ staff  —  (CNN) — Randy Scheunemann, a senior foreign policy adviser to John McCain, was fired from the Arizona senator's campaign last week for what one aide called “trashing” the campaign staff, three senior McCain advisers tell CNN.

Losing California: Last night I stood in the heart of San Francisco's Castro district, the epicenter of the gay-rights movement.  Around me were thousands of people cheering and dancing for Barack Obama's victory and for the promise it brings gay America.  Meanwhile, on a large screen …

Oregonian projection: Merkley defeats Smith to take U.S. Senate seat  —  Democrat Jeff Merkley has leapt from Oregon's statehouse to the U.S. Senate, ousting two-term Republican Gordon Smith after an expensive, high-stakes contest that will help shift the balance of power in Washington.

Obama Announces Transition Team — and Web Site  —  CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama unveiled his transition operation today, as Democratic sources said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, was seriously considering an offer to serve as White House chief of staff.

The McCain Belt  —  Interesting map available on the NYT home page shows the places where McCain did better than Bush did in 2004:  —  You can see why John McCain's principled stand against higher taxes on the wealthy would have a special resonance in this region.

Obama unoffical winner in North Carolina  —  Democrat Barack Obama is the unofficial winner in North Carolina, but the victory over Sen. John McCain won't be sealed until provisional ballots are counted and certified next month.  —  Unofficial returns show Obama ahead by 13,746 votes.

Dems lower expectations  —  Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on the nation's tiller.  —  “The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday.

Guy Fawkes Day  —  Revellers celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.  In 1605 Fawkes unsuccessfully attempted to commit the infamous act of terror of blowing up King James I and the Houses of Parliament.  —  The English, among other talents, are adept at nurturing their grudges.

Nation Finally S**tty Enough To Make Social Progress  —  WASHINGTON—After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, s**tty enough to overcome.

End Civilian Deaths, Karzai Tells Obama  —  Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday called on President-elect Barack Obama to end U.S. airstrikes that risk civilian casualties after coalition forces allegedly killed dozens of people at a wedding party in southern Afghanistan this week.

106-year-old that Obama cited has led active life in Atlanta  —  ‘Now I see that things can change,’ Ann Nixon Cooper says  —  About 11 a.m. Wednesday, Ann Nixon Cooper emerged from her second-floor bedroom, descended the stairs of her stately Atlanta home to the kitchen and enjoyed …

What In The Hell Happened in Alaska?  —  Although Ted Stevens holds a small lead in Alaska and is the favorite to retain his seat, the outcome is not as inevitable as it might appear to be.  Stevens currently holds a lead of 3,353 votes, or about 1.5 percent of the votes tallied so far.

Suddenly, it may be cool to be an American again  —  VIENNA, Austria - She was a stranger, and she kissed me.  Just for being an American.  —  It happened on the bus on my way to work Wednesday morning, a few hours after compatriots clamoring for change swept Barack Obama to his historic victory.

Inside Obama's Sweeping Victory  —  Barack Obama captured the White House on the strength of a substantial electoral shift toward the Democratic Party and by winning a number of key groups in the middle of the electorate.  Overall, 39% of voters were Democrats while 32% were Republicans …

Exit Polls Show Huge Increase In Incomes Since '04, Will Media Care?  —  For years, and certainly throughout this campaign, the media contention has been that only the rich have done well since Bush was elected, and that his economic policies did nothing for lower and middle income wage earners.