EXCLUSIVE: Emanuel accepts White House job  —  Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a wily, aggressive West Wing strategist under President Bill Clinton, has accepted the post of White House chief of staff for President-elect Barack Obama, Democratic officials tell Politico.

Lieberman Meets With Reid, Tries To Cling To Senate Chairmanship  —  Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats.

Reason 142 to Homeschool: Obama Teachers Won't Bully Kids Who Support McCain  —  Welcome, HotAir Readers!  —  And Welcome Michelle Malkin Readers!  —  Wow, this post has gotten quite a bit of Attention.  Thanks to Moonbattery, Riehl World View, Neptunus Lex, American Power, Lone Star Times …

Obama's odds of getting Nebraska electoral vote increase  —  Good news for Barack Obama supporters.  —  His odds of bagging an electoral vote in Nebraska grew stronger this morning, with word that 10,000 to 12,000 early ballots and 5,200 provisional ballots are left to count in Douglas County.

Brooklyn Marine & wife tortured, slain in Calif.; 4 Marines charged  —  A Brooklyn-raised Marine sergeant and his new bride were tortured and killed execution-style in their California home - allegedly by four other Marines under his command.  —  Sgt. Jan Pawel Pietrzak, who was raised in Bensonhurst …

A Few Things You'd Have to Believe to Believe What McCain Staffers Say About Sarah Palin  —  Let's add some context to the Carl Cameron and Newsweek airing of rumors from anonymous McCain/Palin staffers.  The most controversial claims, all of which come without names attached because the purveyors …

SOMETHING SMELLS VERY FISHY IN ALASKA  —  ANCHORAGE - Something stinks.  Not just an ordinary low tide smell.  Not like something you'd blame on the dog.  It smells like an infection.  For me to plug my nose, I'd have to overlook some curious facts.  —  In Alaska, more people voted …

Report: '08 turnout same as or only slightly higher than '04  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new report from American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate concludes that voter turnout in Tuesday's election was the same in percentage terms as it was four years ago — or at most has risen by less than 1 percent.

U.S. Stocks Tumble in Market's Worst Two-Day Slump Since 1987  —  Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks slid, sending the market to its biggest two-day slump since 1987, after jobless claims jumped and the shrinking economy crushed earnings at companies from Blackstone Group Inc. to News Corp.

The Right's Inequality Challenge  —  In politics, there are lots of ways to win an election.  The best thing is to just be lucky.  If your opponent screws up enough, you'll win.  But it's one thing to win an election and another thing to implement a successful governing agenda.

FILIBUSTER-PROOF DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY BEGINS TO LINE UP IN U.S. SENATE  —  In case you haven't been able to keep up with the barrage of reporting here over the last 48 hours —  concerning serious election irregularities in various races around the country —

Franken says recount is needed  —  The Democrat's deficit is down to 341 votes in his Senate battle with Norm Coleman.  —  Democrat Al Franken, locked in an overtime election battle with incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, said today that he is pushing ahead with the recount of Tuesday's voting.

Election Analysis: America Can Take Pride In This Historic, Inspirational Disaster  —  Although I have not always been the most outspoken advocate of President-Elect Barack Obama, today I would like to congratulate him and add my voice to the millions of fellow citizens who are celebrating his historic and frightening election victory.

Ahmadinejad Offers Obama Landmark Congratulations  —  For the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, an Iranian leader has offered well wishes to a U.S. president-elect.  —  TEHRAN,Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has congratulated Barack Obama on his election win …

Matthews: My Job Is To Make Obama Presidency a Success  —  Just in time for the new James Bond movie, Chris Matthews has earned himself a new moniker: Odd Job.  Matthews says he sees his job as a journalist as doing everything he can to make the Obama presidency a success.

Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question  —  TBILISI, Georgia — Newly available accounts by independent military observers of the beginning of the war between Georgia and Russia this summer call into question the longstanding Georgian assertion that it was acting defensively against separatist and Russian aggression.

On Concerns Over Gun Control, Gun Sales Are Up  —  DENVER — Sales of handguns, rifles and ammunition have surged in the last week, according to gun store owners around the nation who describe a wave of buyers concerned that an Obama administration will curtail their right to bear arms.

A Chavista at the EPA?  —  According to the Washington Post, Barack Obama is “looking at possibly appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Environmental Protection Agency, according to sources familiar with the process, though he is eying several other prominent environmentalists as well.”

No Federal Charges Against Spitzer  —  ALBANY — Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer will not be charged with any crime for his patronage of a prostitution ring, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday.  —  The announcement was made by the office of Michael J. Garcia, the United States attorney in Manhattan.