Rummy To Go

Rumsfeld resigns as Democrats triumph

· Defence secretary first top casualty
· Republicans lose control of House
· Senate hangs in balance

The Democrats today claimed the first scalp following their victorious US midterm elections with the resignation of the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.

The US president, George Bush, confirmed he had accepted Mr Rumsfeld's resignation and said he had nominated Robert Gates, a former CIA director, to replace him.

Speaking for the first time since midterm elections widely seen as a voter backlash
against the handling of the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq, Mr Bush said Mr Rumsfeld had agreed a "fresh perspective" was needed.

Goodbye Rummy, though I would not be surprised if he ends up getting some cushy job at a big corporation.