Bush takes blame for election "thumping"
Nov 08 1:56 PM US/EasternUS President George W. Bush took responsibility for a "thumping" by Democrats in congressional elections, and admitted the drubbing reflected frustration over a "lack of progress" in Iraq.
"I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq," Bush said at a White House news conference, as his Republican party digested its defeat by Democrats.
"I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made there," he said.
As his announcement that US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had resigned sent shockwaves through Washington, Bush made clear that another linchpin of his administration, Vice President Dick Cheney, would stay on until the end of his term in January 2009.
"I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election," Bush told reporters at a White House news conference.
"As the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility," Bush said.
"You look at it race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping."
"I told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great issues facing this country."
Bush said he would spend a lot of time meeting with Democratic leaders in the new Congress, including with the likely new speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
"She's coming to the Oval Office later this week. I'm going to sit down and talk with her."
"I believe on a lot of issues we can find common ground. There's a significant difference between common ground and abandon principles.
"She's not going to abandon her principles and I'm not going to abandon mine. I do believe we have common ground to move forward on," he said.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/08/061108185622.1vbexy9n.html
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I am glad to hear that Bush is taking the election loss for republicans like a man, rather than sulking about it. Hopefully good will come out of these elections.