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Democrats 'to control US Senate' Democrats 'to control US Senate'
(about 4 hours later)
Democrats are set to win the final seat needed to take control of the US Senate, the Associated Press reports.Democrats are set to win the final seat needed to take control of the US Senate, the Associated Press reports.
AP declared Democrat Jim Webb victor in Virginia by 7,236 votes over Republican incumbent George Allen. Official results have yet to confirm a win.AP declared Democrat Jim Webb victor in Virginia by 7,236 votes over Republican incumbent George Allen. Official results have yet to confirm a win.
Democrats have already taken the House of Representatives, and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned.Democrats have already taken the House of Representatives, and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned.
President George W Bush is to meet key Democrat Nancy Pelosi, and has said he wishes to work with her party.
Mr Bush is to have lunch on Thursday with Ms Pelosi, who is to become the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Both have said they wish to establish a constructive relationship, but correspondents say this will be challenging after a bitter election campaign.
Ms Pelosi has called for a change in Iraq policyOn Wednesday, the president said the Republicans had taken a "thumping" in Tuesday's vote, in which the Democrats gained control of the House for the first time in 12 years.
Republican defeat in the mid-term polls has been blamed on the Iraq war, of which Mr Rumsfeld was a key architect.Republican defeat in the mid-term polls has been blamed on the Iraq war, of which Mr Rumsfeld was a key architect.
President George W Bush named former CIA director Robert Gates as his new defence chief. Mr Bush named former CIA director Robert Gates as his new defence chief.
The president said the Republicans had taken a "thumping" in Tuesday's vote, in which the Democrats gained control of the House for the first time in 12 years. Senate balance
The Senate race has been hanging on Virginia, where Mr Allen's aides were quoted as saying he did not want to drag out the process and was likely to make a decision in the coming hours. The Senate race has been hanging on Virginia. A Democrat win would leave both parties with 49 seats each.
Control of the Senate and its committees would give Democrats the right to hold hearings and approve presidential appointments, including those to the Supreme Court. href="/1/hi/world/americas/6130302.stm" class="">Profile: Robert Gates href="/1/hi/world/americas/6131066.stm" class="">Press reacts to departure href="/1/hi/world/americas/6131646.stm" class="">In quotes: Rumsfeld resigns Two independents have said they will vote with the Democrats, which would give the party the 51 votes they need to claim a majority for the first time since 2002.
Mr Bush is due to begin trying to forge a working relationship with the Democrats by having lunch with Nancy Pelosi, who is set to become the speaker of the House. In Virginia, Mr Allen will have the option to demand a recount if the margin from official results is less than half a percentage point.
'Tired of failures' But his aides were quoted as saying he did not want to drag out the process and was likely to make a decision in the coming hours.
A win for Mr Webb would give the Democrats the six seats needed for a majority. AP called the race for the Democrats after contacting election officials in the state's 134 localities for updated figures.
href="/1/hi/world/americas/6130302.stm" class="">Profile: Robert Gates href="/1/hi/world/americas/6131066.stm" class="">Press reacts to departure href="/1/hi/world/americas/6131646.stm" class="">In quotes: Rumsfeld resigns Correspondents say the call reflects the general view that the margin of victory in Virginia is large enough to make it virtually impossible for any recount to change the outcome.
AP called the election for the Democrats after contacting election officials in the state's 134 localities for updated figures. SENATE RACES DEMOCRAT GAINS: McCaskill takes Missouri Casey gains PennsylvaniaBrown gains OhioWhitehouse gains Rhode IslandTester takes MontanaWebb projected to take Virginia href="/1/hi/world/americas/6130740.stm" class="">Bush speech: Full text Control of the Senate and its committees would give Democrats the right to hold hearings and approve presidential appointments, including those to the Supreme Court.
Correspondents say the call reflects the general view that it will be impossible for any recount to change the outcome.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid claimed victory in Virginia.Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid claimed victory in Virginia.
"The American people have spoken clearly and decisively in favour of Democrats leading this country in a new direction," he said in a statement."The American people have spoken clearly and decisively in favour of Democrats leading this country in a new direction," he said in a statement.
"In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years.""In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years."
A victory by Mr Webb would give both parties 49 seats in the upper chamber. 'Fresh start'
SENATE RACES DEMOCRAT GAINS: McCaskill takes Missouri Casey gains PennsylvaniaBrown gains OhioWhitehouse gains Rhode IslandTester takes MontanaWebb projected to take Virginia Bush speech: Full text
Two independents have said they will vote with the Democrats, which would give the party the 51 votes they need to claim a majority for the first time since 2002.
The reported margin of victory in Virginia is small enough for a recount to be possible, but with 99% of votes now counted, it is thought to be virtually impossible for Mr Allen to make up sufficient ground to win.
'Fresh perspective'
President Bush said that he and Mr Rumsfeld had agreed that a "fresh perspective" was needed in Iraq.President Bush said that he and Mr Rumsfeld had agreed that a "fresh perspective" was needed in Iraq.
HAVE YOUR SAY I think Rumsfeld should have stepped down a long time ago Cample, New York Send us your comments Mr Rumsfeld had faced growing calls to quit as violence in Iraq has continued to spiral, three years after the US-led invasion.HAVE YOUR SAY I think Rumsfeld should have stepped down a long time ago Cample, New York Send us your comments Mr Rumsfeld had faced growing calls to quit as violence in Iraq has continued to spiral, three years after the US-led invasion.
"It's been quite a time," said Mr Rumsfeld in a short departing speech."It's been quite a time," said Mr Rumsfeld in a short departing speech.
Ms Pelosi welcomed the resignation.Ms Pelosi welcomed the resignation.
"I hope the departure of Mr Rumsfeld will mark a fresh start toward a new policy in Iraq, signalling a willingness on the part of the president to work with the Congress to devise a better way forward," she said."I hope the departure of Mr Rumsfeld will mark a fresh start toward a new policy in Iraq, signalling a willingness on the part of the president to work with the Congress to devise a better way forward," she said.
The BBC's Matt Frei in Washington says Mr Rumsfeld's replacement, Robert Gates, is expected to bring a new spirit of collaboration to the Pentagon, but the situation in Iraq is such that options for changing US policy there are limited.