Don't miss our election autopsy in today's print edition. Specifically, let me point you to Jordan Smith's recap of Kinky Friedman's election night "party," where he sulked off like a neutered dog from his rescue ranch. (It's the third article down.)

I think a lot of people were genuinely excited and energized by Friedman's announcement to run – at first. I was. Who didn't want to shake up the Republican lockstep rule? But as time went on, Friedman's disdain and disinterest for policy, for ideas, for leadership – for anything – began to grate. To paraphrase the ad from his campaign's waning days, "A cowboy doesn't know about education; he teaches." (Or some such similar nonsense.) Well, the Governor's Mansion has been controlled for a might-long time by people that "don't know about education," and look where's that's gotten us. To just barely allowable under the law.

Some are tempted to paint the Kinkster as a spoiler for the Bell campaign. But as Michael King points out today, aside from his stance on drugs, biodiesel and slots-for-tots, his platform (what there was of it, seemingly hammered together piecemeal as he needed it) was decidedly conservative. This post from a former Kinky Kool-Aid swiller was winding its way through the Texas blogosphere in the weeks before the election. It makes many good points about Friedman's campaign, especially following his debate meltdown. But its main thrust – that the only way Friedman could have been a change agent was to shift his support to Bell – we'll never know.

It's almost surprising that the Kinkster took it so hard on election night – he sure didn't seem to sweat anything during the run up to it.

AP has called the Virginia Senate race for Jim Webb. Combined with John Tester's win in Montana, the Democrats now have a 51 seat majority in the Senate, and control of both chambers of Congress.

This is huge.

Quorum Report has Dem challenger Juan Garcia creaming Gene Seaman by 200 votes in Corpus Christi.

Declaring victory, the Garcia camp issued this statement: "Ten months ago I vowed to reach across the partisan divide to bring new leadership to the Coastal Bend. With the support of thousands of supporters across four counties, we will deliver on that promise: New leadership begins today," said Garcia.

UPDATE: The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports that those final boxes in San Patricio County put Garcia up by 602 votes, with 328 ballots still uncounted.

As QR notes, the Garcia win brings Dem House gains to six this cycle, cutting the GOP majority to 81 – possibly low enough for a challenge to Speaker Tom Craddick to emerge.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett – no doubt enjoying the greater notice his press releases will get now that he's in the majority – said the following today in reaction to the announcement that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld would step down:

"When it comes to Iraq, President Bush just cannot seem to speak the truth. After proclaiming one week ago Rumsfeld and Cheney forever, President Bush explains today's abrupt reversal by claiming he had no choice but to once again mislead. We don't need just a change of slogans, a swap of secretaries or a slight adjustment. Americans are demanding a fundamental change in policy that begins with candor that is still sadly lacking."

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is reporting that the "final count of three San Patricio County voting precincts won’t be complete until at least 3pm." As of last count, incumbent Republican Rep. Gene Seaman was up by a scant 24 votes over Democratic challenger Juan Garcia.

While Bush blathered, CNN and AP both called the contested Senate seat for the Dem.

A Webb victory in Virginia will give the Senate – and both chambers – to the Democratic Party.

"A superb leader in a time of change," says the president. Former CIA director, and Texas A&M president Robert Michael "Bob" Gates nominated by Bush. Let the Aggie jokes begin. In other news from this press conference, Bush is a contradictory ass.

We wax Rummy with a wealth of his quotes below the fold.

Yes, you read that right: CNN just reported that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will step down. We were giddy for about 10 minutes, until an astute political observer (my mother-in-law) just posited a way this could turn bad: Bush could appoint pro-war Democrat Sen. Joseph Lieberman as Rummy's replacement. Connecticut's Republican governor could then appoint a Republican replacement for Lieberman, which would take away the Democrats' apparent edge in the Senate. Remember, a 50-50 Senate gives the edge to the GOP, because Vice-President Dick Cheney would cast the tiebreaker on any even votes. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it. EDIT: Thank God, I've already been proven wrong. See the post above about Bush appointing Robert Gates as Rummy's successor.

Paul Burka pauses from delivering mustache rides to nowhere (like this real boner: "[Bell] lost any chance of getting my vote when he decried high-stakes testing"), to wax rhapsodic on last night's D wins as only he could.