Bush looks for 'new perspective' on Iraq

President George Bush was today searching for a “fresh perspective” on Iraq without right-hand man Donald Rumsfeld after admitting anger over the war had spawned the Democrat-dominated Congress he must now work with.

Mr Bush, who last night took the blame for the Republicans’ election “thumping“, faces a House of Representatives, and according to reports also a Senate, controlled by his political opponents.

Although official results have yet to come through, the Associated Press says the Democrats have won in Virginia, which would give them a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years.

Defence Secretary Mr Rumsfeld, seen as the architect of the war, resigned last night to become the highest-profile casualty of the Republicans’ crushing defeat in the midterm elections.

He will be replaced by Robert Gates, a former CIA director and close associate of the president’s father.

“He will provide the department with a fresh perspective and new ideas on how America can achieve our goals in Iraq,” Mr Bush said.

Today he will have lunch with Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who is set to become the first female Speaker of the House.

He has vowed to work to find common ground with her party there, while they pledged to press for a “new direction” in Iraq and move promptly to raise the minimum wage.

The president admitted he shared a “large part of the responsibility” for the Republicans’ dismal results, adding that he knew many Americans voted to show their disapproval with the “lack of progress” in Iraq.

The Democrats beat expectations to seize control of the House of Representatives easily, and snatched five Senate seats from the Republicans.

In Virginia the result had been on a knife edge, with just a few thousand votes separating Republican incumbent George Allen and Democrat challenger Jim Webb.

AP called the election in Mr Webb’s favour after contacting election officials in all the state’s 134 localities for updated figures and finding that he led by more than 7,236 votes.

Because that margin is so narrow, Mr Allen may be entitled to demand a recount.

It was unclear whether he would do so and if he did it would probably not be immediate because officials have several days to finish tallying up the final vote numbers first.

Confirmed victory in Virginia would give Democrats a 51-49 majority in the 100-seat Senate.

A Republican win would cause a 50-50 split, over which Vice-President Dick Cheney would have a casting vote.

Mr Bush revealed that Mr Rumsfeld’s departure had been discussed for several days before the elections, saying the two finally agreed on Tuesday that he should resign.

“He, himself, understands that Iraq is not working well enough, fast enough,” Mr Bush said.

Just last week he had insisted his defence secretary would be staying on, in the face of constant calls for his removal.

Ms Pelosi welcomed Mr Rumsfeld’s resignation.

“I think it will give a fresh start to finding a solution to Iraq, rather than saying: ’Stay the course,’” she said.

Mr Rumsfeld said the past six years had been “quite a time“.