Victorious in this month's congressional elections, the Democratic party will soon take over leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. President George W. Bush, as leader of the Republican party, says, "It is now our duty to put the elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents:
"The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside their partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our nation."
"There's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq," says Mr. Bush:
"In the coming days and weeks, I and members of my national security team will meet with the members of both parties to brief them on latest developments and listen to their views about the way forward. We'll also provide briefings to the new members of Congress so they can be fully informed as they prepare for their new responsibilities."
Congressman Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, and potential House of Representatives majority leader, says Democrats want success in Iraq as much as Republicans.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, is expected to become Speaker of the House of Representatives, second in line to the presidency behind the vice president. She says Democrats intend to cooperate with the other party:
"We pledged partnerships with Republicans in Congress, with the president, and not partisanship."
"The election is over, and the Democrats won," says President Bush. "Now," he says, "we're going to work together for two years to accomplish big objectives."
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.
