Obama Makes History; Dems Gain Seats in Congress

Pearce: Election 2008 did not turn out as I hoped; however, there is something special about witnessing history as Barack Obama becomes the first black president of the United States of America.  

North Carolina has lost a great Senator in Elizabeth Dole, and we should all be thankful for her service to our state and nation over her historic career... she is far from finished.

AP: His name etched in history as America's first black president-elect, Barack Obama turned Wednesday from victory's jubilation to the sobering challenge of leading a nation in crisis. The 44th president-in-waiting kept a low profile while Americans and the world took in the enormity of the election.  More...

Carville: A new generation transforms American politics...  The historical significance of electing our first African-American president cannot be lost on me, as I remember what it was like growing up in the segregated South. To say that I never thought I would see an African-American president in my lifetime is to understate what Mr Obama's achievement says about America.  More...

Politico: The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates, political parties and interest groups on the congressional and presidential races.  More...

AP: Obama wins North Carolina by 13,000 votes.  More...

AP: Democrats fattened their majority control of the Senate on Tuesday, ousting Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and John Sununu of New Hampshire and capturing seats held by retiring GOP senators in Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado.  More...

Salisbury Post: Salisbury's own Elizabeth Dole, a history maker six years ago when she became North Carolina's first woman U.S. senator, lost her seat Tuesday to Democrat Kay Hagan in one of the state's all-time political upsets.  More...

See Senator Dole's concession speech below.

AP: Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's 40-year tenure in the nation's capital took her from the inner circles of presidents to leading the American Red Cross. Now ousted from Congress, she's been left to plot the next chapter in one of Washington's most storied careers.  More...

Dome: GOP Sen. Richard Burr ought to get crackin’ now for his own re-election bid in 2010, saying this week that Democrats will be infused with new energy with the wins of both Barack Obama and Kay Hagan, who defeated incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole on Tuesday.  More...

WSJ: The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.  More...