WASHINGTON (By Sergey Strokan, Kommersant) November 10, 2006 — It was announced yesterday in America that the Democrats had won control not only of the House of Representatives but also of the Senate in the midterm congressional elections. The transfer of Congress into the hands of the Democrats obliged President Bush to take a step towards his opponents for the first time in his six years in office by sending Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld into early retirement. Mr. Rumsfeld's departure signals the end of the unchallenged "era of neoconservatism" that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. However, President Bush's legacy is safe from being wholly dismantled – at least until the presidential elections in 2008.

Rumsfeld Leaves so that Cheney Can Stay

The news that George Bush was sending Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld into early retirement, which Mr. Bush announced during a press conference addressing the results of the midterm congressional elections, was first made public on Wednesday night by CNN. Mr. Rumsfeld's departure was treated as a sensation. Observers in Washington remembered how several days ago, in the heat of the pre-election campaign, the president announced to journalists that there would be no talk of Donald Rumsfeld's retirement no matter how the congressional elections turned out. The president promised that Mr. Rumsfeld would keep his post until the end of Mr. Bush's term in office.

However, CNN's sources were not mistaken. For the first time in his six years in office, Mr. Bush was obliged to second-guess himself. With the reluctant admission that, "with their votes, many Americans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in Iraq," and having taken upon himself a "significant portion of the responsibility" for the defeat of the Republicans, George Bush announced that the decision had been made "after careful consideration" to send Donald Rumsfeld into retirement. Former CIA chief Robert Gates has been tapped to replace Mr. Rumsfeld as secretary of defense.

To the question of what brought about the sudden change in his stance on Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush replied that he simply did not want to announce such an important decision in the last days before an election. It follows from Mr. Bush's explanation that the decision was made without consulting Mr. Gates: according to Mr. Bush, he was not able to meet with Mr. Gates before last Sunday. President Bush dodged the question of whether the personnel change would mean a change of course in Iraq, saying only, "I also want to bring our troops home, but I want them to return victorious."

The fact that Mr. Bush has long been prepared to sacrifice Mr. Rumsfeld, whose name has become synonymous with the principle failures of the American operations in Iraq, was confirmed yesterday by sources in the White House. According to these sources, the decision was made by the White House long before the November 7 elections, and the president was only waiting for the right moment to announce his decision in order to reap maximal dividends in a tradeoff with the swiftly gathering forces of his political opponents. Mr. Bush is said to have hoped to highlight for the Democrats the flexibility of his administration with regard to the question of Iraq.

Another confirmation of the fact that Mr. Rumsfeld's departure is integral to the new order that was swiftly installed between the Republicans and the Democrats in Washington in the wake of the November 7 elections was the announcement by George Bush that his opponents should not expect a second noteworthy resignation to be tendered by Vice President Dick Cheney, who, together with Mr. Rumsfeld, is considered the main ideologue behind the war in Iraq. To a question regarding Mr. Cheney's fate, President Bush answered that Mr. Cheney retains his full confidence and that he will remain in his current post. Less than a week ago, however, he was saying the same thing about Donald Rumsfeld.

At a short ceremony yesterday in the White House introducing Robert Gates and bidding goodbye to Mr. Rumsfeld, who will continue to carry out his duties until his successor can be confirmed by the Senate, George Bush again attempted to save face. He declared that "the historical reforms introduced by Donald Rumsfeld will strengthen America's national security for decades to come." Mr. Bush introduced former CIA chief Gates as the coordinator of America's efforts to drive Soviet forces from Afghanistan. "The success of those efforts weakened the Soviet regime and sped up victory in the Cold War," said Mr. Bush portentously.

"The Time of the Do-Nothing Congress is Over"

The nomination of Robert Gates as chief of the Pentagon was just one of many signs of the cardinal changes at hand in American politics. Despite his long history of close ties with the Bush family – he led the CIA during the elder George Bush's term in office – Mr. Gates is seen by observers in Washington as a someone who will be capable of building bridges between Republicans and Democrats, unlike Mr. Rumsfeld. Those in Washington note that Mr. Gates has worked successfully with both Republican and Democratic administrations during his political career and has found a common language with both sides of the partisan divide. As such, Mr. Gates fits perfectly into the new order of the day espoused by George Bush after the defeat of his party: "to work together with Democratic and Independent members of Congress on questions that are important for the country."

President Bush's conciliatory overtures towards to the Democrats after the resounding defeat of the Republican party were a necessary gesture dictated by the president's need to come to some sort of agreement with Congress, which on Thursday came completely under the control of the Democrats. The Democrats, who had already won the upper hand in the House of Representatives, consolidated their victory yesterday when the Republican candidates in closely-contested races in Montana and Virginia conceded, giving the Democrats a majority in the Senate for the first time since 1994.

The leaders of the Democrats have made it plain that the period of unanimous agreement between the presidential administration and the legislature that began after September 11, 2001 is over. For George Bush, instead of being a machine that rubber-stamps the president's decisions, Congress is now a force to be reckoned with.

"The time of the Do-Nothing Congress is over. America has unambiguously chosen the Democrats, who will lead the country in a different direction," said Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate. Mr. Reid laid out the basic principles of the new course that the Democrats will chart in cooperation with the Republican administration. "We are ready to work on many questions, from changing policy in Iraq to raising the minimum wage, overcoming the crisis in the healthcare system, and making the country self-sufficient in terms of energy," said Mr. Reid.

The Neoconservatives are Leaving. But for How Long?

It is obvious that the Democrats' election victory has deepened the crisis in George Bush's circle. However, evidence of misfortune on the Republican ship of state and erosion of the neoconservative values that dominated it were visible long before the departure of Donald Rumsfeld. Among the most obvious signs of the crisis were the very public resignations of two close comrades-in-arms of Mr. Rumsfeld's in the Pentagon: presidential defense council head Richard Pearl and deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz. More and more difficulties have been littering the path of global projects linked to rooting out "international terrorism" and the so-called "axis of evil," scandals have dogged the party, and public sympathy has gradually swung in the direction of the Democrats.

As of now, two years before the end of President Bush's second and final term in office, America has basically returned to the era of the "weak" George Bush, who at the beginning of his administration labored under the acute displeasure of Democrats who believed that he had stolen victory in the 2000 presidential elections from Democratic candidate Al Gore. However, observers caution that the last two years of Mr. Bush's presidency are not likely to see a total overhaul of American politics: the government's policies will undoubtedly be the result of compromises between Republicans and Democrats.

The final answer to the question of how seriously America has turned away from the Republicans will be provided not by these midterm congressional elections but by the presidential election in 2008. In the opinion of observers in Washington, another consequence of the recent elections has been to jumpstart the campaigns of contenders for the 2008 race for the presidency. The overwhelming victory of the incumbent Hillary Clinton in her Senate race in New York makes her an early Democratic favorite. "We believe in our country and intend to return it starting tonight!" said Senator Clinton in a remark that was interpreted as a hint that after their victory in Congress the Democrats intend to aspire to new heights: a return to the president's seat.