Loved the election night coverage - especially Tim Russert who can break down all the facts and fiction and present it in an easy ,comprehensive way.
I thought the Brian Williams interview with Nancy Pelosi was a little cold - he almost seemed a little combative at times.There is a need to be objective but warmth can always be added without being bias one way or another.

This can be a blessing in disguise for the Republicans, but I am not so sure for George Bush. He can now distance himself from Rumsfield and others, but he also has to follow a Democrat agenda. I think this loss will help the Republicans though, if they change some problems plaguing them in my opinion:
• Image is not everything, in fact it should be number 3 or less:
Often politicians and businesses put image first (real common in our area). Truth should come first; People should come second (or first); Then maybe image (yes image does sell, politically and professionally).
Voters (and consumers) also need to honor those who do put truth and people above image. In my business, I have dropped major accounts do to poor treatment of my employees I have sent out in the field, I also have tried to sell only what I know works based on my testing in my maintenance business. But sadly I see politicians and businesses get rewarded for image and not honesty.

• Stand up for the Truth:
Sadly many politicians will not take a stand for the truth or at least what they believe is right. Joe Lieberman stood his ground against his own party and paid for it in the primary, but not in the general election. I do not agree on the majority of his views, but I have to give him credit here.

• Admit to not always being right:
Unfortunately Republicans are not always right (I sure make mistakes, wish I didn’t). Admit to mistakes.

• You cannot have it all:
This is where the Christian right gets into trouble, they will insist on 100% or nothing, such as no abortion-ever. Start with what you can get, such as a ban on partial birth abortion.
Governor Schwarzenegger is a good example of this, many Republican would not back him do to some more liberal views, but in my opinion, he was vastly better than the alternative.

While I am indeed happy with the results of this much anticipated mid-term election I must beat the drum of patriotism above all the celebratory buzz. I believe each of us were thoroughly beaten down with all the negative campaigning that has accompanied the run up to November 7th. However, for all the negativity that came with it, I am still amazed that sweeping changes such as these can come the votes of common citizens like you and I. To witness the peaceful transfer of power is awe inspiring on a level that never seems to fade. Regardless of whether your candidate won or lost I think we should all take a moment and be thankful we live in a country where we have such a right and responsibility. Keep up the good work Brian, I look forward to every evening at 5:30pm.

Just think of the power imposed upon Nancy Pelosi's shoulders as a result of the democratic congessional victories, she has essentially eclipsed George W. Bush as premier power broker, this in light of Donald Rumsfeld's almost comical departure from the Pentagon. In just about a week, W. convinced a country that the same players with him in the beginning would be with him to the end, including Rumsfeld, but, upon the victory of the democrats, Rumsfeld's departure is almost akin to cleaning a dirty attic with everything going out the door, including the architect of the Iraqi war. It is comical given the timing of Rumsfeld's removal in the sped-up Keystone Cops vignette.This can only come about with Pelosi's tremendous acquisition of power and her ability to use it. Bush is not the compromising politician with "my way or the highway" treatment regarding policy matters. Therefore,it was quite surprising that Rumsfeld's ddeparture came so quickly upon the heals of the democratic sweep of both houses of congress. I'm expecting the democrats to begin sweeping hearings in all facets of government. After the republican control of congress seemed like a congressional hiatus for congressional staffers in that most actions within congress were either stymied or impassed by republican majority control, this effectively shut-down this body as reflected in popularity polls, the lowest in the nation. The congressional action on border control with the 700 mile long fence on the mexican border only points to a limited action by the republicans to take an effective measure on this matter. Swiss cheese could have just as well been used to protect the American border as with this limited and embarrassing fence which points to an executive office's desire to do little about this problem. Now, with Pelosi armed and adngerous by all reckoning, Bush stalwarts are poised for continued assaults on W.'s influencing government any further than Pelosi will allow. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral?

Brian, hurray for you and NBC; you seem to be the last bastion of investigative journalism, and that's needed now more than ever. And hurray for the American people! We finally paid attention on election day. Plato said "The price of apathy toward public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." We woke up out of our apathy, and one of those evil men was forced to resign.

Seattle wouldn't broadcast the entire hour either. And we don't get you on Sunday's either. I am so over NFL. The news is much more important!!!

As a side note, you did an amazing job - your entire team - in election coverage. I was glued to MSN all day yesterday. Don't tell my boss!

Thanks for all that you do in presenting the news.

Brian, thanks for a great service of providing the people all the information we need to make informed decisions. The American people were finally heard, and have taken back OUR country. It gives me back the faith that WE own this country, not whoever happens to be in power. We recoginize a near to the edge dictatorship when we see it. Rumsfeld is no great lose, and we will be even better when Chaney turns in his resignation to. Rove should be banned from the Peoples House in Washington DC.I have gotten so sick of this Administration speaking as though the American people are as dumb as a box of hammers and have to be lead by fear as a flock of sheep going to slaughter. The American people have spoken and we have been heard. Now I would love to see the long campaigns end, term limits for all members of Congress and a spending cap on campaigns. If you aren't rich, don't cast your hat in the ring.
The people who lost whether they be Dems, Repubs, or Indep. will now have to find a real job, with real working hours and no perks.
Thanks again Brian to you and your team for a super night of coverage.

Thank you for providing the transcript of Brian's interview with Speaker Elect Pelosi. I find this a great source for forming my opinions as nuances, tone of voice, etc. are all stripped away.

I truly hope that the election results will motivate both Democrats and Republicans to seek common more common ground actually working in the best interests of the American people. That said, would anybody like to start a lottery for when the first "nastiness" will appear?

Kudos to Brian for landing the interview with Grandmother Pelosi!

Great Job as usual Brian I have gotten all of my election coverage from you and your co workers at MSNBC and this website.. Thank you and get some sleep, only two years to the Presidential Elections!!!

MSNBC/NBC has proven to be the Number One network during election.

I still have to recover myself from watching the heroic Chris Matthews and his changing panel throughout the night, having quality discussions at 3-4 o'clock in the morning, supported by instantly adding charts/graphics from the crew behind the camera.

I am also looking forward to read about the boosting ratings of C-Span and the Senate-hearings from January on...

Great hour Brian and you do good with your interview with our New Speaker. Isn't it nice to interview a person who's intelligent and respectful. Now our Congress can get down to the business of our country. Looks like God did bless America as all parties and Americans won Nov. 7th.
My daughter called from Afghan as said they heard about Rummy resigning Brian the troops were yelling in the background cheers and wont Cheney leaving. So we know our troops are paying attention to what's happen back home.

Before the Dems congratulate themselves on a victory last night - they should remember that there is half of the country that is not happy with them either. The vote was close was for several reasons it does not mean that we are looking to the Dems for direction. I remember when I voted for Jimmy Carter (not the smartest thing I have done in my life). It was an emotional response that I lived to regret. I think that some of the votes that the Dems received were emotional that some may live to regret as I did. The one good thing that can come of this is that they will wake up depending how the Dems perform over the next two years and their push for the White House may be lost to them.

So remember it was a close race and there are some out there that are not happy with either party.

Lauretta Woods CA

I hope to see the whole hour here in Calfornia. Nancy will do just great. As Rummy got fired one can only wonder will the power people running the White House tell Bush he has to let Cheney go next. History just might repeat itself. Cheney after being indicted will resign due to heath. Bush will resign before the impeachment hearing. Look there will be so many investigations and indictments as the 5 years of corruption has come to an end. America won this election not Dems/Republ/Indepen. The criminals corrupt group have lost. Look for more elected officials to resign as their names come to print of the corruption.

Portland joins Minneapolis in not allowing you the whole hour. Darn it...we can't get Netcast over the weekend (due to NFL Football), and now we can't get Mr. Williams for his entire broadcast during a pivitol time in our nation's history. With hope the entire hour will be Netcast so we can catch up. Help please!!!!

Brian, I would like to applaud your coverage of the election this year. I would also like to add that the Disabled communitywhich has upwards of 40,000,000 registered voters appears to have turned out in recorded numbers. I am a member of this voting block, and democracy works best when all facets of the national community are represented.

This is a critical victory for the very life of our nation. Absolute power has shown what it can do in falsified/unjustified wars, the outing of CIA operatives without any real repercussions, the bypass of minimum wage increases, and what was--in my view--a building dictatorship based on the politics of total and complete FEAR. How did we even let it come this far?

The Bush administration was completely guilty of manipulating our heartfelt post-9/11 patriotism into a caldron of outright nationalism to where all we wanted to do was INVADE - INVADE - INVADE at the slightest wave of their hand. Terrorism, in this sense, became like a wonderful ‘invisible enemy’ which allowed them to ‘allege’ mysterious connections to any government it wanted to attack! Iraq was the first. With such a 180 in US foreign policy, NK and Iran fear that they are next and have taken these measures to defend themselves from an aggressor nation: THE US.

Many nations feel that WE (YES US) are a greater threat to world peace than the likes of IRAN or NK! We've secret prisons, endorse torture and have ravaged our own freedoms far more than any terrorist could have ever hoped for - all in the name of complete power.

The very first item on Speaker Palosi's agenda should be a complete investigation into why we went into Iraq when it had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. Impeach the President when it is discovered just how much he has fabricated each and every aspect of this war for personal gain.

Lets politely begin a withdrawl from Iraq with our tail between our legs asking... no BEGGING for international help!

Lets allow Iraq to be divided into three separate states (which Bush rejected) which is the obvious answer much like it was in Bonsnia!

We need an energy bill that totally and completely breaks our addition to oil, not increases it.

We need to apologize to the world and to our allies -yeah, we used to have those...

Restore our freedom so that we are no longer afraid to speak out or to march in an anti war protest without being labeled a terror sympathizer.

ACOUTABILITY in all factors of government.

Thanks for VOTING PEOPLE. You may have saved us all!

Great Job Brian, Tom, Keith, and Tim!

Brian, I'd love to watch your whole hour. But KARE-11 (Minneapolis) will not broadcast it. So I hope it goes well... will it be online later maybe?

Thanks for a super night of coverage last night!