Dems: Napolitano emerges for Homeland Security job
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic officials say that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is a leading contender for the job of secretary of homeland security in President-elect Barack Obama's administration....

On Capitol Hill, campaign rivals take orientation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In two undecided open-seat House races, both candidates are playing Congress member-elect this week....

Hillary Clinton weighing secretary of state post
CHICAGO (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton has agreed to publicly disclose the names of most donors to his presidential foundation and library, a significant concession aimed at helping smooth the path for his wife to become the next secretary of state....

McCain wins Missouri in close race against Obama
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Republican John McCain has defeated President-elect Barack Obama in Missouri - the last state to be decided in the 2008 presidential election....

Ga. Democrat gets campaign help from Bill Clinton
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday appealed to Georgians to send Democrat Jim Martin to Washington arguing the state's hotly contested Senate runoff must provide a "bridge not a firewall" to the progress promised by President-elect Barack Obama....

Beau Biden will not accept Senate appointment
DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden says he plans to fulfill his National Guard duties and won't accept an appointment to his father's U.S. Senate seat....

Huckabee won't rule out 2012 run for president
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mike Huckabee wouldn't rule out a 2012 run for president Wednesday, but he acknowledged it could be hard to take back the spotlight from fellow Republican Sarah Palin. "I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but I'm not making any specific plans," Huckabee told reporters at a briefing to promote his new book, "Do the Right Thing."...

Alaska Sen. Stevens concedes in re-election race
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens conceded defeat Wednesday in a re-election bid shadowed by his federal felony conviction, a bitter end to a four-decade career in which he held a commanding place in state politics and on some of the most influential congressional committees in Washington....

Will Clinton pardon of tax fugitive haunt Holder?
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first black man elected U.S. president is poised to name Washington lawyer Eric Holder as the nation's first black attorney general - a historic appointment but one with some potential political problems over a 2001 pardon....