Reuters Politics Summary

Pelosi elected as first woman to lead House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nancy Pelosi, a California liberal who helped engineer the Democratic takeover of the U.S. Congress from President George W. Bush's Republicans, on Thursday became the first woman elected to lead the U.S. House of Representatives. On a largely party-line vote, Pelosi, 66, was selected as House speaker, a post that puts her second in the line of succession, behind only the vice president, to the U.S. presidency.

Key Democrat might consider troop boost in Iraq

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush is likely to link any short-term increase in U.S. troop levels in Iraq to political milestones or other conditions, a key Senate Democrat said on Thursday, saying he might consider backing such a "surge" if those conditions are right. Michigan Democrat Sen. Carl Levin also predicted the Republican president would soon find a way to end the "open-ended commitment" of U.S. troops to Iraq, even if Bush does propose a short-term boost in forces.

Bush lawyer Harriet Miers resigns: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House counsel Harriet Miers, whose controversial nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court was withdrawn, announced her resignation on Thursday effective at the end of the month. White House spokesman Tony Snow said President George W. Bush had reluctantly accepted the resignation of his longtime aide after six years at the White House, including almost two years as his top lawyer.

New Congress convenes under Democratic control

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 110th U.S. Congress convened on Thursday with President George W. Bush facing Democrats for the first time in control of both the Senate and House of Representatives. Having swept Bush's Republicans from power in the November 7 congressional elections, Democrats have promised to push for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, close the growing gap between America's rich and poor and clean up how the scandal-rocked Congress does business.