Nation briefs 11/13/06

GOP angry at Bush over Rumsfeld timing

WASHINGTON -- Republicans are upset, saying the party might have fared better on Election Day if President Bush had not waited until after the vote to oust Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested that if Bush replaced Rumsfeld two weeks before the election, voters would not have been as angry about the unpopular Iraq war. Republicans would have gained the boost they needed, according to Gingrich, to retain their majority in the Senate and hold onto 10 to 15 more House seats. "The president correctly decided that this decision does not belong in the political realm," White House chief of staff Josh Bolten said Sunday. "And a decision as important as your secretary of defense should not be made based on some partisan political advantage. It would send a terrible signal to our troops, to our allies, even to our enemies."

Fla. deputies shot, one fatally, during traffic stop

TAMARAC, Fla. -- A traffic stop turned deadly for a couple of police deputies in Florida. One sheriff's deputy was killed and another was wounded after being gunned down late Saturday, authorities said. A search for the suspect or suspects was underway Sunday. Deputy Brian Tephford, 34, a six-year veteran of the department, was pronounced dead early Sunday. Deputy Corey Carbocci, 37, was listed in stable but guarded condition at Broward General Medical Center, according to the sheriff's office. Tephford called for backup after he was shot at a condominium late Saturday, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Shortly after Carbocci arrived, both deputies were fired on before they had a chance to fire their own weapons, authorities said.

-- From wire reports