So it turns out that Donald Rumsfeld resigned one day prior to the 2006 elections. But the President didn't announce it until the day after. Some Republicans are furious--see for example Arlen Specter, who in the article claims the GOP would still have a senate majority had the resignation been announced immediately.
Please, Senator Specter. Don't be ridiculous. First, don't claim to be a political swami--you over the past 20 years or so have consistently opposed bold conservative initiatives, have consistently favored making concessions to liberalism, and have consistently been wrong. As for Rumsfeld, come on--had Bush announced his resignation the day before the election, liberals and Democrats would have simply roared to the high heavens that it was an electoral trick and to ignore it. And that's how it would have looked. It wouldn't have made a bit of difference. Moderate Republicans like Arlen Specter have all the political savvy of five-year-olds, sometimes.
