The capture of Saddam Hussein evoked bipartisan cheers across the nation that, for the moment, drowned the chorus of criticism over the mounting casualties in Iraq and the politicizing of President Bush's Iraq policy.
And there is cautious hope on both sides of the aisle the capture will accelerate the peace process, draw reluctant allies into the Iraqi reconstruction effort and stem the daily guerilla attacks.
"I am optimistic. The president is optimistic," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R. Tenn., said on ABC's "This Week" program. "We realize that this is a major step, but there is a lot to be done."
"This gives the president, I would think, certainly more latitude to reach out to more countries, more people," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview on NBC.
Utah's congressional delegation also joined in the celebration.
"Today is a great day for the people of Iraq," said Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, calling the capture a tribute to U.S. troops and Bush's perseverance.
"Though the violence is not over, this is a huge step in bringing final peace and stability to Iraq and in fighting terrorism worldwide," added Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah. "Never again will Saddam Hussein torture his own people or threaten American security."
The rest of Utah's congressional delegation was similarly effusive, praising the U.S. military and showering kudos on the president, who is running for re-election amid sagging poll numbers on his Iraq policy.
"What a wonderful Christmas present," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "This is a tremendous victory for our military and our president. The Iraqi people are now fully headed to freedom."
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said, "The capture of Saddam Hussein is a tribute to the expertise and professionalism of America's armed forces up and down the chain of command. Their persistence in the face of criticism and second-guessing has prevailed."
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah's only Democrat in Congress, praised U.S. troops for making "this day possible for Iraqis and their neighbors."
"While this may not result in an immediate end to the insurgency, I see this as an important step in our continuing commitment in Iraq. We all want a peaceful outcome in this country, with a government that is accountable to its people."
Democrats were giving the president his due but also calling on more international involvement in
the effort. "I hope President Bush will use this opportunity to chart a course in Iraq that will bring in our allies in a meaningful way to achieve a democratic and peaceful Iraq," said presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
Saddam's capture also was good news for Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Edwards. Presidential candidate Howard Dean has criticized them all for supporting the war.
Turnabout was fair play on Sunday. "If Howard Dean had his way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power today, not in prison, and the world would be a more dangerous place," Lieberman said.
Dean, the harshest critic of the president's Iraq policy, used the capture to call for more coalition-building in Iraq.
But even he acknowledged the capture was a high point.
"President Bush deserves a day of celebration," he said.
World leaders hopeful
World leaders expressed delight and relief Sunday at the capture of Saddam, with supporters and opponents of the Iraq war agreeing the arrest could mark a milestone in the country's journey toward peace.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch ally of Bush on Iraq, said the capture would convince Iraqis that "Saddam has gone from power, he won't be coming back."
"Where his rule meant terror and division and brutality, let his capture bring about unity, reconciliation and peace," Blair said.
French President Jacques Chirac, a firm opponent of the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam, said the former dictator's capture was "a major event that should strongly contribute to democracy and stability in Iraq," according to his spokeswoman, Catherine Colonna.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who sent troops to fight the war, said he supported the death penalty for Saddam.
"If it were imposed, absolutely," he told Australian television's Nine Network.
Across the Arab world, many expressed joy that Saddam would never return to rule Iraq. But others were disappointed that he was captured by Americans and saw his surrender as a stain on Arab honor.
"What the Americans are doing in Iraq and everywhere else is humiliating," said Samer Saado, a flower-shop employee in Damascus, Syria. "There's nothing to say we're not next in line."
In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that Saddam's capture could help stabilize Iraq.
Soldiers celebrate
At Camp Anaconda, Iraq, the cigars were everywhere.
"This was my Saddam cigar," Maj. Stephen Wilson said at dusk Sunday as he took a drag from long, fat stogie made in Monterrey, Mexico. "This is great. I mean, it turned the tide in what's going on."
Soldiers aren't sure how Saddam's capture will play with local residents, especially his most ardent supporters, but there was a distinctive feel of victory here.
Word of Saddam's capture arrived almost as soon as the Army troops had removed ammunition from rifles, handguns and grenade launchers as they entered the camp's north gate. Earlier in the day they had been on the lookout for Saddam, carrying a set of photos that depicted the longtime Iraqi leader in a variety of potential disguises.
Homeland cheers
Many in America celebrated Sunday as the news spread across the country.
In Dearborn, Mich., a heavily Arab suburb of Detroit, people danced in the snowy streets, banging drums and waving Iraqi and American flags. Signs near Fort Hood, Texas, thanked the base's troops for making the capture. A cheer went up at the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers football game after part of Bush's announcement was broadcast over the stadium loudspeakers.
In homes and stores across the country, people gathered around televisions, shaking their heads and smiling as they watched footage of the scruffy, bearded man some thought would never be caught.
Kristin Williams, of suburban New Albany, Ohio, said she found it fitting that a man she considers a coward was found hiding in a hole.
"Still, it's sad to see someone in that state of affairs. He looked like a caged animal," said Williams, 36. "Going to church, he was one of the people I prayed for, too."
The news was particularly sweet for Iraqi Americans.
"You know what they should do? Put a statue of Bush," said Habib Iradily, a 37-year-old truck driver from Detroit who fled Iraq in 1991.
Kurds celebrated at a strip mall parking lot in Dallas, joyous over the capture but with no pity for the man they blame for hundreds of thousands of Kurdish deaths. Children stomped a flaming picture of the former dictator.
"We want to make him suffer the way he made us suffer," shouted 12-year-old Rujin Naji, wearing a scarf bearing the red, white and green of her people's flag.
Contributing: Jerry D. Spangler, Deseret Morning News; Associated Press; Bloomberg News; Cox News Service; New York Times News Service