Thank God it’s finally over. That was my first thought on Wednesday morning when I realized that the mid-term elections were done. However, my relief quickly turned to trepidation as I realized that the 2012 elections were probably going to begin in earnest next week.

WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday easily defeated a Democratic effort to pressure President Bush to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Unofficial results show Russell Pearce is facing his second election defeat in a row — once again to a political newcomer who vowed not to pursue divisive illegal immigration legislation.

Scandal has cost the second-ranking Republican of the GOP-led Arizona Senate his leadership post.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans bickered Saturday over his historically huge economic recovery plan after states and schools lost tens of billions of dollars in a late-night bargain to save it.

PHOENIX - Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl was named to the No. 2 Republican leadership post by his colleagues in the Senate Thursday, his office announced.

Unwilling to borrow money, Senate Republicans are poised to adopt a budget that cuts state aid to universities even deeper than the $170 million reduction proposed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Efforts to extend Maricopa County's half-cent sales tax for transportation appeared on the brink of collapse Monday night as a handful of Republican senators continued to block the leading plan backed by Valley mayors.

WASHINGTON - Bruce Springsteen famously was "born in the USA," but he's getting scorned in the U.S. Senate.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama plans to nominate Sen. Judd Gregg as commerce secretary on Tuesday, the White House confirmed on the eve of the announcement as the New Hampshire Republican disclosed an apparent deal that would keep his seat out of Democratic hands.

More than 1,100 GOP activists will gather today at the Arizona Republican Convention at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa in Mesa to pick delegates for the party’s national convention.

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans circulated a sweeping plan to drive down the cost of mortgages by expanding the federal government's role in the industry, officials said Monday night as debate opened on an economic stimulus bill at the top of President Barack Obama's agenda.

Jose de la Isla: Unless the Republican Party chooses to become a permanent minority party, it would be smart to heed the path set by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to expand the electoral base.

Republican senators lashed out Tuesday at the Department of Economic Security, saying the agency is purposely cutting high-profile programs for political purposes.

Tom Patterson ("Conservatives have to win this deficit stare-down, AFN, June 12), where were you when President Bush and the Republicans were spending the huge surplus built by President Clinton? How come you were not worried about the surplus-turned-deficit until we had a Democrat-elected president?

Republican legislative leaders are planning what could be an end run around voters to scale back the state's program of free health care. A budget plan being crafted would deny free care to nearly one out of every four people now enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. That comes out to about 310,000.

WASHINGTON - Republicans accused Democrats Wednesday of moving too hastily on Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination, warning that the decision could imperil her confirmation as they pressed the judge for more documents from her past. The top Senate Republican blasted Democrats' decision to schedule mid-July hearings for Sotomayor's confirmation, while another senior GOP senator floated the possibility of a filibuster by angry Republicans against President Barack Obama's first high court nominee.