Let’s not forget how we arrived at the Fiscal Cliff. The Fiscal Cliff itself was a compromise solution, and one that favored Obama. House Republicans agreed to delay addressing the deficit issue until after the presidential election. That undoubtedly helped Obama get re-elected.

Let Willard’s loss — and the primary debacles of Bachmann, Cain, Perry, Trump, Gingrich, Santorum, et al. — be a death knell to the far-too-large wing of the party that is anti-women’s rights, anti-homosexual, anti-minorities, anti-science, anti-evolution, anti-math, anti-education, anti-environment, anti-renewable energy, anti-non-Christians and climate change-denying. A wing that includes those who loudly and vehemently boast about balancing the books by killing PBS, NPR and Planned Parenthood (a combined microscopic fraction of the federal budget) and whose job proudly fails to include worrying about 47 percent of the American population (a group that is mostly the elderly, low-income and/or unemployed).

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?

Bonnie Erbe, guest commentary

It's not that Republicans aren't hypocrites - it's more the label just isn't an effective dig. First, hypocrite is a fancy foreign Greek word like amnesty, ethics or Europe - how is that going to appeal to Republicans? Second, espousing virtues you don't personally have to live up to is basically the point of being a Republican.

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.

Jose de la Isla: Many in the GOP are feeling bullied by fellow Republicans because of their moderate views.

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.

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

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.

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.

It promises to be a good year for some people on a holiday shopping list — especially if that list belongs to a Republican.

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

September 7, 2004

There are two choices for Maricopa County assessor in the Sept. 7 primary election — or no choice if you happen to vote Democrat.