AP - Just a year after celebrating Barack Obama's inauguration, despondent Democrats on Saturday heard from their party leader who urged optimism in the face of Republicans' strong challenge to their congressional dominance.

AP - Just when Illinois was starting to move on from the scandals of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, along comes Scott Lee Cohen.

AP - Scott Brown says he's a different kind of Republican, a centrist willing to work with Senate Democrats to fix health care and the ailing economy.

AP - Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes conceded defeat Thursday in the Democratic primary for governor, promising to help Gov. Pat Quinn win in November.

AP - Washington confronted a new world order Thursday as the Democrats' supermajority died, taking with it much of President Barack Obama's agenda and any certainty of his party maintaining control of Congress.

AP - President Barack Obama rallied his party faithful on Thursday — and took their campaign donations — while telling them that he understands their frustration that Washington hasn't changed during the first year of his presidency.