1.   The co-ops have longstanding political ties to the Liberal Democratic Party, which dominates the government.

2.   And they said that the Bush administration ultimately favored Sembler because of his longstanding ties and service to the Bush family.

3.   As the campaign comes to an end, Bill Clinton faces troubling questions about his longstanding ties to rich Indonesian bankers.

4.   At about the same time, Blair dispatched R.D. Randolph, a state employee with longstanding ties to Clinton, to discourage McDougal from giving further interviews.

5.   At the same time, the administration halted an effort at negotiation by a Republican congressman with longstanding ties to Russia.

6.   Bank executives argue that banks, as trusted financial institutions with longstanding ties to customers, are the best business creatures to usher in the on-line revolution.

7.   Before that he was the senior American executive for the Riadys, a wealthy Indonesian family with longstanding ties to the Clintons.

8.   But many suspect that he had longstanding ties with the KGB.

9.   But senior administration officials said Habibie was clearly unsuited to lead Indonesia, given his longstanding ties to Suharto and what they called his eccentric views on economic policy.

10.   For that reason, some of you die-hard Cougars types probably believe Gettys would have been a smarter hire than McCallum because of his longstanding ties to the community.