11.   Gorton has emerged as an influential friend of Taiwan over the last eight years.

12.   In the three years since the fellowship formed, Morton has emerged as a national figure, counting President Clinton among his many influential friends.

13.   It delivers blanket accusations of the media, then exonerates influential friends.

14.   Moreover, except for a lot of influential friends, the Metropolitan Cultural District has been pretty much a non-starter at the political grass-roots.

15.   Penner can, at times, be charming, surrounding himself with influential friends.

16.   Sahara has influential friends.

17.   You quietly encourage every influential friend you know to write, call and visit the future boss, touting your attributes.

18.   Philippine President Joseph Estrada will not give special treatment to an influential friend whose extradition has been sought by the United States, his spokesman said Thursday.

19.   He admitted later that it helped to have influential friends and shareholders who could recommend Peregrine to a host of their business contacts.

20.   He liked it so much that he came up with the column idea, encouraged by such influential friends as Sen. Hubert Humphrey.