21.   He provided the crucial fifth vote to uphold the sodomy law.

22.   Hewlett-Packard Co. said Monday that two federal agencies were looking into its relationships with investment banks that cast crucial votes in its attempted merger with Compaq Computer Corp.

23.   However, Lieberman said his religion allows some public service work on the Sabbath, such as crucial votes in the Senate.

24.   In the election last May the ultra-orthodox were a disciplined bloc that produced crucial votes for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

25.   It has organized huge overnight telephone campaigns directed against lawmakers on the day of crucial votes.

26.   Mayor Rudolph Giuliani delivered crucial votes, but the initiative was not his.

27.   Ms. Thomson cast the crucial vote against Crew, who lost the support of Giuliani last spring after he refused to implement an experimental voucher program.

28.   On Tuesday, by contrast, they seemed much more certain that witnesses will be approved when the crucial vote arrives.

29.   On the eve of crucial Senate votes that could determine the fate of campaign finance legislation this year, two important Republican swing senators had very different days.

30.   Rupert Allason, an outspoken Conservative member of parliament who had suggested he might break ranks, apparently gave the government the crucial vote.