41.   Power authority officials defended the plan in five hours of testimony.

42.   President Clinton defended the plan to use statistical sampling during his visit to Houston this month.

43.   Republicans defended the plan as targeted toward helping middle-class taxpayers who most need relief from rising tax bills.

44.   Republicans defended their plans as prudent and said President Clinton was misguided in casting all tax debates as a contest between rich and poor.

45.   Republicans are having trouble defending their plan on the merits.

46.   San Miguel Chairman Andres Soriano III, who earlier defended the plan to merge Coke Philippines with Amatil, indicated a renegotiation of the agreement was unlikely.

47.   SENATE In seven hours of debate, Republicans attacked and Democrats defended the plan proposed by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine.

48.   Shaheen defended her plan again Friday.

49.   Saturday, Reuter defended the plan to do away with the token, and said the timetable would not be altered.

50.   Sibley defended his plan as legal and sound.