41.   Democrats hope the shorter season will produce an earlier nominee and therefore more time to build a case against President Bush.

42.   Democrats hope the vote will work against Republicans running for election in farm states this fall.

43.   Democrats hope their relentless attacks on the Republican plan will galvanize the elderly and sway enough GOP defectors to derail the reforms.

44.   Democrats hope they have a magnet for Hispanic voters in their lieutenant governor nominee, Cruz Bustamante, the first Hispanic speaker of the California Assembly.

45.   Democrats were hoping the conservative hard-liners would be moved by the history of the moment and agree to their plan.

46.   Democrats are hoping that a backlash against the ads will help their party.

47.   Democrats are hoping to hold losses below that level in order to claim that voters are standing by Clinton in the face of GOP-led impeachment efforts.

48.   Democrats clearly hope that Bush will recognize the changed political landscape.

49.   Democrats had hoped to keep the Senate in session all night, making speeches denouncing the Republicans for putting politics ahead of emergency relief.

50.   Democrats hope farm state Republican senators will be pressured at home and vote to end the deadlock.