1.   Although that does not fulfill their solemn promise, even some budget hawks are optimistic.

2.   At the same time, they acknowledge that funding from the U.S. and other key donors will probably suffer at the hands of budget hawks in the near term.

3.   Budget Director Alice Rivlin, chief of staff Leon Panetta and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and other budget hawks, meanwhile, have fought for deficit reduction.

4.   Budget hawks complain that framing the numbers this way gives Congress license to spend money now that will not arrive until well in the future -- if at all.

5.   Budget hawks like Sen. Phil Gramm say it was worth every penny because we spent the Soviets into submission.

6.   But the House has ruled the entire defense budget nearly off limits, a move that enraged liberals and embarrassed GOP budget hawks.

7.   But the radar-evading fighter is also viewed by some budget hawks as expendable.

8.   Now she says the costly labor protections will have to be eliminated, right away, if Amtrak boosters want to buy off the budget hawks.

9.   The spending votes of Southern Democrats were a surprise, noted National Taxpayer Union officials, because they are often perceived to be budget hawks.